WebsiteAlways.com


Commercial: Consumer - Discounts - Misleading Advertising


Marketing is an important tool for attracting customers. It is commonplace to see banners announcing bargains of "70% off the retail price." However a recent High Court decision illustrates that care must be taken with such marketing.

In the case of Office of Fair Trading v Officers Club Ltd and another [2005], the defendant advertised products at 70% off the retail price. The relevant product was offered for sale in a limited number of stores at a higher price for a period of 28 days before being released to most of the stores at the discounted price.

The Office of Fair Trading issued proceedings claiming that such a strategy was misleading to consumers.

The defendant claimed that:

there was no misleading advertising as the strategy had at all times complied with the guidelines enshrined in the Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indications issued by the Department for Trade and Industry; and it was legally impossible for them to be in contravention of the misleading advertising rules when they were complying with the code.

The court rejected these arguments and found that:

the Code of Practice was designed to give retailers a degree of certainty while granting the regulatory authorities flexibility to curtail misleading practices despite strict adherence to the code; although the defendant had offered the products for sale at the higher price in accordance with the Code, he had not had a genuine belief that it could sell the products at those prices; and the adverts were misleading.

Sales and discount offers are an effective way of bringing in consumers and boosting revenue, however, businesses should be wary of using marketing strategies that may be misleading or in bad faith.

If you require further information contact us.

Email: enquiries@rtcoopers.com

© RT COOPERS, 2005. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.

Full service commercial law firm based in the City of London specialising in Biotechnology Law, Employment Lawyers, Media lawyers, Entertainment Solicitors, Pharmaceutical Lawyers, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation, Corporate Finance, Copyright, Redundancies, Commercial Lawyers, Commercial Law, Commercial Contracts, Data Protection, property lawyers.

Contact us at enquiries@rtcoopers.com. Visit our website at http://www.rtcoopers.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Direct Traffic Media

Spending Gap Between Search and Display Advertising Widens
Wired News - Sep 4, 2008
By Meghan Keane September 04, 2008 | 3:07:36 PMCategories: Advertising Online advertising spending may be growing at an annual rate of 20 percent but the ...
Gap Widens in Online Advertising Wall Street Journal
Waiting Impatiently for a New Yahoo CEO Seeking Alpha
Verizon and Yahoo extend portal deal CNET News
Search Engine Land - ZDNet.com.au
all 65 news articles


Prescription Drug Advertising Subject of New FDA Web Site for ...
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
The site, "Be Smart About Prescription Drug Advertising," is hosted by the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and was developed by the FDA in ...


LIVENEWS.com.au

Microsoft’s Windows advertising, minus the Windows
Financial Times, UK - 5 hours ago
High-profile new advertising campaigns like this often become the target of instant judgment from self-appointed “experts”, and this one was no different ...
Microsoft Launches Latest Windows Advertising Push DailyTech
Microsoft Kicks Off Ad Campaign Wall Street Journal
Windows Vista: The OS About Nothing InformationWeek
Seattle Times - WebProNews
all 418 news articles


MediaPost Publications

NebuAd Halts ISP Tracking ...
InternetNews.com - 18 hours ago
McGraw added that NebuAd was pursuing other advertising formats as part of a multi-channel strategy, but declined to elaborate on the company's plans.
Time to strengthen Internet privacy laws Great Falls Tribune
NebuAd halts launch of behavioral ad technology BtoB Magazine
NebuAd Halts Plans For Web Tracking Washington Post
SecurityFocus - Wired News
all 140 news articles


UK Personal Lending 2008 - Nationwide Saw The Biggest Drop In ...
MarketWatch - 12 hours ago
Nationwide saw the biggest drop in advertising expenditure with just GBP287,232 spent in 2007, compared to GBP3.2m in 2006. - Gain access to the latest ...


ABC News

Crucial Movie Plot Points Too Risque for British Advertising Standards
Jossip, NY - 13 hours ago
Advertising regulations exist to keep the consumer safe. This is why tobacco companies can't advertise near churches or schools, why hardcore sex is not ...
Qantas UK ad claims probed Melbourne Herald Sun
Latest James Bond flick criticised for glorifying armed violence Oneindia
Angelina Jolie Wanted In UK? G4 TV
Utalkmarketing - Boxwish
all 203 news articles


Mobile Marketing Consumer Response is Heavily Influenced by ...
MarketWatch - 14 hours ago
NEW YORK, Sep 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- While most consumers' initial reactions to marketing and advertising messages on their mobile phone can often be ...


Direct Traffic Media

Obama, McCain have contrasting styles in Web advertising
Los Angeles Times, CA - 21 hours ago
By Jim Puzzanghera, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer It's been hard to avoid Barack Obama's distinctive red, white and blue "O" logo on display ads as you ...
Obama Expands Lead on McCain in Online Advertising Battle in June ... MarketWatch
Study says Obama beating McCain in online advertising Direct Traffic Media
Obama online advertising trumps McCain by 75:1 in June TG Daily
WebProNews - Internet News
all 27 news articles


Wired News

Kellogg’s Finds a Windfall in Online Advertising
Wired News - 8 hours ago
By Meghan Keane September 05, 2008 | 2:58:01 PMCategories: Advertising Along with Kraft Foods, Hershey, and General Mills, cereal maker Kellogg Co. ...


Curbing advertising will cut obesity
The Australian, Australia - 13 hours ago
Restrictions on junk food advertising to children are a bit like that. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, in its draft report on children's ...
A code on junk foods Irish Times
Weasel words on junk food ads Brisbane Times
all 3 news articles

Advertising - Google News

Interesting articles | Home | site map | Link
© 2006
Job posting sites Breast enlargement Jobs Mahoubi.net Free Online Dating | Free personals | Married personals | Totally free personals | Dating online lakeland fl | Free dating sites | Travel Vacations | Multiple listing service real estate