SLK approves three quarters of the complaints
The First Chamber of the Fair Trading Commission (SLK) upheld nine of 13 complaints and recommended that the advertising in question be modified or discontinued. There were four complaints regarding an advertisement for natural cosmetics.
According to the respondent, it is an international information service for consumers that is independent of the economy and therefore did not consider the SLK to be competent. However, the SLK came to the opposite conclusion. On its website, under the title "Chemical club instead of care: What's in our cosmetics" and in an infographic with the heading "Cosmetics: These ingredients make you sick", the service had criticized commercially available cosmetic products too clearly, advising against their purchase and, in return, praising natural products. At the same time, the website had served as an advertising platform for these natural products. This meant that the reporting had a direct influence on competition and thus the competence of the SLK, according to the Commission's communication on the first meeting in 2015.
The SLK subsequently complained that the impression had been created that the criticized cosmetics in Switzerland could contain prohibited ingredients such as the solvent 1.4 dioxane. This was misleading and disparaging for the manufacturer of the cosmetics. Equally misleading and disparaging was the fact that other ingredients, which are permitted by law up to a certain amount, were presented as problematic. The SLK considered it unfair that the information service referred to alleged scientific studies without specifying them in more detail or referring to contrary opinions. The use of test results by the information service had also violated the clarity requirement.
Adorned with borrowed plumes
The Commission also objected to a competition complaint against a construction company that had advertised on its website pipe systems that it had not installed itself.
The complaint against a retailer who had generally advertised Christmas trees from Switzerland in its communication, although these were not available in all of its stores, was also upheld.
Other complaints approved included a gel that was said to slim, a magnet that promised stronger erections, and a pair of fitness pants that claimed to make people "visibly slimmer right away."
On the other hand, two complaints against sexism were rejected: on the one hand, a poster of a mattress manufacturer with the claim "Sleeping can be like a wonderful journey", on the other hand, the advertisement of a Spanish car brand that had advertised its new model with the claim "A la recherche d'une espagnole bien roulée?". (SDA)
