THE ADVERTISING Standards Authority for Ireland is to consider reporting Ryanair to the National Consumer Agency after the airline refused to respond to complaints made by two customers.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, the agency has powers of civil and criminal enforcement. Infringing advertisers and their clients can be forced to pay damages, prosecuted and fined.
In its latest complaints bulletin, the authority upheld a complaint against Ryanair over a direct e-mail advertisement which stated: “Sale Every Seat, Every Flight €10”.
One complainant objected to the advertisement on the basis that the attached limiting terms and conditions precluded customers from availing of the fares at the weekend.
Another complainant said that when she attempted to avail of the €10 fare for two flights from Shannon to Fuerteventura, the actual cost exceeded €200.
The authority’s complaints committee upheld the complaints against the airline and expressed disappointment at the company’s failure to respond.
The complaints committee requested that the matter be brought to the attention of the authority’s board with a view to a report being referred to the National Consumer Agency.
The standards authority found against Aer Lingus over a TV advertisement which offered fares to a number of European destinations “for only €29.99”.
A complaint was also lodged over an Aer Lingus e-mail advertisement which stated in its headline: “Sale – Europe €29.99, including taxes”.
In the body of the e-mail, it stated: “In our winter sale we’ve reduced European destinations to just one great low fare of €29.99.”
Further down in the e-mail, a list of the applicable routes stated: “All from €29.99”.
A complainant who found that the charge for flights to Amsterdam from Cork was €32 each way before taxes and charges were added, considered the advertisement misleading.
While the airline provided examples of routes and dates on which the fare had been available, it said the small print had specified that the offer was subject to terms, conditions and availability.
The authority found against the airline and said the advertisement should not appear again in its current format and that advertisers should clearly indicate that fares advertised were “from” fares.
They added that while the word “from” was used in the e-mail, the predominant message was that €29.99 was the available fare for all its destinations.
A complaint was upheld against an advertisement for “Howth on Ice”, which featured a cartoon of a penguin skating on ice and seal in an ice hole with a fish. The rink was synthetic and not an ice rink.
