Complaints upheld against An Post, Lidl and influencers by advertising watchdog

"An Post, Lidl, Bord na Móna and influencers have had complaints upheld against them by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for breaches of the advertising code across online, social media, print and in-store promotions. The rulings cover a range of issues such as misleading pricing and unclear advertising disclosures. An advertisement by An Post was considered misleading as it did not stipulate that the advertised prices for a pre-paid mobile phone offer were only available to new customers and not existing ones, it said."

"Lidl's website, brochure and in-store displays for metal shelving were ruled misleading after the €5 Lidl Plus discount was not stated to be limited to one item per customer. Bord na Móna was found in breach after its online tool indicated that a waste-collection service was available at a customer's address, but delivery could not be completed because the address fell outside the service area."

""ASA's mission is to protect consumers from advertising that is harmful, misleading, or offensive. "Our latest complaints bulletin showcases the wide-ranging ways we uphold honesty, transparency, and integrity across Ireland's advertising landscape," she said. This latest release comes as the ASA held a conference last week in conjunction with Revenue to increase awareness for users to be clear when posting promotional content."

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld complaints against An Post, Lidl, Bord na Móna and certain influencers for breaches of the advertising code across online, social media, print and in-store promotions. Rulings cited misleading pricing, undisclosed limits on discounts, unclear advertising disclosures and false service availability. An Post failed to state prices were for new customers only. Lidl omitted that a €5 Lidl Plus discount was limited to one item per customer. Bord na Móna's tool showed service availability outside its area. HelloFresh and an influencer used an unclear 'Ad' disclosure on Instagram. Some complaints, such as one against Cairn Homes, were not upheld.

Read at Irish Independent