Ad description
A TV ad for Experian Ltd, an information services group, featured a voice-over that stated, “Everyone’s got an Experian credit score. But if you don’t look after it, then it can’t look after you. We’ve helped over 7 million people nurture their score. And we can show you how to improve and nurture yours. To help you get a better rate on loans, credit cards or even a mortgage. Sign up today at Experian.co.uk. Experian. Make it count.”
Throughout the ad were numbered objects and in one particular scene, featured Experian’s website on a tablet device, which showed an increase in a consumer’s credit rating.
Issue
The complainant, who understood that the service offered by Experian Ltd was to provide consumers with their personal credit scores, challenged whether the ad misleadingly suggested that they also helped consumers achieve a better score.
Response
Experian Ltd stated that the voice-over in the ad referred viewers to their website, where they could register and at a fee, obtain their credit report and score online. Furthermore, they stated that the report included information regarding how consumers could improve their Experian credit score. Consumers would be informed how many positive and negative score factors they currently had, along with information explaining the reasoning behind each score. Experian stated that the information provided to consumers about positive score factors explained why they had a positive impact, so they understood how they could maintain them, and, conversely this information regarding negative scores indicated what action they could take to improve them. They provided screenshots showing how this information was presented in a consumer’s online portal.
Experian provided a screenshot of the “Help” page consumers had access to, which featured an “FAQ” section and included information on how they could improve their credit score. They also said that consumers could contact their customer support team via telephone for advice on how they could improve their credit score.
Clearcast believed that Experian had demonstrated in their response how they helped consumers improve their credit score. They referred to the screenshots Experian provided, which showed how a consumer would be advised on their positive and negative score factors and based on that, could adjust their financial behaviour accordingly to maintain or and improve their score. With the negative factor example given in one of the screenshots, Clearcast stated that consumers would understand that having a large number of settled accounts would demonstrate to banks and lending institutions that they could manage their finances responsibly. However, having outstanding balances on a large number of credit accounts could decrease their credit score.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA noted that the voice-over in the ad stated, “We’ve helped over 7 million people nurture their score. And we can show you how to improve and nurture yours. To help you get a better rate on loans, credit cards or even a mortgage.” Furthermore, we noted that the ad included a shot of a consumer checking their rating on Experian’s website and seeing that it had improved. We considered that viewers would interpret this to mean that Experian offered a service which, in part, helped people to improve their credit score.
We understood that Experian provided consumers with their own online portal where they could access their credit score and guidance on how it could be improved, which was based on the outcome of their credit report. We noted from the screenshots Experian provided that a score would be based on “positive” and “negative” factors and that they would be accompanied with information as to why they were marked as such. Regarding positive factors, consumers would learn how they could maintain them and with negative factors, guidance would be given as to how they could be improved. Referring to one of the screenshots Experian provided, we noted that one example of a negative factor that could appear in a consumer’s report was having a large number of unsettled credit accounts. Customers were advised that, to help resolve this, “… settling and paying back accounts in full can increase your credit score … Having multiple settled credit accounts may increase you Experience Score … If you have a large number of active credit accounts with a high balance, settling these accounts may increase your Experian Credit Score … Using a large number of credit accounts can indicate you are reliant on credit”.
We also noted that consumers could access further information on how they could improve their credit score from the website’s “FAQ” section as well as from Experian’s customer support team.
We therefore considered that Experian had provided adequate evidence showing that they offered a service which could help consumers improve their credit score and concluded that the ad was not misleading.
We Investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 3.1 3.1 Advertisements must not materially mislead or be likely to do so. (Misleading advertising), 3.9 3.9 Broadcasters must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that the audience is 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) and 3.12 3.12 Advertisements must not mislead by exaggerating the capability or performance of a product or service. (Exaggeration), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
