What term describes misleading or lying about a product or service to get people to buy it?

• A. False advertising
• B. Deceptive marketing
• C. Product misrepresentation
• D. Misleading promotion

Answer: (A)

False advertising is the precise term for making false statements or omitting important facts in promotional materials to push people to buy. It covers lies or misleading claims about a product or service’s price, quality, features, origin, or benefits, presented in a way that would influence a reasonable consumer to purchase. Advertising is the channel being used to persuade, so labeling it as false advertising identifies the specific deceptive practice targeted by consumer protection laws. Other terms like deceptive marketing or product misrepresentation describe related wrongdoing, but false advertising is the standard, specifically tied to what is said or left out in advertising to induce a purchase. For example, claiming a supplement cures a disease when it does not would be false advertising.