TUI told off about misleading price claims
TUI has been warned about misleading claims over price reductions after a complaint to advertising watchdogs.
A complaint was made to the Advertising Standards Authority about online adverts by First Choice and Thomson about the Riu Palace Pacifico hotel in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
The ‘GREAT DEAL’ adverts said prices for the hotel in August 2015 were reduced by 21% and 27% respectively.
But the complainant, who had never seen the holidays offered at the implied higher prices, challenged whether the savings claims were misleading.
After an investigation, the ASA upheld the complaint.
"We acknowledged TUI’s comments that holiday pricing often changed depending on demand," said the ASA ruling.
"However, we considered the evidence provided had not adequately demonstrated that the holidays were usually sold at £2,048 and £1,557 by First Choice and Thomson respectively, and therefore the savings claims did not represent genuine savings against those usual selling prices. We concluded that the savings claims were likely to mislead."
TUI was told to ensure it did not make similar savings claims in future advertising unless it held evidence to demonstrate that the higher prices were the usual prices at which the holidays were sold and that the savings claims reflected a genuine saving.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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