Misleading advertising
What is misleading advertising under Irish consumer law?
Misleading advertising is advertising that contains false, deceptive or incomplete information. Irish consumer law protects you from misleading claims in adverts, catalogues, websites and social media.
Under Irish consumer law, an advertisement or claim is misleading if it contains false or deceptive information or leaves out important information. Misleading advertising covers claims by manufacturers, distributors and retailers, including consumer reviews, whether in adverts, catalogues, websites or social media.
What are examples of misleading advertising?
Examples of misleading advertising include:
- Making a false claim or giving a false impression about a good or service, such as falsely claiming a product is a different colour or has more features
- Misrepresenting the price, for example advertising a product at a sale price when it is not actually on sale
- Misrepresenting your consumer rights, for example saying your rights don’t apply when you buy during a sale
- Misrepresenting customer feedback, for example through false consumer reviews
What are the rules for consumer reviews?
Businesses must ensure that any reviews they display are genuine. They must take reasonable steps to confirm that reviews come from real consumers. Businesses cannot pay for false or misleading reviews or post fake reviews themselves.
What can you do about misleading advertising?
If you believe an advert is misleading or false, you should contact the CCPC. The CCPC is responsible for enforcing advertising rules in Ireland and we can take action against businesses that mislead consumers. You can also contact:
- The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASA) about potentially misleading adverts. The ASA promotes better standards in advertising.
- The Food Safety Authority of Ireland about the advertisement of food products.
- The Central Bank of Ireland about the advertising of credit.
What can you do if you have bought a product and it is not as it was described in an advertisement?
Products you buy should match any description that was provided. You may be entitled to a refund if a product you bought does not match the description. More information is available in our refunds section.
What can you do if you have an issue with misleading advertising?
You can make a formal complaint to the business letting them know you believe their advertising is misleading. Our how to complain to business page has guidance and letter templates to help you make a complaint. If the business will not resolve your issue, you can consider shopping elsewhere.
What should you do if you think an environmental claim is misleading?
If you are concerned that a product has a misleading environmental claim, keep copies of any ads, packaging or product descriptions. It is open to you to bring your concerns to the seller and ask for any supporting documentation. Learn more by visiting our page on green claims.
Where can you report a business for misleading advertising?
You can report the business to the CCPC for misleading advertising. While we cannot engage with businesses on individual cases, we still encourage consumers to report issues to us so we can act to protect you where we find potential breaches of the law.
