Oreck ads falsely claim vacuums killed flu, lawsuit says
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Oreck Corp. claims to build a better vacuum. But the company went too far when it said its Halo vacuum and some of its air purifiers killed virtually all germs, bacteria and viruses, including the flu virus, according to a consumer lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit lists two plaintiffs, Roxy Edge of Los Angeles and Linda Gonzalez of Broome County, N.Y., and seeks certification as a class action. The lawsuit accuses Oreck of falsely claiming in television and print advertisements that the Halo vacuum killed “up to 99.9%” of germs and making similar false claims about its ProShield air purifier.
“Defendants’ claims are not adequately supported by credible, scientific testing or other substantiation and are not true,” the lawsuit alleged.
Oreck did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
[Updated at 6:43 p.m.: Oreck Corp. spokesman John Van Mol issued a statement that said the company ‘does not believe there is any merit to the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ case and it intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit.’]
In May, the company agreed to pay $750,000 to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that made similar allegations.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks damages in excess of $5 million.
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-- Stuart Pfeifer
Photo: Oreck Corp. ad for its Halo vacuum. Credit: ConsumerReports.org
