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

Aspro Atlantic Medikal Turizm Ticaret Limited Şirketi t/a AsproMED
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 27 September 2023
A paid-for Facebook ad for cosmetic surgery abroad was irresponsible, trivialised the decision to undergo surgery, contained misleading claims about bariatic surgery and misleadingly omitted information regarding the need for pre-consultation.
Air France-KLM
- Upheld
- Internet (display)
- 06 December 2023
A paid-for Google ad gave a misleading impression of the airline’s environmental impact.
Creditfix Ltd t/a yourdebt-expert.co.uk
- Upheld
- Transport
- 06 December 2023
An ad on a bus didn’t make it clear that it was promoting an IVA or the risks and fees associated, and misleadingly claimed that 81% of debt could be written off.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG t/a Lufthansa
- Upheld
- Internet (display)
- 06 December 2023
A paid-for Google ad gave a misleading impression of the airline’s environmental impact.

View all rulings

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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