Stansted rapped for misleading promotion
Stansted Airport misled customers with a promotion for discounted parking, said advertising watchdogs.
The airport sent customers an email that stated: ""PARKING AT STANSTED 53% CHEAPER THAN LAST YEAR! * Take advantage of an 8-day stay in Long Stay for only £39.99. BOOK NOW …".
The asterisk linked to small print at the foot of the page stating "*Prices quoted are for a standard 8 day stay in our Long Stay car park arriving in March 2014. 53% discount calculated based on the same 8 day period in 2013 costing £85.99 a reduction of £46".
The Advertising Standards Authority said recipients of the email would have thought that all parking at Stansted was 53% cheaper than in 2013 and that the text relating to an 8-day stay was included only as an example of the cost.
"We considered this information was a significant condition and as such should have been stated in the body copy of the ad," it said.
"However, the information was placed towards the bottom of page beneath three other ads and we therefore considered that it was not displayed with sufficient prominence. "
It also said the small print contradicted rather than qualified the headline statement, and concluded the ad was misleading.
Stansted Airport was told not to repeat the promotion in its current form and to make future discounts clear.
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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