By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Local Better Business Bureau officials are concerned about a sharp increase in misleading advertisements.
The BBB of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois says the number of ad claims that mention only the maximum savings - like "up to 50 percent off!" - are way up this year.
Scott Nauert, the BBB's advertising review director, says the ads violate the agency's code of advertising, as well as Missouri and Illinois regulations.
"What we're looking for businesses to do is to disclose the full range of savings from a certain level to a certain level," Nauert says. "That way consumers are fully aware of the range of savings that the company's offering."
Nauert says businesses that use such claims in their ads face the possibility of litigation by the offices of the Missouri and Illinois Attorneys General.