Promotionele acties  

Ook de Advertising Standards Authorization, de RCC in Groot Britannië, heeft een bundel uitspraken gepubliceerd. Categorieën variëren van kledingretailer, tijdsklok voor duivenmelkers/wedstrijden, israel-advertentie (herkenbaar?), airport parking, zilveren ringen, supermarkten Asda en Tesco (vergelijkende reclame), uitgeverij, omeletmaker, leenmaatschappij (geld lenen kost geld), campagne groep tegen windmolenpark, zonne-energie-opwekkers, cosmetische producten, prada retail.

Zie plaatje hieronder (klik voor vergroting), klik voor de directe site hier:

Prada Retail UK Ltd
A national press ad, in the Times, for Miu Miu featured the model Kasia Struss sitting on a chair in front of a mirror, holding a handbag in her lap, and wearing a low-cut, sleeveless dress which exposed her arms, shoulders and décolletage.

News Group Newspapers Ltd
A national press reader promotion for cosmetic products. The front-page flash stated "FREE EYE MAKE-UP KIT WORTH £24”. Inside the paper, text stated “... To claim your free Fabulous Models Own make-up kit, simply collect TWO out of the three tokens ... then collect your kit from any participating Tesco store* ... Terms and conditions apply". Small print down the side of the page stated “*Includes Tesco supermarkets and Extra stores only. Excludes selected Metro, Express stores and petrol...

Joju Ltd
An ad, in a magazine about sustainable living, was headed "Joju Ltd we design and install solar electricity systems". Further text stated "It has never been a better time to invest in a solar photovoltaic system". A testimonial read "‘If you own a house and can afford the investment, you'd be crazy not to cash in.’ Feed-in tariff sceptic, George Monbiot".

Save Berkeley Vale
A leaflet for the campaign group Save Berkeley Vale, stated "PLANNING APPLICATION ... for Four 120m Wind Turbines at Standle Farm, Stinchcombe ... COMMENTS / OBJECTIONS SHOULD BE MADE NOW ...". The leaflet included a mock up photo, which featured a country landscape with four wind turbines. Text on the photo stated "View from Wick Lane".

Tesco Stores Ltd
A national press ad for Tesco showed a selection of fresh food products; their prices at Tesco and the prices of the same or equivalent products at Asda. Text in a roundel stated "Total Tesco Saving £4.91". Text stated "One place you won't find your fresh food for the weekend? In the Asda Price Guarantee".

Stevenage Homes
A leaflet, for a loan company, was headlined "Don't be tempted by doorstep lenders ...". Text beneath stated "As Christmas is fast approaching you may be starting to think about how you can afford to buy everything you want. Remember the greatest gift you can give your family is the roof over their head. Your rent is your main priority so please think carefully about committing your family to any loans. Beware of doorstep lenders and loan sharks who charge extortionate levels of interest as

sit-up Ltd
A teleshopping ad shown on Price Drop TV, for an omelette maker, showed the product being used to cook various foods, including a pie. At the end of the presentation several pies and a pizza were shown next to the product and a close up showed a cross-section of a pie in detail.

Canonbury Publishing Ltd
A mailing, for a home-working scheme, offered a free CD-ROM and step-by-step manual to the first 200 respondents. The ad included an interview with a previous client who claimed to have "made over £100,000 in an hour online". A screenshot showed a PayPal account for one day and displayed a total income of £3,732.73. Text below the table stated "Not bad huh? That's £3,732.73 - in one day!". The ad repeatedly claimed that customers could make between £200 and £500 per mon

ASDA Stores Ltd
Voice-over in a TV ad for ASDA stated “... we now guarantee that your comparable grocery shopping will be at least 10% cheaper than the other big supermarkets or we’ll give you the difference ... About half of your weekly grocery shop is comparable with the other big supermarkets and all of that is covered by the Asda price guarantee.” On-screen text stated “mySupermarket.co.uk and independent data, exclusions apply. Vs Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s & Waitrose. Min purchase 8 items...

