A second condition for respect requires that the consent be not only volun¬tary, but also informed. Informed consent has received a great deal of attention in the medical ethics literature where it is shown that patients are at a distinct informational disadvantage in situations dealing with health care profession¬als. Similar disadvantages can occur in marketing situations. Outright decep¬tion and fraud clearly violate this condition and are unethical. But there can also be many more nuanced cases of deception and misleading marketing prac¬tices. The complexity of many consumer products and services can also mean that consumers may not understand fully what they are purchasing. Consider as an example all that would be involved for a consumer to determine which arthritis drug offers the best treatment, or whether a generic version of a widely marketed drug is safe and effective. Consider also the many people who have very weak mathematical skills. Imagine such a person trying to decide on the economic benefits of whole life versus term insurance, or a 48-month auto lease versus a five-year purchase loan at 2.9 percent financing. In general, while some businesses claim that an "informed consumer is our best customer," many oth-ers recognize that an uninformed consumer can be an easy target for quick profits. Serious ethical questions should be raised whenever marketing prac¬tices either deny consumers full information or rely on the fact that they lack relevant information or understanding.