TalkTalk taken to task for broadband ads

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 2 Sep 2009 at 09:45

TalkTalk has been given a ticking off by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for falsely comparing its broadband service to BT's.

BT complained to the watchdog after TalkTalk compared its new home phone and broadband package to a BT bundle including BT Total Broadband Option 1.

BT claimed the ad was misleading because the comparison failed to mention the security features customers would lose by moving from BT to TalkTalk.

The security features included with Option 1 comprise of email antivirus, a spam blocker, anti-spyware protection on the BT Yahoo toolbar, a pop-up blocker and parental controls - all fairly standard stuff, most of which is freely available online.

TalkTalk provides email antivirus and spam protection as standard to all broadband customers, but charges £4 for extra security features such as parental controls and spyware protection.

In its defence, TalkTalk argued parental control software was freely available on the internet - undermining its £4 charge for added security in a stroke.

The ASA wasn't convinced by the argument either, slapping TalkTalk with its standard punishment of demanding that the ad not be run again in its current form.

TalkTalk was also reprimanded for failing to mention mobile phone call connection fees as part of the same advertising campaign.