Airport Parking and Hotels Ltd
Two direct mailings for an airport parking company: a. The first mailing featured an illustration of a computer with a Santa hat on. Text on the screen stated "SAVE 20% ON AIRPORT PARKING". Text on the reverse of the mailing, under the headline "Previous Customers Save up to 20% on Airport Parking", stated "2011 Airport Parking Make the most of your Early Booking Discount; pre-book APH Gatwick, APH Manchester, APH Birmingham or Quality Airport Parking Heathrow 3 months or more in advance an

Coloured Rocks Ltd
A falling price auction for a morganite sterling silver ring included an on-screen graphic, indicating the current stock level, that stated "last 7". The on-screen stock level fell as and when an item was bought and continued to drop until all seven items had been sold. During the auction the presenter talked about the item and referred to the number of items remaining, including “three buyers left”, “final two” and “One chance left”.

Israeli Government Tourist Office
A poster, for travel to Israel, was headlined “Historical Treasures”. Text below stated “THINKISRAEL.COM/GEMS”. Further text stated “Few places pack as many hidden gems into such a small space. From the magical mystery of Jerusalem to the rich cultural experiences of the Dead Sea, the energy and excitement of Tel Aviv to the sun and relaxation of Eilat. The ideal year-round destination”. Smaller text below an image of the Western Wall stated “East Jerusalem. The Western Wall. One of the man

Deister Electronic (UK) Ltd
An ad, for an electronic timing system (ETS) for racing pigeons, in a magazine for pigeon fanciers, was headlined "UNIKON Over 60,000 systems worldwide No.1 Worldwide. No.1 in the UK The most advanced ETS available today". Further text stated "... It is truly the most advanced ETS available today." Further text described details of other UNIKON products. Text in a side panel was headlined "You can't go wrong with UNIKON The champion ETS Simply the Best!" and continued "For unbeatable after...

Damartex UK Ltd
A direct mailing, for a clothing catalogue retailer, stated “Designated finalist in our 5 WINNERS OF 5 X £1000 Pocket the Cheque Prize Draw Strictly confidential!! Confirmation of your status is enclosed! ... 5 names to be selected, as winners will each receive a cheque for the sum of £1,000.00!”. The mailing included a list headed “OFFICIAL EXTRACT LIST OF FINALISTS”; the complainant’s details appeared in the list. Text below stated “REMINDER: The first 5 people drawn as winners in the ‘5 x...

Ook de Advertising Standards Authorization, de RCC in Groot Britannië, heeft een bundel uitspraken gepubliceerd. Categoriën variëren van paardenmiddelen, vliegtickets, internet, begrafenisondernemers (wederom), internet, loodgieter, isolatiemateriaal, houtovens, sokken, snowboots, rijschool, voedingsadvies, verrekijker, blender, kleding, stofzuiger, eieren en een bank.

Carja Mastenbroek, DLA Piper heeft drie hiervan uitgelicht: vitabiotics, pass n go en personal choice, lees verder.

Zie plaatje hieronder (klik voor vergroting), klik voor de directe site hier:

Vitabiotics

Ad was headlined "ADVANCED NUTRIENTS FOR THE BRAIN" and featured a picture of a box of supplements. Text on the box stated "Vitabiotics neurozan plus To help maintain Brain Function & Performance NUTRIENTS FOR THE BRAIN". Below the product shot, text in a blue box stated "Includes B VITAMINS & VIT D3 AS SHOWN IN NEW RESEARCH", and "B-VITAMINS & THE BRAIN Also includes the specific B vitamins reported in ground-breaking research".
The complainant challenged whether the claims in ad, that recent research had shown that B vitamins could help maintain brain function and mental performance was misleading, because they understood that the research referred to did not support that conclusion.

The ASA considered that the study was not suitable to support claims relating to brain function or mental performance. The ASA therefore concluded that the implied claims that recent research had shown that B vitamins could help maintain brain function and performance had not been substantiated and were misleading.

Breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising), 3.7 (Substantiation), 15.1 and 15.1.1 (Food, food supplements and associated health and nutrition claims) and 15.7 (Food Supplements and other Vitamins and Minerals). Ad must not appear again in its current form.

Pass n go

A leaflet and directory entry promoted a driving school. A leaflet stated “THE DRIVING SCHOOL WITH THE HIGHEST PASS RATES ... INSTRUCTORS WITH THE HIGHEST PASS RATES ... WE GUARANTEE -THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE - THE BEST DRIVING INSTRUCTORS - THE BEST PASS RATES”. A directory entry stated “I’M PASSING WITH PASS’N’GO The Driving School With The Best Pass Rates Guaranteed ...”.

Complainant challenged whether the claims "THE HIGHEST PASS RATES", "best pass rates" and "best driving instructors" could be substantiated, because they believed the company could not know the pass rates of drivers in other companies and because they believed this implied the drivers would be qualified with the top grade.

