Confused.com has insisted it provides more opportunities to save on car-related products than any competitor, despite having a raft of ads banned – including a TV version featuring the actor James Corden – for unsubstantiated claims about the amount of money customers could save.
The Google, email, TV, website and press ads all claimed the website is “No.1 for car savings”, leading to a complaint from rival Gocompare.com that the message gave the impression that consumers would save more money with Confused.com than its competitors.
Confused.com said the ads did not claim they offered greater savings on individual products, and the No.1 claim included a qualification clarifying that it was based on “opportunities to save”.
The Advertising Standards Authority saw things rather differently, however, and banned the ads, saying that consumers would generally understand the No.1 claim to mean that they were likely to save more money by using Confused.com.
Responding to the ruling, Confused.com chief marketing officer Paul Troy said: “No one offers drivers more opportunities to save on your car – fact. We are here to champion the driver and get them the best deal.
“We may have had to change the wording in our advert, but the message is still the same. The motorist gets hit in the pocket at every opportunity. Fuel taxes, parking costs, repairs and the ever-rising cost of car insurance; it’s never been a more expensive time to drive yet it’s essential for millions of people and we are here to help.”
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