scope:

General. (1) The offer of ''Free'' merchandise or service is a promotional device frequently used to attract customers. Providing such merchandise or service with the purchase of some other article or service has often been found to be a useful and valuable marketing tool.

(2) Because the purchasing public continually searches for the best buy, and regards the offer of ''Free'' merchandise or service to be a special bargain, all such offers must be made with extreme care so as to avoid any possibility that consumers will be misled or deceived. Representative of the language frequently used in such offers are ''Free'', ''Buy 1-Get 1 Free'', ''2-for- 1 Sale'', ''50% off with purchase of Two'', ''1¢ Sale'', etc. (Related representations that raise many of the same questions include ''Cents- Off'', ''Half-Price Sale'', ''1⁄2 Off'', etc. See the Commission's ''Fair Packaging and Labeling Regulation Regarding 'Cents-Off' and Guides Against Deceptive Pricing.'')