The ASA considered that HIGHEST PASS RATES" and the "best pass rates" was a comparative, superlative claim which would be understood by consumers to mean that Pass N Go had achieved more driving test passes than its competitors. In the absence of documentary evidence in support of the claims that Pass N Go had HIGHEST PASS RATES" and the "best pass rates, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.

And further, because we considered that the claim "Best Pass Rates" was an objective claim which defined the "best driving instructors" as those drivers who had achieved the highest pass rates, and because we had not seen any evidence in support of that claim, we concluded that the ad was likely to mislead.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising), 3.7 (Substantiation) and 3.38 (Other comparisons). The ad must not appear again in its current form.

personal choice

A regional press ad, for snow boots and ice and snow grippers, stated "We aim to dispatch goods within 7 days, but please allow up to 28 days for delivery".

The complainant, who was told the items they ordered were out of stock, two months after they placed the order and paid, challenged whether the ad was misleading.

In the absence of any evidence that demonstrated that the products advertised were available for purchase at the time the ad appeared or that Personal Choice had made a reasonable estimate of demand, the ASA concluded that the ad was misleading.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising), 3.27, 3.28 and 3.29 (Availability). The ad must not appear again in its current form.

Overige zaken met introductie

Equine America (UK) Ltd
Two ads, for a horse supplement, in equine magazines: Ad (a) stated "The following equine joint supplements have no objective clinical evidence of improving joint mobility - NAF Five Star Superflex, EquiFlex, PREMIERflex HA, ExtraFlex HA, STRIDE HA, My Joints, Arthri Aid and NEW MARKET JOINT SUPPLEMENT. Cortaflex was successfully subjected to a double blind study of joint mobility at Michigan State University, Medicine Research Department. The rigorous study was led by world renowned...

Co-operative Group Ltd
A press ad for the Fairways Funeral Plan stated “The personal service you deserve. The Fairways Funeral Plan is individually tailored to meet your needs. Everything included in The Fairways Funeral Plan is fully guaranteed no matter how high prices rise and we’ve created flexible payment plans to suit any budget. So even in uncertain times, you can rest assured everything will be taken care of. The Fairways Funeral Plan is only available from carefully selected Funeral Directors which meet...

ExxonMobil UK Ltd
A TV ad for a fuel company showed a man who was identified as the company President of "Upstream Research". He stated "Natural gas is a cleaner burning fossil fuel, yet a lot of natural gas has impurities like CO2 in it. Controlled Freezone is a new technology being developed by Exxonmobil to remove CO2 from the natural gas and safely store it so it won't get into the atmosphere. Exxonmobil is spending more than 100 million dollars to build a plant that will demonstrate this process. I'm very...

Flybe Ltd
A national press ad, for flights, was headlined "Flybe's Massive January Sale". Text in a circle next to a picture of two airline seats stated "10 million seats". The ad listed 70 destinations with their corresponding prices. Text beneath stated "flybe.com Keeping Britain on the move". Small print at the bottom of the ad stated “Fares are one way including taxes and charges, only available online, subject to availability, 21 day advance purchase required. Available for travel on or before...

Fasthosts Internet Ltd
An online sales promotion, for website hosting services, stated "Pay Monthly - 1st MONTH FREE" and "Pay Annually - 2 MONTHS FREE".

BDW Trading Ltd
A leaflet for a housing development produced by BDW Trading Ltd, trading as Barratt Homes Bristol, listed "benefits for all" which included "enhancement of existing wildlife habitat".

Able Group (Services) Ltd
A telephone directory ad for a plumber stated "Local plumber ... 24 hour 1 hour service ...".

BQ plc
A national press ad, for B&Q, was headed "Loft insulation only £1 per roll". Text, next to a picture of a woman laying the insulation, stated "easy to install".

Clearview Stoves Ltd
A magazine ad for Clearview Stoves (wood burning stoves) stated "The leading manufacturer of clean burning wood stoves ... British and clearly the best".

Bvg Airflo Group Ltd
A reader offer, in the Sunday Telegraph, for loose top socks stated "Only £24.99 inc p&p for a pack of assorted pairs, rrp £47.40."

Personal Choice
A regional press ad, for snow boots and ice and snow grippers, stated "We aim to dispatch goods within 7 days, but please allow up to 28 days for delivery".

