In the District Court of The Hague, history has been made in a comparative advertising case involving optical measuring instrument competitors i-Optics and Oculus. Kevin vant Klooster of Osborne Clarke Amsterdam reports.
A California-based online entertainment network has agreed to settle FTC charges that it engaged in deceptive advertising in You Tube videos endorsing an online game system. Would the same conduct here have also irked our regulators? Jamie Heatly reports.
Holiday booking site Lastminute.com tried to emphasise the savings on their website by striking out a standard hotel room price in favour of a lower price. However, was the basis of comparison accurate and fair? Thomas Spanyol reports.
The ASA has investigated the company behind the London Comedy Club for the third time in three years. Why didn’t it see the funny side this time? Tom McGinn reports.
An e-mail headline said “Everything under the sun. It’s all 40% off…excluding sale items.” Small print below said” Offer applies to select products as indicated [in store]” Surely this was not misleading? Stephen Groom and Anna Kehely report on the ASA’s finding.
Following complaints from small businesses, Ofcom investigated mis-selling practices involving alleged misrepresentations as to the likely cost and other implications of changing landline provider. Was compensation also ordered? Thomas Spanyol reports.
Not all the 50 footballers in advertising for Nike’s training program alongside the phrase “Improve your game with Nikefootball+” on a shoebox were sponsored by Nike. Some used shoes by Adidas, who sued. Stephan Bahner of OC Cologne reports.
A sales promotion shelf label said “Normal price £139.99 today £118.99” .A complaint suggested the higher price had only applied for a few days before the promotion, with £111.99 the price for some weeks beforehand. Fiona Schneider reports.
Join the first choice for single travellers,” said a flyer and brochure for holiday company Solitair. Small print said the claim was “for trade mark purposes” and “did not imply to any sales or revenue.” What did it all mean? Fiona Schneider reports on the ensuing ASA case.
Did online advertising finally overtake TV in the complaint stakes? Was “leisure” the most complained about sector again? How many ASA decisions were successfully appealed? What are the ad super-regulator’s goals for 2015? Thomas Spanyol reports.
After research into a range of supermarket pricing practices, the consumer body “Which?” has lodged a “super complaint” with the Competition and Markets Authority concerning “misleading and opaque” pricing practices in the grocery market. Claire Temple reports.
