FTC sanctions plastic surgery clinics that hid review posts written in return for surgery fees 3locations
The Fair Trade Commission said it will impose corrective orders and future prohibition orders, among other measures, on 7 month 12 day for inducing patients to write reviews in return for surgery fee discounts and failing to disclose the economic consideration at View Plastic Surgery and 3 locations, and said it took issue with the fact that consumers were not told whether the reviews were paid for.
The Fair Trade Commission said it will impose administrative sanctions, including corrective orders and future prohibition orders, on 7 month 12 day, against plastic surgery clinics that had patients write post-surgery reviews in return for surgery discounts and did not indicate the economic consideration 3 locations.
The hospitals subject to the action are View Plastic Surgery, AB Plastic Surgery Clinic, and DA Plastic Surgery. View Plastic Surgery received a corrective order and a public disclosure order, AB Plastic Surgery Clinic received a cease-and-desist order and a future prohibition order, and DA Plastic Surgery received a future prohibition order.
According to the FTC investigation, these hospitals recruited promotional models through their websites from 2018 to 5 and 29 day of the month. They offered surgery discounts to the selected models on the condition that they post pre-surgery consultations and post-surgery reviews on medical beauty apps and internet cafes.
The posts did not disclose that the reviewers had received financial compensation such as discounts on surgery fees. The hospitals also compiled and edited reviews from each model into a single post without revealing the relationship.
Promotional models were selected and managed through document screening and in-person consultations, after which advertising contracts were signed. The hospitals specified, via KakaoTalk, the character count and whether before-and-after photos should be attached, and usually managed them to write reviews once before surgery and monthly after surgery for 1years.
Some hospitals also required a deposit to ensure the provision of reviews and photos. The FTC said it viewed the absence of disclosure as a problem because whether there was financial compensation could be important information affecting consumers’ choice of a plastic surgery clinic.
Sources: 뉴시스 경제
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