Pass N Go Ltd
A leaflet and directory entry promoted a driving school. a. A leaflet stated “THE DRIVING SCHOOL WITH THE HIGHEST PASS RATES ... INSTRUCTORS WITH THE HIGHEST PASS RATES ... WE GUARANTEE -THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE - THE BEST DRIVING INSTRUCTORS - THE BEST PASS RATES”. b. A directory entry stated “I’M PASSING WITH PASS’N’GO The Driving School With The Best Pass Rates Guaranteed ...

The International Centre for Nutritional Excellence Ltd
A magazine insert leaflet, for the International Centre for Nutritional Excellence, was headed "CALF COLOSTRUM ... DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BUYING? WHAT TO LOOK FOR, WHAT ARE THE DANGERS?". A table showed test results from samples of calf colostrum powder from a number of manufacturers. Text underneath the table stated "Three separate batches from each company were tested to ensure a completely fair representation of their product was analysed. Each batch was tested to determine if it was EBL...

Windsor Products
An ad, for binoculars, in the national press, was headlined "High Powered Binoculars with Built-in Camera and Video!" Above the headline, text stated "Video Camera + Digital camera + Zoom Binoculars" with images of those three individual items. An arrow pointed from those images to a picture of the advertised product and contained the text "NOW ALL THREE IN ONE". Text below stated "Don't miss out on great photo opportunities with the new OPTICAM 1025. These amazing binoculars not only have a...

Vitabiotics Ltd
Two posters for vitamin supplements: a. The first ad was headlined "ADVANCED NUTRIENTS FOR THE BRAIN" and featured a picture of a box of supplements. Text on the box stated "Vitabiotics neurozan plus To help maintain Brain Function & Performance NUTRIENTS FOR THE BRAIN". Text in a circle on the right of the box stated “UK’s NO1 MICRO-NUTRIENTS FOR SPECIFIC LIFE STAGES”. Below the product shot, text in a blue box stated "Includes B VITAMINS & VIT D3 AS SHOWN IN NEW RESEARCH"....

Kenwood Ltd
A TV ad, for a hand-held blender, showed various shots of a woman using the product.

Jack Wills Ltd
Four full-page ads for Jack Wills clothing appeared in their 2011 edition of "The Spring Term Handbook". The first ad showed a young woman from the shoulders down who was standing with one leg raised and bent at the knee. She was wearing a shirt and a short skirt that lifted to show her upper thigh, buttocks and the lower section of her knickers. The second ad showed a group of three young women and two young men beginning to undress on a beach. One of the men was removing one of the women's...

Morphy Richards Ltd
A catalogue ad, for a vacuum cleaner, included the text “NO LOSS OF SUCTION!*”. Small print stated “*BS EN 60312:1998”.

Noble Foods Ltd
TV and national press ads promoted eggs. The TV ad (a) showed chickens running around in fields and jumping into sand pits to the music from Chariots of Fire. The voice-over stated “at the Happy Egg company we do things differently. We create the perfect environment for our free range hens to run, jump and play, because happy hens lay happy eggs and happy eggs are wonderfully tasty.” The press ad (b) stated "... imagine for a moment you're a hen ... on a happy egg co. farm You're living in...

National Westminster Bank plc
A TV ad, for National Westminster Bank plc, stated in a voice-over "... it's why we're giving all our online banking customers free security software".

RCC 7 maart 2011, dossiernr: 2010/00889 (De slijter van Noordwijkerhout)

Reclamerecht. Bijzondere Reclamecode voor Alcoholhoudende dranken (RVA). Bijzondere procedure rondom stroman en klachtengelden.

Huis-aan-huis folder van De slijter van Noordwijkerhout, waarin de buren van de nieuw gevestigde wijn- en whiskyspeciaalzaak bij de eerste bestelling een gratis flesje zoete pruimenwijn ter waarde van € 3,95 wordt aangeboden. Voorts bevat de folder een aanbieding van 6 flessen Semillac A.C. Marmadais wijn voor “€ 30,00 en EEN fles GRATIS erbij”. Het is niet toegestaan gratis alcoholische drank aan te bieden.

Procedureel: Wel erkenning van strijd met artikel 20 RVA. Voorzitter beslist dat klager klachtengeld verschuldigd is omdat deze als stroman is ingezet (9.1b Reglement). Bezwaar door directeur Mitra CV. Klager - medewerker van bedrijfseconomische afdeling van Mitra CV - heeft dit als privé persoon aan de orde willen stellen, dit wordt door memo van directeur vermeld. Kostenloze behandeling ex 28 lid 1 Reglement volgt.

