False advertising

False advertising is the act of publishing, transmitting, distributing or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim or statement, to promote the sale of property, goods or services. A false advertisement can be classified as deceptive if the advertiser deliberately misleads the consumer, rather than making an unintentional mistake. A number of governments use regulations or other laws and methods to limit false advertising.

Types of deception

False advertising can take one of two broad forms: an advertisement that may be factually wrong, or intentionally misleading. Both the types of false advertising may be presented in a number of ways.

Photo manipulation

Photo manipulation is a technique often used in the cosmetics field and for weight loss commercials to advertise false (or non-typical) results and give consumers a false impression of a product's capabilities. Photo manipulation can alter the audience's perception of a product's effectiveness; for example, makeup advertisements may use airbrushed photos. Another example is using darkroom exposure techniques, darkening and lightening photographs. Some manipulation techniques are praised for the impressive artwork, whereas others are looked down upon, especially in cases where others are deceived.

Hidden fees and surcharges

Hidden fees can be a way for companies to trick unwary consumers into paying more for a product which was advertised at a specific price to increase profits without raising the price of the product.