ASA Adjudication on Learn Rite Motorcycle Training

Ad

A radio ad, for a motorcycle training company, stated “My lad’s been wanting to do a CBT test for ages now, and that’s when I heard about Bedford Bike and Car Centre. They’re the only place in Bedford with instructors from the Driving Standards Agency, so I know he’s getting the best possible training. Bedford Bike & Car Centre, part of the good garage scheme. To find out more call Bedford XXX"

Issue

Bedford Motorcycle Training challenged whether the ad was misleading, because they also had Driving Standards Agency (DSA) approved instructors.

BCAP Radio Code

Response

Learn Rite Motorcycle Training, trading as Bedford Bike & Car Centre said that Bedford Motorcycle Training (the complainant) was based in Wooton, which was not Bedford and provided a map showing Bedford Motorcycle Trainings location.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted that the Bedford Motorcycle Training (the complainant) was based in Wooton, which was about 5 miles away from Bedford town centre. We understood that it was about a 15-to-20-minute drive from Wooton to Bedford, which was the nearest big town, and considered listeners would understand that a business situated in Wooton offered its services to customers in Bedford and the surrounding area. We considered that listeners would understand "were the only place in Bedford with instructors from the Driving Standards Agency" to mean that Bedford Bike & Car Centre (the advertiser) was the only centre in Bedford and the surrounding area to offer lessons with DSA-approved instructors and that those lessons from DSA-approved instructors were not available from any other local training centres in Bedford or the Bedford area.

Because we considered that listeners would assume that Wooton was part of the local Bedford area and because the ad implied that there was only one business in that local area which employed DVA-approved instructors, which was not the case, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.

The ad breached CAP (Broadcast) Radio Advertising Standards Code rule 2 sections 3.1 (Misleadingness) and 6.1 (Fair comparisons).

Action

The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)