Are confusing broadband ads bringing you down loads? Well today we’re calling on advertising watchdogs to tighten up guidelines on speed claims in broadband ads.
I’m an addict. Yes, it is finally time for me to come clean: I am addicted to Masterchef. (I feel better already.) I love salivating over beautifully plated food, cooked in either silly or sublime ways, and shouting at my iPad: ‘Oh, I think that millefeuille looks a bit thick.’
What I couldn’t stand though was waiting for my next hit of Masterchef to load on BBC iPlayer. Instead of watching grown men and women shouting at each other about risotto, pork and panna cotta, I was faced with the dreaded buffering symbol.
That made me switch my broadband to ‘superfast’, so hopefully the days of buffering are behind me.
However, what I didn’t know was that the speeds quoted in broadband ads only need to apply to 10% of customers. And I’m not alone – nine in ten of us aren’t aware of this rule.
Advertised broadband speeds
Speed is the second most important factor when choosing a broadband deal, behind only price. With speed playing such a big role in convincing people which deal to go with, we don’t think it’s right for providers to entice customers in with speed claims most of them may never receive. In fact, we found that a quarter of people would choose a different deal if they had better info on speeds.
We want the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) to pull the plug on confusing broadband ads. Vague claims like ‘superfast’ need to be quantified, and providers should show the speeds the majority of customers will actually get.
If you have had it ‘up to’ here with confusing broadband advertisements, sign our petition to convince advertising watchdogs to give us broadband ads we can all trust.
Were you aware of the 10% rule? Are you not getting the speeds you thought you would be getting?
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