In the third quarter of this year, the Advertising Standards Commission received 759 complaints and notifications. One of these complaints was against Flitsmeister and their PRO service.
In the third quarter of this year, the Advertising Standards Commission received 759 complaints and notifications. One of these complaints was against Flitsmeister and their PRO service. The complaint revolved around a promise of an ad-free experience that was not delivered.
No ads, still advertising
Flitsmeister PRO was offered with the promise: ‘Don’t see ads? Create an account first and then buy PRO for €8.99 a year.’ However, one user complained that despite this purchase, she received a message about a ‘soundpack’, an extra feature that allows files to be read out by a BN.
The Advertising Standards Commission considered this message to be advertising. According to the Commission, the promise of an ad-free experience was not fulfilled, misleading users about the key features of the product.
Verdict: misleading and unfair
The Commission ruled that the communication surrounding Flitsmeister PRO was misleading and thus in violation of the Dutch Advertising Code. The failure to fulfil the promise resulted in an unfair expression. Flitsmeister was therefore recommended to stop advertising in this way.
