Stellar Snippets
Reese's is currently promoting a new sweepstakes offer on its peanut butter cup packs.
The two-cup package has the following promotional lines: “You could win $25,000”, and "See details inside" in smaller print.
However, there is another piece of small print that says "No purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes" which consumers can see only after purchase.
According to state laws, no sweepstakes purchase should be necessary to enter the contest. Only a lottery, which has different rules, needs to be purchased.
Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky from Massachusetts, who runs the Consumer World website, first reported the contest on Oct. 16th.
The Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, and the U.S. Postal Service enforce sweepstakes laws based on the promotion.
Hershey Co., which owns Reese's, said that its website has all the sweepstakes information consumers need along with a QR code on the package.
Hershey's said that the information on how to enter the contest without a purchase is also displayed in-store. But Dworsky found no such signs.
The FTC neither confirmed nor denied investigations into the matter. Dworsky believes the packages need to be recalled.