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FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

cnn.com

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Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#51

Post by [deleted] »

halJordan wrote: post #28
logiduck wrote: post #22

I just saw an TurboTax Ad where a guy was like "I Like free stuff" and then it said he was "happy to read the disclaimer" on TurboTax and see that "Roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify" which he looks thoughtfully in the distance and says "Thats me!" I thought it was a funny commercial because 37% doesn't seem like a lot and Turbotax is portraying it as the average person will identify themselves as part of that 37% even…

I agree on every level, but I'm compelled to remind you this is the America where wendy's (?) had to revert to a 1/4 pounder from a 1/3 pounder bc people thought they were getting less meat. And let's not forget the ever-present anti-education cohort that can't be convinced math is good even when you tell them it's how you calculate discounts or tips.

[deleted]

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#52

Post by mulmen »

chad_strategic wrote: post #38
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

I came here to say the above. But let me add the following… Intuit is a criminal lobbying organization.

What laws have they broken?

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#53

Post by purple_ferret »

logiduck wrote: post #22

I just saw an TurboTax Ad where a guy was like "I Like free stuff" and then it said he was "happy to read the disclaimer" on TurboTax and see that "Roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify" which he looks thoughtfully in the distance and says "Thats me!" I thought it was a funny commercial because 37% doesn't seem like a lot and Turbotax is portraying it as the average person will identify themselves as part of that 37% even…

Are they leaning in to it or are they forced to fit in the disclaimer?

Seems like the strategy of the ad is to repeat the word "Free" so much people don't remember the rest and to make it seem like the disclaimer is meaningless. Even with it, it's still free.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#54

Post by cityofdelusion »

sharps1 wrote: post #47
halJordan wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree on every level, but I'm compelled to remind you this is the America where wendy's (?) had to revert to a 1/4 pounder from a 1/3 pounder bc people thought they were getting less meat. And let's not forget the ever-present anti-education cohort that can't be convinced math is good even when you tell them it's how you calculate discounts or tips.

I had to look this up as I didn’t grow up in the States. It was A&W. https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/17/third-pound-burger-fr... Crazy.

This story has to be apocryphal, as fractions aren't _that_ rare, especially in the U.S. with its imperial system and third of a cup measurements or quarter inches or half miles and so on.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#55

Post by daswerth »

MikeTheGreat wrote: post #48
keepamovin wrote: post #39

Finally! This is only 30 years too late. Also, let’s hope the IRS’ current beta of self filing app is successful.

Could you say more about the "self filing app"? A quick Google search didn't turn up anything (which probably says more about my current lack of sleep than anything :) )

https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/strategic-plan/direct-file

Not to be confused with IRS Free File

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#56

Post by mulmen »

ijhuygft776 wrote: post #43
WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #13

Finally, something is being done. Paying taxes should be free for most people. Especially if you only have to deal with the standard deductions.

Our documents should not be sent automatically to the IRS if the IRS won't figure out our taxes.

Can they figure out our taxes without our returns? For simple stuff like paychecks maybe. What if you are self-employed? What if you are a contractor? What if you barter or pay cash?

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#57

Post by bubblethink »

daswerth wrote: post #55
MikeTheGreat wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you say more about the "self filing app"? A quick Google search didn't turn up anything (which probably says more about my current lack of sleep than anything :) )

https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/strategic-plan/direct-file Not to be confused with IRS Free File

Hah, saw that you edited the url. These government naming schemes are designed to fail. Why do they pick these absolute terms like "free" when there will clearly be some new thing that will be better? I'm waiting for the next version of REAL id, a realer id.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#58

Post by MBCook »

cityofdelusion wrote: post #54
sharps1 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to look this up as I didn’t grow up in the States. It was A&W. https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/06/17/third-pound-burger-fr... Crazy.

This story has to be apocryphal, as fractions aren't _that_ rare, especially in the U.S. with its imperial system and third of a cup measurements or quarter inches or half miles and so on.

Reportedly that’s the answer they got in focus groups when they tried to figure out why it failed.

4 > 3.

Re: FTC bans TurboTax from advertising 'free' services, calls deceptive advertising

#59

Post by zerocrates »

logiduck wrote: post #22

I just saw an TurboTax Ad where a guy was like "I Like free stuff" and then it said he was "happy to read the disclaimer" on TurboTax and see that "Roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify" which he looks thoughtfully in the distance and says "Thats me!" I thought it was a funny commercial because 37% doesn't seem like a lot and Turbotax is portraying it as the average person will identify themselves as part of that 37% even…

Yeah this ad has been running a lot.

I was pretty sure when first seeing it that they'd already gotten in trouble for their last ads that used the word "free" a lot, and this was a very direct response to that... I guess that's just the final decision that's being reported on here.

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