FTC Sending Refunds to QVC Supplement Buyers

WASHINGTON FTC is mailing out more than 140,000 refund checks totaling almost $6 million to consumers who bought certain For Women Only weight loss dietary supplements from QVC Inc. Last year, the company settled charges that it violated a 2000 FTC order by falsely claiming the supplements would cause consumers to lose substantial amounts of weight and allow them to eat fatty and high-carbohydrate foods without increasing their body fat.

The amounts of the refund checks were determined by the amount consumers spent on these products, with the average check totaling about $40.  In addition to requiring QVC to pay $6 million for consumer refunds, the March 2009 settlement required the company to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty.