BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers more clear to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.  

BBB promotes truth in advertising by contacting advertisers whose claims conflict with the BBB Code of Advertising. These claims come to our attention from our internal review of advertising, consumer complaints and competitor challenges. BBB asks advertisers to prove their claims, change ads to make offers more clear to consumers, and remove misleading or deceptive statements.  
On 04/26/2019 BBB contacted the company regarding multiple advertising issues found on its website. BBB asked for the items below to be modified, substantiated or discontinued as appropriate.
Issue #1 "BBB A+ Rated" - At the time of this challenge the company had no rating by  BBB.   This issue was resolved.
Issue #2 BBB has been unable to verify required roofing licensing information. BBB received no response.
Issue #3 Supply BBB with basic information regarding company ownership and management. BBB received no response.
Issue #4 The absence of required financing disclosures in its website advertising. All financing terms must be clearly disclosed in advertisements as required by the federal Truth in Lending Act and state laws. (BBB Code of Advertising Section 16.4)  Company discontinued statements
Issue # 5 Substantiate membership in Guild Quality as displayed on website.  Removed.
Issue # 6 Provide BBB with verification of testimonials - placement of displayed stock images by testimonials is misleading.  Company modified.
Issue # 7 Provide basis/source of 5 Star Reviews and claim of "#1 Source for Remodelers". Company indicated these were based on Google Reviews
Issue # 8 Find and repair broken and misdirected links on website. Company resolved issue.
1. Basic Principles of the Code 
1.1 The primary responsibility for truthful and non-deceptive advertising rests with the advertiser. Advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any objective claims or offers made before publication or broadcast. Upon request, they should present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or BBB. 
1.2 Advertisements which are untrue, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent, falsely disparaging of competitors, or insincere offers to sell, shall not be used.   
1.3 An advertisement as a whole may be misleading by implication, although every sentence separately considered may be literally true. 
1.4 Misrepresentation may result not only from direct statements, but by omitting or obscuring a material fact. 
BBB Code of Advertising issues include Section 16.4 -  Closed-end credit in the U.S. 

16.4.1 Advertisers are advised to consult Section 226.24 (12 CFR 1026.24) of Regulation Z for details of closed-end credit advertising. Examples of closed-end credit include installment loans and many automobile loans.

16.4.2 If an advertisement of closed-end credit contains any of the following triggering terms, three specific disclosures must also be stated, clearly and conspicuously.

16.4.3 The triggering terms are: 

• The amount or percentage of any down payment; 
• The number of payments or period of repayment; 
• The amount of any payment, expressed either as a percentage or as a dollar amount; or
• The amount of any finance charge.

16.4.4 The three disclosures are:

• The  amount or percentage of the down payment; 
• The terms of repayment; and 
• The “annual percentage rate,” using that term spelled out in full or the abbreviation “APR.” If the rate may be increased after consummation of the credit transaction, that fact must be disclosed. 
Section 21 - 21. Layout and Illustrations
21.1 The composition and layout of advertisements should be such as to minimize the possibility of misunderstanding by the reader.
21.1.1 For example, prices, illustrations or descriptions must not be so placed or displayed in an advertisement as to give the impression that the price or terms of featured products or services apply to other products or services in the advertisement, when such is not the case. 
Section 28 -  Objective Superlative Claims 
Superlative statements in advertisements about the tangible qualities and performance values of a product or service are objective claims for which the advertiser must possess substantiation as they can be based upon accepted standards or tests. As statements of fact, such claims, like “#1 in new car sales in the city,” can be proved or disproved. 
Section 30 - 30. Testimonials and Endorsements 
30.1 In general, advertising which uses testimonials or endorsements is likely to mislead or confuse if: 

30.1.1 It is not genuine and does not actually represent the current opinion of the endorser; 

30.1.2 The actual wording of the testimonial or endorsement has been altered in such a way as to change its overall meaning and impact; 

30.1.3 It contains representations or statements which would be misleading if made directly by the advertiser; 

30.1.4 While literally true, it creates deceptive implications; 

30.1.5 The endorser has not been a bona fide user of the endorsed product or service at the time when the endorsement was given, where the advertiser represents that the endorser uses the product or service; 

