Botched competition lands Travel Republic in trouble
Online retailer Travel Republic has been criticised by advertising watchdogs for extending the closing date of a competition for free flights after it had already started.
Upholding a complaint from one entrant, the Advertising Standards Authority made it clear closing dates for competitions must not be changed unless circumstances beyond the promoter’s control made it necessary.
In this case, Travel Republic extended the closing date by a week because it realised the rules of the competition were not clear.
It had asked entrants to submit a video of themselves packing 20 selected items into a suitcase in the fastest time possible.
Only after the competition had launched did the retailer realise it needed to make the terms and conditions more explicit. In particular, it made it clear that the person packing the case had to start the timer and that the video had to show the items being placed in the suitcase.
Travel Republic acknowledged that extending the closing date part way through the competition was not ideal and apologised for that, but said it made it fair to all entrants to do so.
Existing entrants were contacted, either via Twitter or Facebook, and informed of the change, it said.
However, in its ruling, the ASA said: "Because we considered the extension of the closing date had not arisen from unavoidable circumstances beyond the advertiser’s control, and that some participants who had taken part under the original terms and conditions could have been disadvantaged, we concluded that the promotion had not been administered fairly and was in breach of the Code."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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