Business ProfileforShade World

In February 2024, Better Business Bureau questioned Shade World Inc. for displaying BBB’s seal on its website, www.shadestl.com, when it is not a BBB accredited business.  The website also makes the following claims:

• "Largest sizes available anywhere"
  "Highest quality manufacturer, Sunesta"
  "Offers the best products and the best value!"
  "Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed"
  "…carry the highest quality shade products offered anywhere in the world"
  "….stand behind each purchase 110 percent!"
  "….offers the most attractive and strongest awnings on the market today."
  "…our line of awnings are wind load tested from 35 mph for the economy model, up to 40 mph for our stronger awnings"
  "….our arms have been tested up to 60,000 cycles without failure"
  "Each arm is individually tested for proper spring tension.Our strongest awning arm has over 1800 lbs. of spring tension"
  "….warranted against rusting, chipping and peeling"

According to BBB Code of Advertising, “Regarding the term, “guarantee”, Better Business Bureau’s Code of Advertisingstandards states, “(1) Advertisers should only use ‘satisfactionguarantee,’ ‘money back guarantee,’ ‘free trial offer,’ or similarrepresentations in advertising if the seller or manufacturer refunds thefull purchase price of the advertised product or service at theconsumer’s request.  (2) When ‘satisfaction guarantee’ or similarrepresentations are used in advertising, any material limitations orconditions that apply to the guarantee must be clearly and conspicuouslydisclosed.”

Inaddition, Better Business Bureau’s Code of Advertising standards states,“Superlative statements in advertisements about the tangible qualitiesand performance values of a product or service are objective claims forwhich the advertiser must possess substantiation as they can be basedupon accepted standards or tests. As statements of fact, such claims,like “#1 in new car sales in the city,” can be proved or disproved.”

In addition, the Code of Advertising states, “Claimsrelating to performance, energy savings, safety, efficacy or results for aproduct or service should be based on recent and competent testing or otherobjective data.”

Thecompany did not respond to BBB's request and has not removedBBB's seal from its website and is in violation of the trademark rightsof theInternational Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. BBB alsoasked the business to modify, substantiate or discontinue itsadvertising claims.  The business did not respond, and has not modified,substantiated or removed the claims.