The ASA received complaints about two apps listed on Amazon.co.uk claiming to be able to repel mosquitos by emitting ultrasonic sounds. Was Amazon able to pass the buck to the third party developers? Tom McGinn reports.
A TV ad for a Currys promotion included the voiceover “LG wireless sound bar, only £159, save £90.” The complainant, who bought the product for £179.99 the previous week. challenged the ad. Thomas Spanyol reports.
The ASA received three complaints about a Volvo radio ad with the end line “Made in Sweden, tuned in Britain.” The alleged problem was that the car in question was not made in Sweden. Vicki Hawkins reports.
Following consultation on a draft, the UK financial services watchdog has published the final version of its guidance on “Social media and Customer Communications.” Sadie Alo reports on the key takeaways for the financial promotions sector.
A press ad for Talk Talk’s “Simply Broadband” package made a “half price” offer of £1.75 a month. BT complained that the reduction was not genuine as £3.50 had not been charged for long enough. Fiona Schneider reports.
A mailing to Amazon account holders offered a 30 DAY FREE TRIAL of its Prime service. Small text in a covering letter said “Paid subscription starts automatically after free trial unless cancelled”. Was this clear enough? George Garrard reports.
Transparency is often a concern in so-called “native advertising” where editorial content includes advertising messages.. To help, the IAB has published “Content and Native Disclosure Guidance” to help marketers comply with consumer laws and the CAP Code. George Garrard reports.
PLT charged a monthly fee for a service including registration with the UK “do not call” list, but failed to tell customers that this was otherwise available free of charge. Was this an illegal “misleading omission”? Barney Sich reports.
On 12 March 2015, the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (Commencement No.11) Order 2015 became law and quietly revolutionised Magistrates’ powers to impose fines for breaches of advertising, trading and data laws. Stephen Groom reports.
In sponsored search results, CTN Solutions and uk-phone.com both promoted their “Easyjet Customer Services” helplines but had no connection with the airline. Both included disclaimers. Did they work? Ben Dunham reports on the ASA’s decision.
The euroclinix healthcare website featured a logo with a green tick and “PharmaCheck Know your pharmacy” linked to information about the General Pharmaceutical Council and euroclinix’s owner Hexpress. Misleading? Fiona Schneider reports.
An Italian supermarket chain promoted offers. A customer travelled to a branch but offer products were not available. A fine for breach of EU unfair commercial practices laws ensued, but the retailer appealed to the CJEU. Why? Thomas Spanyol reports.
