Background
Misleading Advertising: Person(s) unknown t/a National Debt Help Team breaks the UK advertising rules for misleading claims on the https://nationaldebthelpteam.co.uk/ debt management lead generation website.
The ASA has published several rulings about ads which offered consumers a way to write off debt in government approved schemes. These ads were not placed by FCA-authorised debt advisers but by lead generation companies or insolvency practitioners, and ultimately advertised services for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) [in England, Wales, NI] or protected trust deeds (PTDs) [in Scotland].
In June 2022 we published our Enforcement Notice - Debt management ads by insolvency practitioners and lead generators. Insolvency practitioners and lead generation companies which ultimately advertise an IVA/PTD service must be extremely careful to ensure their advertising is responsible and does not mislead.
The https://nationaldebthelpteam.co.uk/ website breaches the Notice because it does not include: a prominent and immediate statement that fees apply to IVA/PTD services, details of the risks associated with an IVA/PTD, and a clear and prominent statement that they are a lead generation company which will pass on customer leads to third parties.
The CAP Compliance team contacted Person(s) unknown t/a National Debt Help Team and, in the absence of a response, took the decision on 2 December 2022 to place their company details on this section of the ASA website.
Because of National Debt Help Team's continued non-compliance, we took the decision on 27 March 2024 to reissue these details on this section of the ASA website.
These details shall remain in place until such time as Person(s) unknown t/a National Debt Help Team has appropriately amended the https://nationaldebthelpteam.co.uk/ website to ensure compliance with the CAP Code.
