Additional Information for Craftoria

BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims may come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers more clear to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.

On 03/22/2024, BBB contacted the business regarding their advertised products on their website. The business advertised a price comparison with slashed pricing without disclosing what the comparison is based on. Also the business is offering a sale by offering a free it, and needs to revert back to the original price as required by BBB’s Code of Advertising.

The business advertised the following product on their website:

https://craftoriastore.com/products/custom-paint-by-numbers-kit

CUSTOM PAINT BY NUMBERS KIT

$34.95 USD  $69.90 USD

-              Slashed Pricing should be defined (our price, retail price, store price, etc.)

BUY ANY 2, GET 1 FREE

BUY ANY 4, GET 2 FREE

BUY ANY 6, GET 3 FREE

ADD 3 DESIGNS TO YOUR CART FOR THE DISCOUNT!

• Offers to buy one get one free should be temporary.

The BBB Code of Advertising States:

2. Comparative Price, Value and Savings Claims

BBB recognizes that truthful price information helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions and that comparative price advertising plays an important role in promoting vigorous competition among retailers. At the same time, misleading or unsubstantiated pricing claims injure both consumers and competitors. The following examples offer guidance on ensuring that pricing claims are truthful and not misleading.

2.1 Advertisers may offer a price reduction or savings by comparing their selling price with:

2.1.1 Their own former selling price;

2.1.2 The current selling price of identical products or services sold by others in the trade area (the area in which the company does business or where the advertisement appears) (e.g., “selling elsewhere at $_______.”); or

2.1.3 The current selling price of a comparable product or service sold by the advertiser or by others in the trade area (e.g., “comparable value,” “compares with products or services selling at $_____,” “equal to products or services selling for $_____”).

2.2 In each case, the advertisement must clearly and conspicuously disclose which basis of comparison is being used.

2.3 When these comparisons are made in advertising, the claims must be based on the provisions in Sections 3 - 7.

14. “Free”

14.1 An advertiser may use the word “free” in advertising whenever the advertiser is offering an unconditional gift. If receipt of the “free” product or service is conditional on a purchase:

14.1.1 The advertiser must clearly and conspicuously disclose this condition with the “free” offer (not simply by placing an asterisk or symbol next to “free” and referring to the condition(s) in a footnote); and

14.1.2 The advertiser must not have increased the normal price of the product or service to be purchased nor reduced its quantity or quality.

14.2 The “free” offer should be temporary; otherwise, consumers may view it as a continuous combination offer, no part of which is free. Thus, where it would otherwise confuse consumers, a product or service must not be advertised with a “free” offer in a trade area for more than six (6) months in any 12 month period. At least thirty (30) days must elapse before another such offer is promoted in the same trade area.

14.3 In a negotiated sale, no “free” offer of a product or service should be made where it would likely mislead consumers, such as where:

14.3.1 The product or service to be purchased usually is sold at a price arrived through bargaining, rather than at a regular fixed price; or

14.3.2 There may be a regular price but other material factors such as quantity, quality or size are arrived at through bargaining.

14.4 Offers of “free” products or services which do not meet the provisions of this section may not be corrected by the substitution of such similar words such as “gift,” “given without charge,” “bonus,” “complimentary” or other words which can convey the impression to the consumer that a product or service is “free.”

14.5 Because the consumer continually searches for the best buy and regards the offer of “free” products or services to be a special bargain, all such offers must be made with extreme care so as to avoid any possibility that consumers will be misled or deceived. Representative language frequently used in such offers includes:

“Free”

“Buy 1-Get-1 Free”

“2-for-1 Sale”

“50% off with Purchase of Two”

“$1 Sale”

“1/2 Off”

“Gift with Purchase”

Literally, of course, the advertiser is not offering anything “free” (for example, an unconditional gift), or 1/2 free or 2 for 1 when making such an offer, since the consumer is required to purchase a product or service in order to receive the “free” or “2 for 1” item.

As of 04/09/2024, business has not responded to BBB emails or modified the website.