Razer has settled the suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (PDF) against it for the "deceptive advertising" of the Razer Zephyr mask the company launched in late 2021. As reported by Ars Technica Razer has paid a $100,000 fine and turned over $1,071,254.33 now due to consumers, to the agency. The FTC says that it will send “checks and PayPal payments to 6,764 consumers who purchased the deceptively marketed products. Recipients will get a full refund.”
It means that all 6,764 people who bought these Zephyr masks will receive the $99.99 they paid for a mask and a set of three filters. Those who bought the Starter Pack, which came with 33 sets of filters, will receive $150. In line with this, the FTC is warning people against scams, especially those that pose as representatives of the agency and ask for payment or information in exchange for the refund. If you’re one of the few buyers, you should cash your refund check within 90 days, as indicated on it, or redeem your PayPal payment within 30 days, says the agency.
For questions and clarifications, you can reach out to Simpluris, the refund administrator the FTC has tapped for the Razer Zephyr case at 1-833-285-3003. Alternatively, you can visit FTC’s Refund Program FAQ page to get some answers.
The Razer Zephyr saga began when the company marketed the mask as having “replaceable N95 grade filters for maximum protection” and that it was “FDA-registered and lab-tested for 99 percent BFE (Bacteria Filtration Efficiency).” It also claimed that the mask “offers greater protection compared to standard disposable/cloth masks, and filters air both inhaled and exhaled to safeguard you and others around you.”
These claims were found to be misleading to the consumer who might equate a mask having “replaceable N95 grade filters” as having the same efficacy as an N95 mask. Even a Razer executive was concerned about this marketing push after tech reviewer Naomi Wu criticized the Zephyr for its deceptive marketing. According to the company’s Director of Global Public Relations, “the ‘N95 grade filter’ wording that we’re using […] suggests that Zephyr is on par with officially certified masks. Do we have any certifications to back the N95-grade claim?” He said that Razer needed to boil down how the Zephyr mask provides N95 grade protection in two to three sentences. He also added, “And if we can’t do that, I’d recommend to stop using any ‘N95 grade’ claims in our marketing immediately.”
Furthermore, third-party tests hired by Razer showed that even though the Zephyr used N95 filters, it failed to perform at the required standard for the entire mask to be granted that certification. Its best results only had an 86.3% effectiveness with the fans on, and 83.2% with them off—and these were the best results. Other tests would often show lower numbers, meaning buyers who bought the Razer mask because of its supposed N95-level of protection had a false sense of security.
Tom’s Hardware tested the Razer Zephyr and our very own Andrew Freedman found that it had poor fitment around his and his wife’s face. This is a major requirement to ensure that all the air you take in goes through the filter, but the company’s one-size-fits-all approach for this mask meant that it almost certainly didn’t fit perfectly.
Even though the company removed all mention of N95 protection from the Zephyr page as of January 10, 2022, the damage has already been done, and some have already bought the pretty expensive mask. Furthermore, Razer said that it implemented a refund policy the day before for those who bought the Zephyr for its supposed N95 protection. But the FTC says that it did not promote this policy in its emails to consumers, instead just telling that that the mask “is not a medical device nor certified as an N95 mask.” Those who asked for refunds often ran into issues, meaning just 6% of those who purchased the mask, about 400 people, were given one.
