Complain about a product or service

FTC Swats Lentek's Claims

August 28, 2002
An Orlando company has been charged by the Federal Trade Commission with making false and unsubstantiated claims in advertisements for its electronic mosquito and pest repellers and its air cleaning products.

• its MosquitoContro devices repel mosquitoes from the user and provide an effective alternative to using chemical pesticides in the prevention of the West Nile Virus;
• its pest-control products drive away mice, rats, bats, cockroaches, and other household pests by means of ultrasound and electromagnetic technology; and
• its air cleaning products remove various pollutants from indoor air through ozone and ionization.

The FTC alleges in an administrative complaint that the respondents do not have competent and reliable evidence to support the claims made for these products, and that the claims for the MosquitoContro device are false.

Lentek International is a manufacturer and distributor of such items as air cleaners, pest-control devices, housewares, pet products, personal care products, and flashlights. These products are sold on the Internet, www.lentek.com, in retail stores and catalogs, and by individual home distributors.

MosquitoContro

The respondents have claimed that their battery-operated MosquitoContro products, designed to be worn or placed near the body, create sounds that mimic male mosquitoes and dragonflies, thereby supposedly frightening away the biting female mosquitoes. The MosquitoContro devices, which cost between $10 and $20, include a bracelet, a key chain, and a tabletop model.

• use insect repellent containing DEET, according to the manufacturer's instructions;
• wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants;
• spread mosquito netting over infant carriers; and
• stay indoors at dawn and dusk.

PestContro

Lentek also markets, under the brand name "PestContro," a variety of pest- control products that are claimed to drive away household pests such as rats, mice and cockroaches. Most of the devices are plug-in or battery operated, and some are sold for outdoor use. The PestContro products purportedly work by emitting ultrasound waves, thereby creating an annoying noise that is audible to certain pests but not to people. The uncomfortable noise supposedly drives pests out of the house or away from an outdoor area. Some PestContro devices also purport to alter the electromagnetic field of household wiring so that pests are driven out of the walls.

According to the FTC's complaint, the respondents do not have a reasonable basis for claims that ultrasound will eliminate or repel pests, including rodents and many insects, from a user's home. The complaint charges as false the respondents' claims that some PestContro devices drive away pests by altering the electromagnetic field of home wiring. In addition, the FTC alleges that the respondents have no basis for their claims that particular devices repel or eliminate pests in a space of a certain size (e.g., 2500 square feet) or that other products repel deer, racoons, skunks, or similar animals from a yard.

Sila Air Cleaners

According to the FTC, the respondents sell several small air cleaning products under the brand name "Sila." These units, ranging in price from $20 to $70, include room air cleaners, devices to be plugged into automobile cigarette lighters, and personal devices to be worn around the neck. The Sila products purportedly clean indoor air through ozone and ion generation.

The FTC's complaint alleges that the respondents do not have a reasonable basis to support their claims for the product.

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