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NAPIT COMPLAINT OVER ADVERTISEMENT UPHELD BY ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint from NAPIT about an NICEIC advertisement in a trade magazine ruling that it was misleading.

The advertisement was published in the February edition of Professional Electrician and also sent to NAPIT members in a mail-shot. The content made false claims that NAPIT did not offer discounted books and manuals to its members and did not offer City & Guilds approved training courses on a UK-wide basis.

The ASA also ruled that a claim in the advertisement that the NICEIC was the largest voluntary regulatory body in the UK was also misleading. NAPIT contacted the ASA following complaints from its members.

NAPIT Head of Legal Services Mike Andrews said: “We are pleased with the adjudication of the ASA about the misleading claims made in the advertisement. There is no doubt about the fact that we offer discounted books and manuals to our members or make available to them City & Guilds approved training courses on a nationwide basis.
“The ASA ruled that aspects of the advertisement breached the Committee of Advertising Practice code on points of substantiation and truthfulness – and when comparisons were made this harmed our reputation and claimed an unfair advantage. The ASA also supported our complaint about the claim by the NICEIC that they were the largest voluntary regulatory body in the UK.”

The ASA did not uphold a complaint from NAPIT regarding the use of a question mark in the advertisement over a list of services offered by NAPIT. This related to industry branding, marketing support, discounted insurance cover, competitively priced equipment, regular discounted offers and customers sales support.

The NICIEC said the advertisement was a one-off placement and had no plans to repeat it.