MousePrint.org Exposes the Strings and Catches in Advertising Fine Print

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MousePrint.org Exposes the Strings and Catches in Advertising Fine Print
    BOSTON, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- To help protect shoppers' pocketbooks,
a new consumer education website, MousePrint.org, [
http://www.mouseprint.org ] is exposing the sneaky and often costly
loopholes buried in the fine print of advertised offers and product claims.
    "The 'gotchas' are usually hidden in those hard-to-read disclaimers,"
said Edgar Dworsky, editor of Mouse Print and a former assistant attorney
general in consumer protection in Massachusetts. "When consumers forget the
old adage, 'the big print giveth, and the little print taketh away,' they
can be deceived."
    Each week, Mouse Print dissects one television or print advertisement,
a consumer contract provision, or a product label, and spotlights the
potentially costly surprise lurking in the asterisked details.
    Among the companies and products caught in Mouse Print's crosshairs:

    * American Express Clear Card
      Promise: "Absolutely no fees of any kind"
      Mouse Print: Transactions in foreign currencies are subject to a 2%
      additional charge.

    * Charles Schwab
      Promise: " ... commission prices start as low as $9.95"
      Mouse Print: "$9.95 trading price is for clients who have $1 million in
      qualifying assets ... "

    * Washington Mutual Cash Rewards
      Promise: Earn cash rewards with each purchase with WAMU's gold debit
      MasterCard, up to $250 a year.
      Mouse Print: Customers earn 3 cents (not 3 percent) per purchase. At
      that rate, one would have to make 8,333 separate purchases per year to
      receive the maximum rebate.

    * Chrysler Satisfaction Program
      Promise: Buy a Chrysler car, and "if not satisfied, simply return it
      within 30 days."
      Mouse Print: "Customer responsible for 5% MSRP restocking fee, 50 cents
      per mile driven, and all financing, insurance and tax charges."  All
      these charges could easily add up to over $2000 for a one-month test
      drive.

    * Mazda Dealer Deception
      Promise: Buy a $21,000 Mazda for $9,500.
      Mouse Print: Local dealers cleverly subtract a large down payment from
      the car's selling price to create an amazing but artificially low
      advertised price.

    * CBS' Big Brother
      Promise: Get ringtones, pictures, show updates, etc. by texting "FAN" to
      99888.
      Mouse Print: $5.99 monthly subscription charge, not orally disclosed in
      TV ad.

    * Scott Toilet Paper
      Promise: "Now Improved" 1000 sheets per roll
      Mouse Print:  Each sheet was actually shortened and dimples added,
      allowing 300 inches to be lopped off each roll.

    * Hellman's Mayonnaise
      Mouse Print:  The time-honored quart jar is now only 30 oz.  The
      product's inconspicuous downsizing helped to mask a price increase.
    Whether any of the practices highlighted in Mouse Print are illegal is
often a matter of varying state laws. At a minimum, says Dworsky, when all
the facts are finally made known to them, consumers exposed to ads that
hide key details can feel surprised, disappointed, or angry. At worst, the
impression created by some ads can mislead shoppers, and result in
unexpected costs.
SOURCE Consumer World
http://www.mouseprint.org
http://www.consumerworld.org
CONTACT:
Edgar Dworsky of Consumer World,
+1-617-666-5958, edgar@consumerworld.org