UK Advertising Authority bans eBay for being Oversmart about discounts claims, which apparently they weren’t!

UK agency bans eBay ad claiming 25 pct discounts

LONDON — Britain’s advertising watchdog has told eBay to stop claiming that it offers new goods 25 percent below store prices. The Advertising Standards Authority said Wednesday that eBay’s poster implied that shoppers could buy anything at that discount from store prices. eBay International AG defended the ad, saying it was based on a survey of 288 products, comparing prices between eBay sellers and the average prices in stores.

The agency dismissed eBay’s argument, ruling on Wednesday that “the small print was of insufficient size to avoid being overlooked, and because it contradicted the main message of the headline.”

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