WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently began issuing refunds totaling more than $140,000 to consumers who purchased products deceptively marketed as “Made in USA” by Chaucer Accessories, Bates Accessories, and Bates Retail Group. The action follows an investigation into the companies and their owner, Thomas Bates, for making false claims about the domestic origin of their products.
The FTC initiated enforcement proceedings against the Massachusetts-based companies in 2023. According to the Commission’s complaint, the businesses falsely labeled a range of items, including belts, bags, wallets, and shoes, as “Made in USA” or “Hand Crafted in USA.” However, it was found that these items were either entirely imported or made with a significant amount of imported components, which directly contradicted the companies’ marketing claims.
By promoting these misleading labels, the companies violated FTC standards governing the use of “Made in USA” claims, which require that products marketed as American-made must be “all or virtually all” manufactured in the United States, with only negligible foreign content permitted.
To address the harm caused by these deceptive practices, the FTC is distributing refunds to 4,061 affected consumers who purchased mislabeled products. Refunds are being issued via checks or PayPal payments. Consumers are advised to cash or deposit their checks within 90 days of issuance or redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days.
The FTC emphasized that no payment or additional personal account information is required to receive a refund. For questions about the refund process, consumers are encouraged to contact the refund administrator, Epiq Systems, at 877-817-1384.
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