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

Manchestersalerent.co.uk
- Upheld
- Internet (on own site)
- 20 January 2021
A house listing on an estate agent’s website was banned as the property was no longer available for purchase.
Microlyscs LLC t/a The Crazy Cap
- Upheld
- Social media (own site)
- 20 January 2021
A Facebook post promoting a bottle cap was banned for implying that it could kill all bacteria, viruses and pathogens without holding evidence to substantiate the claim.
OverStreet.co.uk
- Upheld
- Internet (on own site)
- 20 January 2021
A house listing on an estate agent’s website was banned as the property was no longer available for purchase.
Unilever UK Ltd
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 13 January 2021
A paid-for Facebook post by Boots was banned for implying that a lotion product could protect babies’ skin microbiome without holding sufficient evidence to demonstrate that this was the case.

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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Latest rulings

Manchestersalerent.co.uk

Microlyscs LLC t/a The Crazy Cap

OverStreet.co.uk

Unilever UK Ltd

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03 Misleading advertising

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