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| J Commerce's rose-printed knives |
By Park Jin-hai
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| Volvo V40 sedan |
The FTC said Sunday that the carmaker's 2013 compact hatchback V40 was falsely advertised as being equipped with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and queue-assist features that automatically adjust the speed to keep the car a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead.
But dealer H Motors did not tell buyers that the ACC feature in the promotional brochure was not available for the Belgian-made car.
"Volvo Korea misled potential customers, saying the car had better safety features than its rivals," an FTC official said in a written statement.
The carmaker received a correction order for the advertisement, which appeared between March and September, 2013.
The V40 D2 model was Volvo Car Korea's best-selling model last year, with 457 sold. The Swedish carmaker sold 3,000 cars in 2014, up 51.8 percent from a year earlier.
J Commerce, which sells popular rose-printed knives through its online and cable networks, has also been fined for false advertising.
In its televised commercials between January and April 2013 on cables including FOX Channel and multiple home shopping channels, the company demonstrated the knife cutting titanium golf clubs and iron locks.
"The scene turned out to be fabricated, by using golf clubs and iron locks made of softer materials than the original material," said the FTC official.
Customers have bought more than 600,000 knives up to the present, while the company posted more than 20 billion won in sales.
"The company also advertised that the knives were guaranteed for 100 years, but there is no actual guarantee period," the official said.
The company was fined five million won and given a correction order.