Adverteerder heeft erkend dat de gewraakte reclame-uiting in strijd is met artikel 20 van de Reclamecode voor alcoholhoudende dranken (RVA). De commissie doet aanbeveling.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf)

Regeling: RVA art. 20 (gratis verstrekken)

RCC 17 februari 2011, dossiernr: 2010/00916 (Yves Rocher)

Reclamerecht. Misleidende prijsvermelding in detailhandel. In kerstbrochure wordt shampoo aangeboden voor mini-prijs van €1,90 ipv €4,20. Klacht: aanbod geldt niet voor aankopen in vestiging, alleen voor aankopen via internet, blijkt niet uit brochure. Verweer: aanbiedingsprijzen worden ook gehanteerd in vestigingen (policy), winkelmedewerker heeft onjuist geïnformeerd, deze kerstaanbieding geldig zijn op de kerstbestelbon en zolang de voorraad strekt.

Commissie: De voorwaarde dat slechts per post, telefoon of internet besteld kan worden blijkt onvoldoende duidelijk uit de folder, uitsluitend onderaan de bestelbon en dit zal de gemiddelde consument ontgaan. In dit geval heeft winkelier niet de policy van de aanbiedingsprijzen gehanteerd, dus niet in alle Yves Rocher winkels kon de aanbieding worden afgenomen. Onjuist informatie ex 8.2 aanhef en onder d NRC misleidend en daardoor oneerlijk 7 NRC. Commissie doet aanbeveling.

De klacht heeft betrekking op een aanbieding in een folder. Volgens adverteerder kan men alleen van de aanbiedingen in de folder gebruik maken indien men  per post, telefoon of per internet bestelt. Naar het oordeel van de Commissie blijkt deze voorwaarde onvoldoende duidelijk uit de folder.  Deze voorwaarde staat blijkbaar uitsluitend onderaan de bestelbon in de folder. De Commissie acht het aannemelijk dat deze voorwaarde de gemiddelde consument zal ontgaan.
 
Overigens begrijpt de Commissie uit het verweer van adverteerder dat volgens een vaste policy klanten die in de winkel van de aanbiedingen in de folder gebruik wensen te maken, dat kunnen doen voor de in de folder vermelde prijzen. In het onderhavige geval heeft een winkelier echter aan deze policy geen gevolg gegeven, waardoor de klant geen beroep kon doen op de aanbiedingsprijzen.
 
Nu vaststaat dat men niet in alle Yves Rocher winkels producten kon kopen voor de in de folder afgebeelde prijs en de gemiddelde consument die het product in de winkel wil kopen hierop niet bedacht hoefde te zijn, is onduidelijke informatie verstrekt over de prijs van het aangeboden product als bedoeld in artikel 8.2 aanhef en onder d van de Nederlandse Reclame Code (NRC). Gelet hierop acht de Commissie de uiting misleidend en daardoor oneerlijk in de zin van artikel 7 NRC.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf)

Regeling: NRC (nieuw) art. 7 en 8.2 onder d.

Voorzitter RCC 23 februari 2011, Dossiernr: 2010/00942 (Dixons Air Miles)

Reclamerecht. Misleiding spaarsysteem Air Miles. Voorzitterstoewijzing. In brochure van Dixons wordt een iPod touch 8 GB afgebeeld met daarnaast “Betaal met Air Miles Dixons is de enige elektro­nicaketen waar je Air Miles kunt sparen én inwisselen.” (inzet is niet de litigeuze uiting) Deels betaling met Air Miles was niet mogelijk. 

Plaatsing van de tekst geeft de indruk dat de tekst van toepassing is op het afgebeelde product, al dan niet in een apart kader. Onjuiste informatie verstrekt omtrent specifiek prijsvoordeel. Ex. 8.2 onder d NRC misleidend en daardoor oneerlijk art. 7 NRC. Voorzitter doet aanbeveling.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf).
Regeling: NRC (nieuw) art. 7 en 8.2 onder d

Ook Advertising Standards Authorization, de RCC in Groot Britannië, heeft een bundel uitspraken gepubliceerd. Categoriën variëren van medische hulpmiddelen, kankeronderzoek, ooglaserbehandeling, dieet, riviercruises, London Boat Show, de International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association,  internetbeveiliging, CD-spelers, 9 karaat ringen, betfair, en een therapeutische bank met afneembare gadgets.

