The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) continues to take action against companies who have been found to have falsely claimed to manufacture their imported products in the United States.
The agency announced on Aug. 29 a final settlement with Thomas Bates and three of his companies — Chaucer Accessories, Bates Accessories, and Bates Retail Group — after FTC investigators with the Bureau of Consumer Protection found that the brands, which are based in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, made deceptive claims about where many of their products were made. According to the FTC, these companies “frequently advertised their products as being “Made in USA” or “Hand Crafted in USA” in their marketing and sales materials” but “sold certain products that were wholly imported or incorporated significant imported components.”
