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For Release: August 28, 2002
FTC Alleges Electronic Mosquito Repellent Claims Are False; Sellers
Also Lack Evidence For Ultrasonic Pest-Control and Air Cleaning Product
Claims
An Orlando, Florida company has been charged by the Federal Trade
Commission with making false and unsubstantiated claims in
advertisements for its electronic mosquito and pest repellers and its
air cleaning products. According to the FTC, Lentek International, Inc.,
and its principals, Joseph Durek and Lou Lentine, have advertised that
their MosquitoContro devices repel mosquitoes from the user and provide
an effective alternative to using chemical pesticides in the prevention
of the West Nile Virus; that their pest-control products drive away
mice, rats, bats, cockroaches, and other household pests by means of
ultrasound and electromagnetic technology; and that their air cleaning
products remove various pollutants from indoor air through ozone and
ionization. The FTC alleges in an administrative complaint that the
respondents do not have competent and reliable evidence to support the
claims made for these products, and that the claims for the
MosquitoContro device are false.
Lentek International is a manufacturer and distributor of such items as
air cleaners, pest-control devices, housewares, pet products, personal
care products, and flashlights. These products are sold on the Internet,
www.lentek.com, in retail stores and catalogs, and by individual home
distributors.
Mosquito Repellers
The respondents have claimed that their battery-operated MosquitoContro
products, designed to be worn or placed near the body, create sounds
that mimic male mosquitoes and dragonflies, thereby supposedly
frightening away the biting female mosquitoes. The MosquitoContro
devices, which cost between $10 and $20, include a bracelet, a key
chain, and a tabletop model. The FTC's complaint alleges that the
respondents have falsely represented that their MosquitoContro products:
effectively repel mosquitoes from a user's body; and
are an effective alternative to the use of chemical pesticides or other
products formulated to kill or repel mosquitoes in the prevention of
West Nile Virus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ultrasonic products
are not effective at preventing mosquito bites. It advises people to:
use insect repellent containing DEET, according to the manufacturer's
instructions;
wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants;
spread mosquito netting over infant carriers; and
stay indoors at dawn and dusk.
See www.cdc.gov for additional information on mosquito repellents and
West Nile Virus.
Pest Repellers
Lentek also markets, under the brand name "PestContro," a variety of
pest-control products that are claimed to drive away household pests
such as rats, mice and cockroaches. Most of the devices are plug-in or
battery operated, and some are sold for outdoor use. The PestContro
products purportedly work by emitting ultrasound waves, thereby creating
an annoying noise that is audible to certain pests but not to people.
The uncomfortable noise supposedly drives pests out of the house or away
from an outdoor area. Some PestContro devices also purport to alter the
electromagnetic field of household wiring so that pests are driven out
of the walls.
According to the FTC's complaint, the respondents do not have a
reasonable basis for claims that ultrasound will eliminate or repel
pests, including rodents and many insects, from a user's home. The
complaint charges as false the respondents' claims that some PestContro
devices drive away pests by altering the electromagnetic field of home
wiring. In addition, the FTC alleges that the respondents have no basis
for their claims that particular devices repel or eliminate pests in a
space of a certain size (e.g., 2500 square feet) or that other products
repel deer, racoons, skunks, or similar animals from a yard.
Sila Air Cleaners
According to the FTC, the respondents sell several small air cleaning
products under the brand name "Sila." These units, ranging in price from
$20 to $70, include room air cleaners, devices to be plugged into
automobile cigarette lighters, and personal devices to be worn around
the neck. The Sila products purportedly clean indoor air through ozone
and ion generation.
The FTC's complaint alleges that the respondents do not have a
reasonable basis to support claims that use of Sila Air Cleaning
products would:
eliminate, remove, clear, clean, or substantially reduce airborne
pollutants, dust, smoke, soot, pollen, mold, mildew, fungi, bacteria,
germs, cigarette smoke, smog, car exhaust, car fumes, pet dander, dust
mites, dead skin flakes, chemical fumes, benzene, ammonia, chloroform,
formaldehyde, benzopyrene, hydrocarbons, trichloroethylene, and xylene
from a user's breathing zone; and
prevent or provide relief from allergies, insomnia, hay fever,
headaches, and fatigue.
The Commission vote to issue the administrative complaint and notice
order was 5-0.
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NOTE: The Commission issues or files a complaint when it has "reason to
believe" that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to
the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The issuance
of a complaint is not a finding or ruling that the respondents have
actually violated the law. Such action marks the beginning of a
proceeding in which the allegations will be ruled upon after a formal
hearing.
Copies of the complaint and the notice order are available from the
FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer
Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington,
D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent,
deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to
provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file
a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics,
call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint
form at http://www.ftc.gov . The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing,
identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer
Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and
criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Brenda Mack,
Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2182
STAFF CONTACT:
Elaine Kolish, 202-326-3042
Elena Paoli, 202-326-2974
Carol Jennings, 202-326-3010
Bureau of Consumer Protection
(FTC File No. 012-3117)
(http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2002/08/lentek.htm