Ad description

An e-mail from Stansted Airport Ltd stated "PARKING AT STANSTED 53% CHEAPER THAN LAST YEAR! * Take advantage of an 8-day stay in Long Stay for only £39.99. BOOK NOW ...".  The asterisk linked to small print at the foot of the page stating "*Prices quoted are for a standard 8 day stay in our Long Stay car park arriving in March 2014. 53% discount calculated based on the same 8 day period in 2013 costing £85.99 a reduction of £46".  

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the claim "Parking at Stansted 53% cheaper than last year" was misleading and could be substantiated.

Response

Stansted Airport Ltd said the terms and conditions on the ad made clear that the percentage savings were based on an eight-day stay in their long stay car park. They said the comparative savings were based on an eight-day stay in March 2014, compared to the same car park, duration and month in 2013.  They provided a spreadsheet to substantiate the comparative price claim.  

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted evidence demonstrated an eight-day parking duration in March 2014 was 53% cheaper than the same duration and period in 2013.  We considered this information was a significant condition and as such should have been stated in the body copy of the ad.  However, the information was placed towards the bottom of page beneath three other ads and we therefore considered that it was not displayed with sufficient prominence.

In any event, we considered the headline claim "Parking at Stansted 53% cheaper than last year!*", would be understood by recipients of the e-mail as an absolute statement that all parking at Stansted in 2014 was 53% cheaper than in 2013, and that text "Take advantage of an 8-day stay in Long Stay for only £39.99" which appeared below, would be understood as an illustrative example.  We therefore considered that the small print contradicted rather than qualified the absolute headline claim and therefore concluded that the ad was misleading.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules  3.1 3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.  (Misleading advertising),  3.7 3.7 Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.  (Substantiation),  3.9 3.9 Marketing communications must state significant limitations and qualifications. Qualifications may clarify but must not contradict the claims that they qualify.  and  3.10 3.10 Qualifications must be presented clearly.
CAP has published a Help Note on Claims that Require Qualification.
 (Qualification).

Action

The ad should not appear again in its current form.  We told Stansted Airport to make future discount offers clear.  

CAP Code (Edition 12)

3.1     3.10     3.7     3.9    


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