Vodafone rebuked for "abolishing" roaming charges

 

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Posted on 28 Oct 2009 at 10:35

Vodafone has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority for claiming that it had "abolished" mobile roaming charges.

A series of internet, SMS and print ads run by the mobile network over the summer claimed the company had "abolished" the extra fees for making calls in 35 European countries.

That provoked the ire of no fewer than 21 complainants, who argued that the word "abolished" implied that Vodafone had axed the charges permanently, rather than for only three months over the summer.

'Abolished' could be construed in several ways - Vodafone

Vodafone reached for the Oxford Concise before putting up its defence, arguing that "the dictionary definition of 'abolished' was 'formally put an end to' and it did not necessarily mean the perpetual end or that something ceased to exist in its entirety."

Indeed, the Vodafone lexicographers argued that "the word could be construed in several ways and therefore it was reasonable to expect that it would be qualified."

The ASA wasn't swayed by the argument, however, upholding five out of six complaints about the various ads. "We considered consumers were likely to understand the ads, in particular the word 'abolished', to mean that roaming charges had been removed permanently, as opposed to having been suspended temporarily," the ASA's adjudication states. "Because that was not the case, we concluded that the ads were misleading."

Vodafone has been told not to run the ads again - a sanction that carries about as much weight as Kate Moss, given the promotion ended in August.

The company has also been told "to ensure that significant conditions of promotions were made clear, and did not contradict the main claim, in future ads."

Author: Barry Collins