HSUS Files FTC Enforcement Petition After DrJays Deceptively Labels Real Fur as ‘Faux’

Be careful when buying “faux fur.” After reading this story, you might think twice before buying any fake fur products. It might actually be real! One retailer has been caught in the act of selling and advertising real fur as faux fur.

That’s right — the retailer DrJays has recently advertised and sold fur-trimmed jackets that were labeled as faux fur. However, this fur is actually from raccoon dog and rabbit. This deceptive advertising has sparked legal action.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is arguing that the mislabeled garments are in violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act, which states that mislabeling or deceptively advertising anything made with part or all of fur is unlawful.

The society is the nation’s largest animal protection organization and is based in Washington, DC. They are petitioning the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and commence enforcement actions against respondent DrJays.com, Inc.

Known as “DrJays,” the retailer sells casual Apparel and sportswear for an urban youth market. In addition to the website, there are twenty brick-and-mortar DrJays stores that operate in the greater New York City metropolitan area.

In their petition, the society wrote that they have “amassed evidence that DrJays has recently sold fur garments that are falsely and misleadingly advertised and labeled as faux fur when, in fact, the garments include real animal fur. This evidence indicates that DrJays engaged in these practices after the date of entry of the Consent Order. The Consent Order “permanently restrained and enjoined” respondent from, inter alia, “falsely or deceptively advertising any fur product by misrepresenting…[t]hat the fur in any fur product is faux or fake.”

If the FTC does take action, the online retailer could be facing penalties of having to pay thousands of dollars. Watch out for that fur!

Image source: Faux Fur: Hot or Not?