Misleading

A big part of our role is ensuring that ads don’t mislead. In fact, just over 70% of our work involves responding to and tackling concerns about misleading ads.

We should all be able to trust the ads we see and hear. And, in the majority of cases, we can. UK advertisers, by and large, stick to the rules. We only step in on occasions where an advertiser over-exaggerates, omits key information, or makes ambiguous or unclear claims in a way that’s likely to confuse or mislead us into making a purchase we wouldn’t otherwise have made.

The kind of complaints we receive about misleading ads often concern pricing and issues such as hidden costs like booking fees and credit card charges. We also receive complaints about exaggerated savings claims, significant terms and conditions not being made clear, promotions that aren’t run fairly, and health claims that discourage potentially vulnerable people from seeking professional medical advice or treatment.

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Latest rulings

Good Guru Ltd t/a Protein World
- Upheld
- Email
- 02 July 2025
An email made claims that a food could treat anorexia.
Kenvue UK Ltd t/a Listerine
- Upheld
- Television
- 02 July 2025
A TV ad misleadingly exaggerated the performance of a product.
Mondelez UK Ltd t/a Cadbury
- Upheld
- Radio
- 02 July 2025
A radio ad made nutrition and comparative nutrition claims that didn’t meet the conditions of use for those claims.
Wowcher Ltd
- Upheld
- Website (own site)
- 02 July 2025
A website made misleading savings claims.

View all rulings

Misleading

A big part of our role is ensuring that ads don’t mislead. In fact, just over 70% of our work involves responding to and tackling concerns about misleading ads.

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