Zie plaatje hieronder (klik voor vergroting), klik voor de directe site hier:

LighterLife UK Ltd
A TV ad, for a very low calorie diet, which appeared in September 2008, showed people playing trombones and dancing. A woman was dancing with a cardboard cut out of herself before she had lost weight. She stated “This was me. I couldn’t dance. I couldn’t even run upstairs. ‘Enough’, I said ‘I’m starting the LighterLife weight loss programme’. Seven months later, I looked like this”. She then danced with a male partner and text on screen stated “A very low calorie diet for people with a...

National Boat Shows Ltd
An email advertised a ticket offer for the London International Boat Show. Text stated "EARLY BOOKING TICKET OFFER - TWO TICKETS FOR £20* ...". Small print at the foot of the email stated "*TICKET OFFER IS ON STANDARD ADULT TICKETS ONLY AND EXCLUDES PUBLIC PREVIEW DAY 7TH JANUARY 2011. TRANSACTION FEE APPLIES ...".

Mantrav International (UK) Ltd
A magazine ad, for Mantrav International (UK) Ltd (Mantrav) travel agents, displayed the logo of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) in the bottom right hand corner.

GlaxoSmithKline plc
A promotion on Lucozade packaging stated “WIN an iPhone EVERY HOUR*”. Smaller text stated “To be in with a chance of winning simply enter the code underneath the Best Before Date from the lid of your bottle.” The packaging also displayed a number of terms and conditions, including “Access to the internet and a valid email address are required in order to participate... Register and enter the promotional code obtained from specially marked packs.”

Nuga Best UK Ireland
A leaflet, for a therapeutic couch with detachable gadgets, was titled "NUGA BEST”. Text beneath stated “BEST For Health! BEST for Beauty! BEST For Your Family! NUGA BEST NM-5000”. The cover featured a picture of the couch in a field near a couple lying under a tree. Text next to the tree stated “Just as a tree needs a strong root in order to grow properly and sustain its good health, the same concept can be applied for the well being [sic] of humans.” Text inside the ad on a page...

The Phone Book Ltd
A direct mailing, from The Phone Book, was formatted and styled to look like an invoice. The mailing was individually addressed with an accompanying customer number, and the advertiser's name, address, and banking details on the right hand side. Text stated "Payment details - Issue date: 23/12/2010 - Due date: 03/01/2011 - Payment reference: XXXXXXXXXX - Total due including VAT (GBP): 89.00". The main section of the ad stated "Form of payment: Bank transfer or cheque accepted Please take...

Redrow plc
A brochure, for the Jennett's Park property development in Berkshire, included text that stated "At the very heart of the community is the Village Centre, which is planned to include: Primary school... Local shop (s) Doctor's surgery ...".

Optimax Laser Eye Clinics
a. A direct mailing for Optimax Laser Eye Clinics (Optimax) stated "You could benefit from the most advanced IntraLase Wavefront LASIK procedure. It's the safest and most effective pain-free procedure offering the best possible results since Laser Eye Surgery began 21 years ago." Sponsored links for Optimax stated: b. "Top results as at leading clinics ... Best Surgery available;" c. "Best results ... Newest surgery possible" and d. "Latest surgery."

Cancer Research UK
A poster, for Cancer Research UK and the Scottish Government, featured a calendar extract with appointments, such as “Hair 6pm”, written on various days. On 11 and 30 of December were written sunbed appointments, and on 22 March "Hospital: Cancer Surgery 9am". Next to this was a picture of a young woman with a large operation scar on her back. Underneath text stated "Using a sunbed could change your plans dramatically. Once a month or more on a sunbed can increase the risk of skin cancer...

Betfair Ltd
a. Two Betfair ads from the Racing Post were headlined "YOU'RE 40% BETTER OFF* ON THE BETFAIR SP". The sub-headline stated "On average you're 40% Better Off* on the Betfair SP. Check yesterday’s results and see how much better off you could have been with Betfair". The asterisk linked to text at the bottom of the ads which stated "This is the average percentage, based on the difference between Betfair SP winnings and the industry SP winnings. The maximum of 5% commission has been applied...