30.1.6 It is not clearly stated that the endorser, associated with some well-known and highly-regarded institution, is speaking only in a personal capacity, and not on behalf of such an institution, if such be the fact; 

30.1.7 The advertising makes broad claims as to the endorsements or approval by indefinitely large or vague groups, for example, “the homeowners of America,” “the doctors of America;”

30.1.8 The endorser has a financial interest in the company whose product or service is endorsed and this is not made known in the advertisement;

30.1.9 An expert endorser does not possess the qualifications that give the endorser the expertise represented in the advertisement;  

30.1.10 The advertiser represents, directly or by implication, that the endorser is an “actual consumer” when such is not the case and the advertisement fails to clearly and conspicuously disclose that fact;

30.1.11 A consumer’s experience represented in an advertisement is not the typical experience of those using the product or service, unless the advertisement clearly and conspicuously discloses what the expected results will be;

30.1.12 Endorsements placed by advertisers in online blogs or on other third-party websites do not clearly and conspicuously disclose the connection to the advertiser and comply with each of the provisions in this Code; and 

30.1.13 Advertisers compensate consumers for leaving feedback on third-party online blogs or websites but fail to ensure that consumers disclose such facts on those blogs or websites.

On 09/24/2019, BBB instituted a follow-up review , serious issues needing Innovation Home Services immediate attention were found.  Those include the use of #1 Certified Installers and #1 Source for Interior remodeling and several instances of confusing and contradictory language in reference to warranties and guarantees. These are explained below. As of October 10, 2019 BBB has not received a response to these issues.

 
Concerning warranty and guarantee issues; Provisions of the BBB Code of Advertising prompt a more specific description of the warranty exception. One of the guiding principles of ethical advertising cited by the Code explains that advertising may mislead not only from direct statements, but by omitting or obscuring a material fact.  The exceptions that IHS allows for itself - when errors are found, warranty provisions are abused, or fraudulent claims are submitted – are not clear on their own and require some explanation to ensure appropriate disclosure of material facts.

In addition, the Code establishes a number of requirements for advertisements involving a warranty.  Section 20.1 requires the advertiser to state clearly that complete details of the warranty are available from the business or on the website.  Section 20.1 requires the advertiser to clearly disclose the intended meaning of the term “lifetime.”  And Section 20.5 says sellers should advertise that a product or service is warranted or guaranteed only if the seller promptly and fully performs its obligations under the warranty or guarantee.  

The Code provides that advertisers should be prepared to substantiate any objective claims or offers made before publication or broadcast. Upon request, they should present such substantiation promptly to the advertising medium or BBB.  Section 28 provides that superlative statements in advertisements about tangible qualities and performance values are objective claims for which the advertiser must possess substantiation.  On the home page of its website, IHS claims #1 Lifetime Warranties and #1 Certified Installers.  Innovation Home Services should be able to substantiate these claims with objective measures of its superiority to all other businesses in its industry.

The website also displays a seal claiming “100% The Best Quality Guaranteed.”  No explanation is provided to explain what this means or substantiates how it confirms it provides the absolute best quality as compared with competitors.

Section 9.2 of the Code requires that time limited sales must be observed.  In several places on its website, Innovation Home Services advertises discounts (12 mo No Payments/ No Interest Financing /$500 Off Project and 13% OFF/0% Down) for “This Month Only.”  

 
Finally, the Code discusses testimonials in Section 30.  Section 30.1.11 says advertising which uses testimonials or endorsements is likely to mislead or confuse if a consumer’s experience represented in an advertisement is not the typical experience of those using the product or service, unless the advertisement clearly and conspicuously discloses what the expected results will be.  On the home page of its website, Innovation Home Services claims 5.0 Google Reviews.  On the Reviews page, Innovation Home Services provides four 5-star reviews.  These testimonials indicate that all of its customers are completely satisfied with Innovation Home Services’s services.  Unless Innovation Home Services can substantiate that this is the typical customer experience and no customers are less than completely satisfied, it must disclose what the expected results will be for the typical customer. 
In summary, the company has not disclosed ownership, has not complied with roofing license requirements, has not responded to BBB concerns regarding superlative claims, is not in compliance with disclosure of terms of guarantees and warranties, has not clearly displayed time limits for sales, and finally has not disclosed expected results based on customer testimonials.