[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 16CFR238.0]

[Page 159-160]
 
                     TITLE 16--COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
 
                   CHAPTER I--FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
 
PART 238_GUIDES AGAINST BAIT ADVERTISING--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 238.0  Bait advertising defined. \1\




Sec.
238.0 Bait advertising defined.
238.1 Bait advertisement.
238.2 Initial offer.
238.3 Discouragement of purchase of advertised merchandise.
238.4 Switch after sale.

    Authority: Secs. 5, 6, 38 Stat. 719, as amended, 721; 15 U.S.C. 45, 
46.

    Source: 32 FR 15540, Nov. 8, 1967, unless otherwise noted.


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    \1\ For the purpose of this part ``advertising'' includes any form 
of public notice however disseminated or utilized.
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    Bait advertising is an alluring but insincere offer to sell a 
product or service which the advertiser in truth does not intend or want 
to sell. Its purpose is to switch consumers from buying the advertised 
merchandise, in order to sell something else, usually at a higher price 
or on a basis more advantageous to the advertiser. The primary aim of a 
bait advertisement is to obtain leads as

[[Page 160]]

to persons interested in buying merchandise of the type so advertised.