Thousands of consumers who purchased two home cleaning products from Oreck Corporation will receive refunds from the Federal Trade Commission because company advertisements allegedly made false and unproven claims that the products could reduce the risk of flu and other illnesses, and eliminate virtually all common germs and allergens.

Under a settlement reached with the FTC, Oreck is barred from making any of the allegedly deceptive claims challenged by the agency unless it has competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the claims.

Consumers who bought the Oreck Halo vacuum will receive $25 for each item purchased, and those who bought the Oreck ProShield Plus air cleaner will receive an average of $24.65 for each item. Eligible consumers were identified through sales records provided by the company.

Some 27,339 checks totalling $698,000 are being mailed by an administrator working for the FTC. Consumers should begin to expect their checks during the week of May 21, 2012, and will have 60 days to cash them. The hotline number for consumers who have questions is 877-772-6154. The website is FTC.gov/refunds. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.

Consumers should carefully evaluate claims by marketers that their products can fight
diseases. For more information see: Miracle Cures.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.