3GA Ltd
A national press ad, for a CD player with hard disk, included text that stated “Good news for CD owners. The Brennan JB7 is a CD player with a hard disk that stores up to 5,000 CDs ... It saves space and clutter and delivers near immediate access to an entire music collection. JB7 owners rediscover then fall in love with their music again simply because the Brennan makes it so accessible. The Brennan also records from vinyl and cassette so you can enjoy your entire music collection but keep...

Coloured Rocks Ltd
A teleshopping presentation, on Gems TV, gave details of two items. The first item was a tanzanite 9 carat yellow gold ring. The presenter said “Based on our research of three high street stores and their bands of yellow gold, this is the price tag of the gold alone that you’re about to see on your screen - just the 3.4 grams of gold, based on our research.” Onscreen text stated “£180”. The presenter continued “So, at £180, that’s how much the gold would cost, we reckon, for the gold alone...

DSG Retail Ltd
A press ad for a consumer electronics company featured a sale price for an internet security product. The ad stated "NORTON Internet Security 2011 3PC Licences £23. Powerful, fast protection to email, shop and bank online without worry. Safeguards against cybercrime, online identity theft, viruses, spyware and Trojans. Stops attacks before they get on your PC".

Diamond Shortbreak Holidays Ltd
Two national press ads for river cruises: a. the first ad was for Christmas & New Year cruises and stated “Executive return coach travel from regional departures”. b. the second ad was for a Rhine Cruise to Switzerland and stated “Return coach travel from regional departure points”.

Comfort Click Ltd
A sponsored search result, for a medical device, was headed “Electro Flex Circulation” and stated “WeightWorld.co.uk/CirculationDevice Simple to use, fully CE certified device”.

RCC 14 maart 2011, dossiernr: 2010/00796 (Kampeermarkt)

Reclamerecht. Misleidende prijsvermelding. In een krantenadvertentie (Eindhovens Dagblad) staat: “Alle merken relax-stoelen nu extra voordelig va. 49,95”. Klacht: niet alle merken relaxstoelen zijn voordelig en stoelen á €49,95 niet aanwezig. Onweersproken klacht en dus onjuist informatie over specifiek prijsvoordeel 8.2 onder d NRC misleidend en dus oneerlijk 7 NRC. Bezwaar op voorzittersbeslissing: echter extra voordeling impliceert extra korting bovenop de normaal gevoerde prijs.

Uiting kan niet anders worden begrepen dat extra korting wordt verleend op de normaal gevoerde prijzen, dat deze onder de adviesprijs liggen doet niet aan af aan de gewekte verwachting dat nu extra korting wordt gegeven. Commissie oordeelt overeenkomstig de beslissing van de voorzitter en doet aanbeveling.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf).
 
Regeling: NRC (nieuw) art. 7, 8.2 aanhef en onder d

RCC 14 maart 2011, dossiernr: 2011/00053 (Aer Lingus)

Reclamerecht. Bijzondere Reclamecode Reisaanbiedingen. De Januari-aanbieding op www.aerlingus.com was een reis naar Dublin vanaf €34,99 (enkele reis incl. luchthavenbelasting en toeslagen). Tijdens het boeken blijkt de prijs verhoogd te worden met €75,79 voor belasting en toeslagen. Prijs is dus incorrect. Verweer: Genoemde tarieven zijn vanaf-tarieven, onder voorbehoud van beschikbaarheid. Wanneer er geen stoelen meer beschikbaar zijn voor de aanbieding, wordt het tarief hoger. Onderaan de pagina wordt het bedrag van de tax vermeld.

Commissie: gebleken is dat de reis á €34,99 is te boeken. Artikel V sub 1 van de Reclamecode Reisaanbiedingen (RR) bepaalt, dat aanbieders (van reisdiensten) dienen te zorgen voor een redelijke beschikbaarheid van de door hen in reclame-uitingen aangeboden diensten voor de genoemde prijs; dat is ook het geval. Commissie wijst de klacht af. 

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf).

Regeling: Reclamecode Reisaanbiedingen (RR): V sub 1

RCC 10 maart 2011, Dossiernr: 2010/00927 (Kwantum - vloerbedekking leggen)

Reclamerecht. Promotionele actie. Restrictieve werking van de actie. In een TV-commercial (red. klik plaatje voor vergroting; soortgelijke actie) van Kwantum wordt vloerbedekking voor minder dan €4,- per m² inclusief leggen. Klacht: in een vestiging in Groningen was volgens het winkelpersoneel deze actie niet meer geldig, dit terwijl de commercial na het winkelbezoek nog werd uitgezonden. In de commercial werd voor goedkoopste ribtapijt reclame gemaakt (product €1,89/m² en voor het leggen: €2/m²), daarnaast wordt vanaf een bepaald bedrag gratis wordt gelegd. De spot wordt om de week uitgenzonden, in de betreffende week van het bezoek is dat niet het geval geweest.

