An Arizona hearing device company must stop its deceptive advertising after the Arizona Attorney general’s Office obtained an Assurance of Discontinuance.
Budget Hearing Aids and its subsidiary, Audien (Budget), must stop misleading consumers about over-the-counter hearing devices.
Budget owns several websites and advertises “FDA APPROVED” or “FDA REGISTERED” hearing devices, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any over-the-counter hearing aids. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) claims Budget’s use of these terms conveys a message to the public that the FDA favors or endorses a particular product or service. As a result of the settlement, the AGO required Budget desist from using this deceptive tactic and to remove the FDA logo and the terms “FDA APPROVED,” and “FDA REGISTERED” from any of its advertising.
This injunctive term promotes truth in advertising in this burgeoning marketplace.
The Attorney General’s Office offers the following consumer tips when buying over-the-counter hearing devices:
If you feel that you have been the victim of consumer fraud, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. For consumer inquiries, or to request a complaint form, call the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or toll-free outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.