Misleading

A big part of our role is ensuring that ads don’t mislead. In fact, just over 70% of our work involves responding to and tackling concerns about misleading ads.

We should all be able to trust the ads we see and hear. And, in the majority of cases, we can. UK advertisers, by and large, stick to the rules. We only step in on occasions where an advertiser over-exaggerates, omits key information, or makes ambiguous or unclear claims in a way that’s likely to confuse or mislead us into making a purchase we wouldn’t otherwise have made.

The kind of complaints we receive about misleading ads often concern pricing and issues such as hidden costs like booking fees and credit card charges. We also receive complaints about exaggerated savings claims, significant terms and conditions not being made clear, promotions that aren’t run fairly, and health claims that discourage potentially vulnerable people from seeking professional medical advice or treatment.

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Latest rulings

LiveScore Betting & Gaming (Gibraltar) Ltd t/a LiveScore Bet
- Upheld
- App (paid ad)
- 04 June 2025
Two in-app ads seen on the LiveScore app were inappropriately targeted towards under-18s.
Menwell Ltd t/a Manual
- Upheld
- Search (paid)
- 04 June 2025
A paid-for Google ad promoted a prescription-only medicine to the general public.
AirDoctor LLC t/a AmazingAir
- Upheld
- 28 May 2025
A post on the health.detective Garstang Health Food Store’s TikTok account wasn't obviously identifiable as an ad and made medical claims for an unlicensed product.
Turner Lewis Ltd
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 28 May 2025
A TikTok post and a website misled people about the nature of their business, omitted material information, took advantage of people's inexperience and credulity and failed to be upfront about significant qualifications.

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Misleading

A big part of our role is ensuring that ads don’t mislead. In fact, just over 70% of our work involves responding to and tackling concerns about misleading ads.

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