Razer must pay $1.1 million in refunds for its Zephyr RGB mask N95 claims
The FTC has ordered Razer to pay more than $1.1 million in refunds to those who purchased the Razer Zephyr RGB mask, which was allegedly “N95 grade.” It wasn’t.
First reported by IGNThe Federal Trade Commission has said that a total of $1.1 million should be returned to users due to the misrepresentation about the Razer Zephyr mask. The company claimed its face masks were N95 grade (commonly found in surgical applications), but no such official certification was ever passed, and the company changed the fine print on its website to reflect that in 2022.
FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Sam Levine said, “These companies, in the middle of a global pandemic, falsely claimed that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95-certified respirator” and that Razer only “stopped the false advertising after negative press coverage and consumer outrage over the misleading claims”. Scathing words indeed.
The Razer Zephyr was available for $100, which means about 11,000 consumers will get their money back for purchasing the ill-fated COVID-era face mask. It was available online in the US and through its three brick-and-mortar stores, as well as in its native Singapore, while supposedly selling out almost immediately.
Although the filters didn’t have the promised rating, you did get a decent amount in the box. The starter pack included 30 filters that should last you about three days each, so you’d be covered for 90 days before having to invest in filter packs for $10 each, but by then the product was quietly being withdrawn from stores. Any mention of the Razer Zephyr has been deleted from the website.
When contacted by Ny Breaking for comment, Razer told us: “We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and have not admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. It was never our intention to deceive anyone, and we chose to settle this case to avoid the distraction and disruption of litigation and continue our focus on creating great products for gamers. Razer cares deeply about our community and is always looking to deliver technology in new and relevant ways.”
“The Razer Zephyr is designed to provide the community with a different and innovative face covering option,” the Razer spokesperson continued. “The FTC’s claims against Razer related to limited portions of some statements regarding the Zephyr. More than two years ago, Razer proactively notified customers that the Zephyr was not an N95 mask, stopped sales and refunded customers.”
The mask was originally announced at CES 2021 as a proof of concept known as Project Hazel, before being officially revealed for the world to purchase later that year. Although it did not have an N95 breathing system, it did have RGB lighting and interchangeable filters. A Zephyr Pro, complete with voice modulation, was announced a year later, but never released.