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Ryanair faces probe over adverts | Ryanair faces probe over adverts |
(1 day later) | |
Ryanair faces a probe by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after a string of complaints about its adverts. | Ryanair faces a probe by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after a string of complaints about its adverts. |
The carrier has been referred by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which has found Ryanair in breach of rules seven times in two years. | The carrier has been referred by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which has found Ryanair in breach of rules seven times in two years. |
The ASA said exaggerated claims about flight availability at advertised prices, and prices that omitted taxes and charges had misled consumers. | The ASA said exaggerated claims about flight availability at advertised prices, and prices that omitted taxes and charges had misled consumers. |
Ryanair has already complained to the OFT about the ASA's rulings. | Ryanair has already complained to the OFT about the ASA's rulings. |
'Last straw' | |
The low-cost carrier said that the authority's rulings against it had been "unfair, biased and untrue". | The low-cost carrier said that the authority's rulings against it had been "unfair, biased and untrue". |
It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action Advertising Standards Authority | |
The ASA had "demonstrated a repeated lack of independence, impartiality and fairness", Ryanair added. | The ASA had "demonstrated a repeated lack of independence, impartiality and fairness", Ryanair added. |
And it described the latest ruling - that it had made exaggerated claims about the availability of flights at advertised prices that did not include taxes and charges - as "the last straw". | |
"It's one of a number of advertisements where the ASA has demonstrated unfair procedures and bias and a clear anti-Ryanair agenda," said the carrier's spokesman Peter Sherrard. | |
"In this case, the complainant couldn't remember and couldn't provide any evidence of the flights he was trying to book. | |
"Most sensible organisations or adjudicators at that stage would simply have dropped the complaint and let it lie." | |
'Very disappointing' | 'Very disappointing' |
Other adverts which the ASA deemed to have broken rules included Ryanair: | |
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And in a matter not dealt with by the ASA, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni won a case against Ryanair for using their picture without consent. | And in a matter not dealt with by the ASA, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni won a case against Ryanair for using their picture without consent. |
Many of Ryanair's ad campaigns have been controversial | Many of Ryanair's ad campaigns have been controversial |
Formal referrals to the OFT were rare, said the ASA's director general Christopher Graham - the last occurring in 2005 | Formal referrals to the OFT were rare, said the ASA's director general Christopher Graham - the last occurring in 2005 |
"We would prefer to work with advertisers within the self-regulatory system rather than call in a statutory body, but Ryanair's approach has left us with no option," he added. | "We would prefer to work with advertisers within the self-regulatory system rather than call in a statutory body, but Ryanair's approach has left us with no option," he added. |
"It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action. | "It is very disappointing, but absolutely necessary, that we have had to take this course of action. |
Mr Graham added that Ryanair had been given "every opportunity to put its house in order and ensure that its advertising adheres to the codes". | Mr Graham added that Ryanair had been given "every opportunity to put its house in order and ensure that its advertising adheres to the codes". |
"Instead, they have continued to mislead consumers and denigrate competitors," he said. | "Instead, they have continued to mislead consumers and denigrate competitors," he said. |
In February Ryanair shut down its website - in part to comply with an order by UK market regulators to make prices on its website clearer to consumers. | In February Ryanair shut down its website - in part to comply with an order by UK market regulators to make prices on its website clearer to consumers. |
Last August, the OFT ordered 13 airlines to amend their websites to include "fixed non-optional" costs in their headline fares. | Last August, the OFT ordered 13 airlines to amend their websites to include "fixed non-optional" costs in their headline fares. |
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