Commissie; De gemiddelde consument zal de mededeling zo opvatten, dat Kwantum vloerbedekking verkoopt voor minder dan € 4,00 per m2, waarbij het leggen in de prijs is inbegrepen. Dat het slechts gaat om dit ribtapijt en de totale kosten hiervan inclusief leggen lager zijn dan € 4,00, neemt niet weg bij de gemiddelde consument verwarring kan ontstaan over de vraag of de kosten van het leggen reeds in de prijs zijn inbegrepen (“inclusief leggen”) dan wel afzonderlijk in rekening worden gebracht. Onduidelijk informatie over de prijsberekening (art. 8.2 onder d NRC). De uiting is misleidend en daardoor oneerlijk in de zin van artikel 7 NRC.

Voorop staat dat in de betreffende televisiecommercial wordt gezegd dat Kwantum al vloerbedekking heeft voor minder dan € 4,00 per m2, inclusief leggen. De ge­middelde consument zal deze mededeling zo opvatten, dat Kwantum vloerbedekking verkoopt voor minder dan € 4,00 per m2, waarbij het leggen in de prijs is inbegrepen.

Uit het verweer volgt echter dat geen sprake is van een inclusiefprijs, maar dat de kos­ten van het leggen bij het goedkoopste ribtapijt, waarop de mededeling in de reclame-uiting over de prijs blijkbaar betrekking heeft, afzonderlijk in rekening worden ge­bracht. Het feit dat de totale kosten van de vloerbedekking en het leggen lager zijn dan € 4,00, neemt niet weg dat naar het oordeel van de Commissie op grond van de mededelingen in de televisiecom­mer­cial bij de gemiddelde consument verwarring kan ontstaan over de vraag of de kosten van het leggen reeds in de prijs zijn inbegrepen (“inclusief leg­gen”) dan wel afzonderlijk in rekening worden gebracht.
 
Blijkens het voorgaande is geen duidelijke informatie verstrekt over de prijs en de wijze waarop de prijs wordt berekend als bedoeld onder d van artikel 8.2 van de Nederlandse Reclame Code (NRC). Voorts is de Commissie van oordeel dat de gemiddelde consu­ment hierdoor ertoe gebracht kan worden een besluit over een transactie te nemen, dat hij anders niet had genomen. Om die reden is de uiting misleidend en daardoor oneerlijk in de zin van artikel 7 NRC.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf) 

Regeling: NRC (nieuw) art. 7, art. 8.2 onder d.

RCC 10 maart 2011, dossier 2011/00022 (geen gebruik van actie)

Reclamerecht. Promotionele actie. Op de website van adverteerder staat: “Multifocale bril € 199,- (…) Wat u nog meer moet weten over dit aanbod * Geldig bij aankoop van een complete bril (…) * Bewerkingen (prisma toeslag, extra dunne glazen etc.) zijn niet bij de prijs inbegrepen * Geldig in combinatie met de zorgvergoeding van uw zorgverzekeraar” Klager heeft een bril gekocht á €294 bruto en €189,- netto.; zorgvergoeding voor een bril bedraagt €150 euro, maar ziet deze slechts €45 terug op zijn declaratie, misleiding. Nu blijkt dat er een bril is gekocht met geharde en ontspiegelde glazen, klager gaat er ten onrechte vanuit dat gebruik is gemaakt van de actie in de advertentie. Inmiddels is de resterende €105 ook overgemaakt aan klager. Commissie concludeert dat de klacht niet gaat over de overlegde advertentie en deze mist aldus feitelijke grondslag, wijst deze af.

Adverteerder stelt dat klaagster geen gebruik heeft gemaakt van de aanbieding die in de advertentie wordt vermeld. Hoewel klaagster dit betwist, kan uit hetgeen naar voren is gebracht niet worden afgeleid dat haar klacht betrekking heeft op de overgelegde advertentie. De bedragen sluiten niet aan en klaagster heeft niet de in deze advertentie bedoelde standaardbril gekocht, De klacht van klaagster mist derhalve feitelijke grondslag.

Lees de uitspraak hier (link) en hier (pdf).