FTC, Feb.2, 2017/ KOREA IT TIMES-- If you decide to buy a water filtration system, there are a lot of choices. If a company says its filtration products are “Built in the USA,” that might influence your decision. But what would you think if you learned those filtration products were actually imported from overseas
The FTC announced today that it has settled a lawsuit with iSpring Water Systems, LLC, a Georgia-based distributor of water filtration systems. The FTC alleged that, in many instances, the company’s products included significant imported parts, even though they were labelled as “Built in the USA.” The company sold to consumers on 123filter.com and on websites for Amazon, Sears, and Home Depot.
As part of its settlement with the FTC, iSpring has agreed not to make any country-of-origin claim unless it has evidence to support it.
Here’s the unfiltered truth: If a business chooses to claim that its product is made or built in the USA, the FTC’s Made in USA standard applies. That means any company that makes a “Made in USA” claim without providing further information should have evidence that its product is “all or virtually all” made in the United States.
If you suspect a company isn’t complying with the FTC’s “Made in USA” standard, email MUSA@ftc.gov, call (202) 326-2996, or write to the Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.