The settlement imposes judgments of $629,359, against Zadro Health Solutions.
Based on ability to pay, the judgment is partially suspended upon payment of $222,029 for consumer refunds.
The FTC alleged that Zadro Health Solutions and its owners Zlatko and Rebecca Zadro made false and baseless advertising claims about their Nano-UV devices.
The Zadro Health Solutions defendants marketed the ultraviolet Nano-UV devices on their own website and through national retailer websites and in catalogs.
In their ads, defendants claimed their devices “safely kill 99.99% of targeted bacteria – E. coli, Salmonella and the H1N1 (swine flu) virus in 10 seconds” and that their “specifically designed Disinfecting Wands have been proven to eliminate 99.99% of targeted germs and viruses in as little as 10 seconds.”
Zadro Health Solutions’ water and surface disinfectant devices allegedly were touted as “producing sufficient energy to damage and alter DNA of all kinds of microorganisms.”
On their Nano-UV packaging, the Zadro defendants allegedly claimed Nano-UV wands were proven effective for killing 99% of germs on numerous surfaces, including in food preparation areas.
Prices for the Nano-UV devices ranged from $59.99, to $159.99, according to the complaint.
“The defendants said their devices’ UV rays would kill dangerous microorganisms, but they didn’t have scientific evidence to back that up,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.