Williams-Sonoma, a high-end kitchen store, has been ordered to pay over $3 million in civil penalties for falsely claiming that its products were made in the USA when they were actually made in China. The company, which owns several popular brands like Pottery Barn and West Elm, violated a 2020 FTC order and has agreed to a settlement.
The Justice Department and the FTC found that Williams-Sonoma Inc. misled consumers about the origin of its products, leading to the record-setting civil penalty. As part of the settlement, the company must also keep accurate records of its product manufacturing and admit to its deceptive practices.
This latest development comes after the FTC sued Williams-Sonoma in 2020 for advertising certain product lines as being made in the U.S. when they were not. The company has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Vocabulary List:
- Falsely (adverb): In a way that is not based on truth or facts.
- Civil penalties (noun): Monetary fines imposed in civil lawsuits.
- Violated (verb): Broken or failed to comply with a rule or law.
- Misled (verb): Deceived or led in the wrong direction.
- Deceptive (adjective): Intending to mislead or trick.
- Settlement (noun): An agreement or resolution of a dispute.
