Rihanna‘s Savage x Fenty lingerie line is under fire after an organization dedicated to calling out false advertising and deceptive marketing has accused the company of duping customers with misleading promotional tactics. The non-profit organization, Truth In Advertising (TINA), has filed complaints with both the Federal Trade Commission and the California District Attorney’s office for Santa Cruz County under the claims that Rihanna’s company has violated the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), as well as additional FTC laws. TINA received complaints from Savage x Fenty customers that they had been signed up for a $49.95 a month membership without their knowledge after purchasing products from the line, prompting TINA to file complaints that Savage x Fenty was engaging in the promotion of misleading discounts and product prices.
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According to TINA spokesperson, Shana Mueller, an advertisement for a discounted lingerie set on the Savage x Fenty website didn’t disclose that the deal was for VIP members only, and that the purchase of the set would include a membership charge. Once the set had been added to a customer’s cart, “a little extra item in your shopping cart that says ‘Membership'” would appear, but “there’s no price next to it. It’s just a little x.” Customers were unaware that they had been signed up for a monthly subscription, until they were charged $49.95 a month. While the subscription offered discounts on the brand’s products, it only applied to products that cost more than the membership fee, and individuals were charged whether or not they had even bought anything.
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Emma Tully, a Savage X Fenty spokeswoman, disclosed that the company believes it is complying with consumer protection laws and has not received any inquiries from the FTC. “These accusations are false and based on misconceptions of our business,” she stated. “We are proud of our flexible membership program because it allows us to offer unparalleled quality and value to our customers…We believe strongly in transparency, which is why we provide multiple disclosures of membership terms throughout the shopping experience, within advertisements, and through our ambassador engagement policies.”
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TINA has also uncovered that 21 individuals, including Rico Nasty and Draya Michele, have promoted Savage x Fenty products through their social media platforms but failed to disclose their “material” brand “ambassador” relationships with the company.
