Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Advertising Standards (228 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Advertising Standards

Sky UK Advert Banned for Misleading Setup Fees on TV Bundles

12th August, 2020 (6 Comments)

The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has banned two adverts for Sky’s (Sky Broadband) TV and Netflix bundles, which promoted a £20 or £25 one-off setup fee to new customers but failed to make sufficiently clear that existing customers would have to pay an upfront fee of “up to £219“.

BT Gets O2 UK Adverts Pulled by ASA for Misleading Price Claims

8th July, 2020 (7 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has, following a complaint raised by BT, banned two press adverts for mobile operator O2 UK after it promoted a special deal on a bundle with the Microsoft Surface Pro X and iPad devices, albeit without making all of the associated costs completely clear.

Full Fibre ISP Hyperoptic Pull “UK’s fastest broadband” Claim

13th June, 2020 (26 Comments)

A complaint by full fibre broadband ISP Vodafone has prompted rival Hyperoptic to remove a statement on their website which, when written alongside their symmetric speed 1Gbps package, claimed that they offered the “UK’s fastest broadband.” The case was “informally resolved” through the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

ASA Bans Sky UK Advert for “Lowest Priced” Broadband Claim

13th May, 2020 (9 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a TV advert for ISP Sky Broadband after it was found to have misleadingly claimed to offer “the UK’s lowest priced superfast broadband” service, which was not substantiated by the limited comparison.

EE UK Adverts Banned for “UNBEATABLE” No.1 Network Claims

8th April, 2020 (46 Comments)

A complaint by rival mobile operator Three UK has prompted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to ban a string of adverts for EE’s 4G and 5G network, which were all found to have made “misleading” claims of being the United Kingdom’s “No.1 network“, as well as being “UNRIVALLED” and “UNBEATABLE.“

Three UK Advert Banned for Misleading “Real 5G” Mobile Claim

25th March, 2020 (26 Comments)

Complaints by BT (EE) and Vodafone have today prompted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to ban two adverts for Three UK’s new ultrafast 5G based mobile (mobile broadband) network, which they found had “misleadingly” claimed “If it’s not Three, it’s not real 5G.”

O2 Refresh Ads Banned by ASA UK for Misleading Comparisons

18th March, 2020 (2 Comments)

A website and YouTube advert for O2 UK’s custom plans (refresh campaign – the ability to upgrade your phone at any time) have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) following complaints from rivals Three UK and Virgin Media, which said that some of their comparisons were “misleading.”

ASA UK Ban BT Adverts for Misleading Guaranteed WiFi Claims

18th March, 2020 (7 Comments)

Complaints from UK broadband ISPs Virgin Media, Vodafone and 11 people have resulted in several adverts for BT’s Complete WiFi (mesh system) service add-on being banned for misleadingly claiming that “only we guarantee wi-fi in every room” and “we guarantee a strong signal in every room.”

ASA Ban Vodafone UK Ads for Misleading Unlimited Data Claims

5th February, 2020 (25 Comments)

Complaints made by Virgin Media and Three UK have today resulted in the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banning several adverts for Vodafone’s new “unlimited data” mobile plans, which primarily occurred because of a failure to clearly express the related mobile broadband speed restrictions (especially on 5G).

Virgin Media UK Mocks Cheeky BT Bristol FTTP Broadband Ad

29th January, 2020 (42 Comments)

Cable ISP Virgin Media UK has criticised BT’s “dubious, unsubstantiated advertising” of their “full fibre” broadband products in the city of Bristol, which via several large billboard promotions warned locals not to “settle for Virgin” and to instead get “more reliable speeds than Virgin M200 and M350” from their FTTP.

Problems Remain – CMA Updates on Ofcom Loyalty Penalty Fixes

21st January, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued its annual update on Ofcom’s progress toward tackling the “loyalty penalty” in UK broadband ISP and mobile services, which can result in existing customers paying “significantly more” than new ones. Overall the progress has been good, but not all operators are playing ball.

Electrosensitivity UK Ad Banned for Claiming 5G is Dangerous

8th January, 2020 (37 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a “misleading” advert by campaign group Electrosensitivity-UK after it wrongfully claimed that the roll-out of ultrafast 5G mobile networks could result in a range of health effects, such as “reduced male fertility, depression, disturbed sleep and headaches, as well as cancer.”

ASA UK Ban TalkTalk’s Misleading Fibre Upgrade Email Adverts

9th October, 2019 (6 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two email adverts for TalkTalk’s ISP after they “misleadingly” told customers that “your usage is affecting your broadband service” and “you’ve hit your limit 3 times in 30 days” before recommending an upgrade to “fibre“, even though neither user was at such a “limit“.

TalkTalk UK ISP TV Advert Pulled Over Incorrect Speed Promotion

22nd August, 2019 (5 Comments)

One of TalkTalk’s TV adverts has been pulled after the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found it to be incorrect, which occurred because the connection speeds referenced in the broadcast’s voice-over did not match the speeds being promoted in the broadband provider’s on-screen text.

EE Get the Hump Over Three UK’s “Real 5G” Mobile Advert Claim UPDATE

19th August, 2019 (16 Comments)

“If it’s not Three, it’s not real 5G” said Three UK this morning (here) when promoting the launch of their new 5G based ultrafast mobile broadband network. In response rival operator EE (BT) is reported to have lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over the slogan, which they say is “misleading“.

Ireland Doing What the UK ASA Failed to do – BAN “Fake Fibre” Ads

24th July, 2019 (10 Comments)

The Advertising Standards Authority‘s decision to allow slower “part fibre” (hybrid fibre) broadband ISPs to use “fibre” terminology in their broadband adverts is starting to look increasingly silly, particularly now that Ireland has joined a number of other countries by moving to ban such promotions.

Broadband Segregation Risk as ISPs Shun Slower Speed ADSL Lines

20th July, 2019 (41 Comments)

A few years ago Sky Broadband became the first ISP to stop accepting orders from UK customers on lines – often rural ones – where speeds were stuck below 2Mbps (here). Sadly more providers appear to have joined this club of shunning those on slower lines, which for some may exasperate the feeling of digital exclusion.