The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) has ruled against Vodacom for advertising data packages where only \u201chalf of the data volume quoted is available\u201d at all times.<\/p>\n
Vodacom\u2019s print advert promoting its Internet data packages, with packages between 4GB and 40GB, was at the centre of an ASA complaint.<\/p>\n
The complainant highlighted that only half of the data volume quoted is available at all times.<\/p>\n
The rest of the data is only available between midnight and 05h00 (Night Owl data), which the complainant argued is misleading and dishonest.<\/p>\n
Vodacom explains<\/strong><\/p>\n Vodacom responded, saying \u201cthe takeout of an advertisement must be considered as a whole\u201d.<\/p>\n The complaint only refers to page 39 of a booklet, whereas this page cannot be divorced from the preceding and adjacent page, namely page 38, said Vodacom.<\/p>\n Vodacom said that a table which defines the data package allocations appears at the top of page 38, and the definition of the data allowances is stated.<\/p>\n ASA not convinced<\/strong><\/p>\n The ASA was not convinced, however, saying there is no heading or wording in Vodacom\u2019s advertising which explains that its data package breakdown now applies to everything that follows.<\/p>\n \u201cThe table simply appears at the top of the page, with no context,\u201d said the ASA.<\/p>\n \u201cThe words ‘Night Owl’ do not appear anywhere on any of the packages that follow, drawing attention to the fact that this is a Night Owl offer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no asterisks linking the table with any of the offers, drawing the customer\u2019s attention to the fact that this data breakdown applies to all packages.\u201d<\/p>\n The ASA subsequently ruled against Vodacom\u2019s advertising, and ordered the operator to withdraw it in its current format.<\/p>\n
\n