Keep in mind after we referred to as Razer’s Zephyr face masks one of many most disappointing gadgets of 2021? It’s much more disappointing while you understand that the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) alleges the corporate by no means even submitted the face masks for testing three years later. The FTC needs Razer to pay again over one million {dollars} for falsely promoting its garish, RGB-laden face masks and extra charges for deceptive patrons about how protecting the Zephyr can be.
The FTC states its grievance in opposition to Razer—or, because the group calls the corporate, the “sellers of a supposed N95-grade face masks referred to as the Zephyr,” Razer should pay greater than $1.1 million in refunds to of us who purchased the face masks within the U.S., in accordance with a press release revealed Monday. The company additionally needs Razer to pay a civil penalty of $100,00 for “unsubstantiated well being claims about protecting well being gear.”
“These companies falsely claimed, within the midst of a world pandemic, that their face masks was the equal of an N95 licensed respirator,” stated Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Shopper Safety.
We reached out to Razer for touch upon the FTC’s declare. The corporate’s assertion is as follows:
We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and didn’t admit to any wrongdoing as a part of the settlement. It was by no means our intention to mislead anybody, and we selected to settle this matter to keep away from the distraction and disruption of litigation and proceed our concentrate on creating nice merchandise for avid gamers. Razer cares deeply about our neighborhood and is at all times seeking to ship expertise in new and related methods.
The Razer Zephyr was conceived to supply a distinct and modern face protecting possibility for the neighborhood. The FTC’s claims in opposition to Razer involved restricted parts of a number of the statements referring to the Zephyr. Greater than two years in the past, Razer proactively notified clients that the Zephyr was not a N95 masks, stopped gross sales, and refunded clients.
The N95 grade is licensed by the U.S. Nationwide Institute for Occupational Security and Well being, or NIOSH. The FTC says Razer’s $100 Zephyr was not licensed. On the time, advertising and marketing claimed the face masks was N95-grade, a very main promote contemplating the pandemic was nonetheless rolling via a big a part of the world’s inhabitants. When YouTuber Naomi Wu started investigating Razer’s claims, Razer had lastly rescinded mentions of N95-level protections from its promoting.