Penalty Amount
$750,000
The FTC finalized a settlement with Vanilla Chip LLC (doing business as TruHeight) and its principals over allegations that they deceptively advertised height-enhancing supplements for children and teenagers without competent and reliable scientific evidence. The FTC also alleged that TruHeight used fake social media bot profiles and relied on reviews written by employees, vendors, or consumers who received free products or discounts for 5-star reviews. Under the final order, TruHeight must pay $750,000 and is barred from making unsupported health claims or misrepresenting reviews.
TruHeight and its principals are subject to a $4 million judgment, partially suspended after payment of $750,000 based on inability to pay. The order prohibits false or unsubstantiated height and growth claims, unsubstantiated health benefit claims, misrepresentations about reviewers or their experiences, and buying consumer reviews conditioned on a particular sentiment.
In-house legal teams should review marketing, influencer, and vendor agreements to ensure they require compliance with FTC advertising and endorsement guidelines. Contracts should include substantiation requirements for any health or growth claims, clear disclosure obligations for material connections between reviewers and the company, and prohibitions against employees, vendors, or incentivized consumers writing reviews without disclosing their relationship. Companies should also audit customer review management policies to prevent conditioned review sentiment, review platform terms to ensure authenticity, and add audit rights, monitoring, and indemnification clauses to enforce these requirements.
Entity
Vanilla Chip LLC
Industry
HealthcareOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/07/ftc-approves-final-order-against-truheight-deceptive-unsubstantiated-advertising-supplements-kids
2423093truheightfinalorder
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/2423093truheightfinalorder.pdf
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Vanilla Chip LLC—which does business as TruHeight—and its two principals"
"requiring them to pay $750,000"
"The Federal Trade Commission finalized an order with Vanilla Chip LLC—which does business as TruHeight—and its two principals requiring them to pay $750,000"
"deceptively advertised the effectiveness of a range of supplements that claim to boost height growth in children and teenagers"
"relied on reviews that were written by their own employees and vendors, or by consumers who were offered a free product or discount in return for writing a 5-star review"
"barring them from making false or unsupported health claims and using fake or incentivized consumer reviews"
$750K
The FTC alleged that Vanilla Chip LLC (d/b/a TruHeight) deceptively advertised height-enhancing supplements for children and teens without competent scientific evidence, and used fake employee-written and incentivized 5-star reviews. The proposed settlement requires TruHeight and its principals to pay $750,000, bars false health claims, and prohibits misleading review practices. A $4 million total judgment is partially suspended due to the respondents' inability to pay the full amount.
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$1.9M
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