Reebok recently agreed to pay $25 million for their false advertising of their "toning" shoes.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/28/reebok-ftc-idUSS1E78R0N620110928
Reebok claimed in advertisements that the shoes would tone calf muscles and gluts. Doesn't that sound great? For a for extra bucks, put on your shoes like usual and get a workout! Not so much.
The company blatantly disregarded people's intelligence, made false claims, and sold a product under false pretenses. What was their punishment? Barely a slap on the wrist. Considering that the shoes cost ranges from $12 to $300, and the company sold millions of these shoes, one does not have to be able to do advanced calculus to figure out that Reebok made a bunch of money even after paying the fine.
Sadly enough, many people trust that companies have done the research and that the "28% more toning of the butt!" claim was tested by scientists in a lab. Now, people don't like to admit that they've been duped and the news that Reebok lied will spread a lot less quickly, if at all, than the initial false claims.
If the average consumer wants to learn from this, what is the "take away" lesson? Look for facts, research, and hard evidence: doubt every claim a company makes. Remember, they are not looking out for your best interests, they are only trying to increase sales and make more money.
P.S. I have nothing against making money. "Atlas Shrugged" is a brilliant book and should be on the must-read list for everyone. It's when consumers stop thinking and blatantly start accepting anything they are told is when the problems happen. Take the market back in control of the people who actually run it (you!) and make informed decisions. That should be the responsibility of every thinking human.
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