August 2023 – Consumer Products Law Watch

Tea Parties Certified for Class Action

Aug 14 2023

On 31 July 2023, the Central District of California granted class certification in a false advertising lawsuit against tea-maker R.C. Bigelow, Inc.[1] The suit alleges that Bigelow’s tea labels, which state “Manufactured in the USA 100%,” either intentionally or negligently misrepresent the origins of the tea because the tea itself is primarily grown internationally, and at least partially processed abroad before being packaged in the US

Goodbye to the UKCA Mark. Lifespan of the EU’s CE Mark Extended Indefinitely by the UK Government

Aug 02 2023

By: Arthur Artinian, Gabriela da Costa, Georgina Rigg, and Maya Ffrench-Adam

On 1 August, the UK government announced that it would extend use of the EU’s Conformité Européene (CE) mark for certain products placed on the market in Great Britain indefinitely.

This is an abrupt change from the intended plan of phasing out use of the EU’s CE mark and replacing it with a new British version known as the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark by the end of 2024.

It’s the final countdown…or is it?: CMA issues decision on online pressure-selling tactics

Aug 01 2023

By: Arthur Artinian, Gabriela da Costa, Georgina Rigg, and Maya Ffrench-Adam

Countdown clocks are a useful feature of digital advertising. Think “Sale ends midnight!” accompanied by a clock counting down the minutes you have left to make an order. When used correctly these urgency claims can help drive interest in a sale. However, they can also easily become misleading and breach UK consumer protection laws.

These types of “urgency claims” include scarcity, popularity, act fast, or time limited claims and have recently come under the spotlight of the UK Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”).

Archive:August 2023