Fairness Commission: One-third more complaints about advertising
The Swiss Fair Trading Commission (SLK) examined 95 complaints in connection with advertising in 2016. Most of the complaints were received due to aggressive sales methods.
About half of the commission's decisions upheld the complainants. About a quarter of the cases involved aggressive sales methods, according to the activity report of the SLK, which was published on Tuesday. Gender discrimination ranked second with twelve percent of the complaints.
The "most popular chocolate
This is followed almost equally by the burden of proof, according to which the accuracy of an advertisement's claims must also be proven. Compared to previous years, complaints about comparative advertising have increased. The figure jumped from around four percent to ten percent.
For example, a consumer filed a complaint because a major retailer advertised its chocolate as "Switzerland's most popular chocolate". He claimed that by using the superlative, the advertiser was comparing itself with the entire competition's range. The SLK found that the word "most popular" created the expectation in consumers that the chocolate was the best-selling. The SLK did not accept it as an indication of taste, because taste is subjective. But the chocolate was objectively the best-selling in Switzerland. The complaint was rejected.
New front runner
Banks and insurance companies have relinquished their inglorious top spot on the list of the most complained-about sectors. The "food + beverages" sector now ranks at the top with 12 percent of all complaints. The SLK has existed since 1966, and in 2016 the commission celebrated its 50th anniversary. (SDA)
