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

Hemios
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad), Internet (display)
- 09 September 2026
A paid-for Facebook ad and a paid-for YouTube display ad for a magnetic bracelet made misleading claims in relation to weight-loss and improving erectile performance.
Lotus Leisure Ltd t/a DialAFlight
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 09 September 2026
A paid-for Meta ad for a travel agent didn’t make the basis for their environmental claims clear.
OneStream Ltd
- Upheld
- Website (own site)
- 09 September 2026
A website for OneStream didn’t make clear that their broadband packages included free trials that automatically renewed for a fee.
Thomas Cook Tourism (UK) Company Ltd t/a Thomas Cook
- Upheld
- Search (paid)
- 09 September 2026
A paid- for Google ad for Thomas Cook didn’t make the basis for their environmental claims clear.

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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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