Promotions & FCA Compliance: Crystal Clear or Clear as Mud?
A quick guide to creating promotions that are clear, fair & not misleading By Heather Carey Whenever the topic of advertising compliance comes up, I’m often asked what the FCA’s central requirement, that promotions should be clear, fair and not misleading, actually means. After all the words ‘clear, fair and not misleading’ are extremely subjective, and […]
Is your website ‘mobile-friendly’ enough…?
Why fully responsive design is critical for ecommerce success Visits to retail websites via mobile devices reached 63% up from 60% in quarter two of 2015. These latest figures show how mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) have clearly become the preferred choice for the majority of online shoppers. They are even being used to make […]
New rules on credit broking & financial promotions
In January, the FCA published new rules on credit broking and financial promotions, this was in response to consumers’ confusion about the status of credit brokers. As a result all credit brokers now need to include their legal name (as it appears in the FCA Register) on all advertising and correspondence with customers. Advertising and […]
FCA Guidelines on Advertising updated
The FCA has revised its guidelines on Consumer Credit Advertising Regulations. The guide, known as CONC3, was republished this month and is available on the FCA’s website http://fshandbook.info/FS/html/handbook/CONC/3 In addition, CCS has also received updates on advertising compliance from lenders. As a result we have updated our own CCS Advertising Guide. If you have an old […]
Consumer Credit Promotions: Representative APR vs Representative Example
The following information is for guidance only, it’s not legal advice. We strongly recommend that you read the Consumer Credit Advertising Regulations and speak to your local Trading Standards Office or consult with a qualified legal adviser before publishing a promotion. Consumer Credit Promotions Promoting credit is guaranteed to bring people into showrooms or generate […]
Consultation period ends on FCA’s approach to financial promotions in social media
Social media & financial promotions The consultation period on the FCA’s approach to social media ended on the 6th November. It followed the publication of guidance notes, intended to clarify the use and supervision of social media for promotions, in August and an invitation for people to comment. Clive Adamson, Director of Supervision at the […]
How to ensure your credit promotions are compliant…
What is a ‘promotion’? The term promotion covers a wide range of marketing and advertising. It includes websites, sales brochures, adverts in a magazines or newspapers, direct mail flyers – basically, it is anything seen, heard or read by customers that’s designed to influence or encourage them to reach a purchasing decision. You can’t rely […]
Mis-selling! Don’t be caught out by your advertising
There’s been a number of stories in the recent news about Green Deal providers and renewable energy companies that have fallen foul of advertising regulations. Mostly it’s because their claims for energy efficiency or financial savings haven’t been clear. Mis-selling can range from deliberately misleading advertising messages through to negligence and missing out key information […]
FCA find one in five consumer credit adverts are not compliant
Credit firms need to do more to ensure their adverts and promotions do not mislead potential customers, says the FCA. The organisation examined over 500 advertisements for a range of consumer credit products and found a number of examples where key information which should have been included in the advertisement was either missing or difficult […]