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Adrian highlights yet another advert that is highly misleading.

Why do ISPs keep on doing this?

Do they enjoy getting hauled over the coals by the advertising standards people?

Or does the benefit of duping people outweigh any negative consequences?

Some of the larger ISPs in the UK have signed up to a new code of conduct with OfCom, the UK telco regulator.

The ISPs have made key commitments governing speeds and other key aspects of their product offering:

1. provide customers at the point of sale with an accurate estimate of the maximum speed that the line can support, whether it is in the shop, over the internet or on the phone;
2. resolve technical issues to improve speed and offer customers the choice to move onto a lower speed package when estimates given are inaccurate;
3. ensure all sales and promotion staff have a proper understanding of the products they are selling so they can explain to their customers the meaning of the estimates provided at the point of sale; and
4. provide consumers with information on usage limits and alerting customers when they have breached them.

The list includes household names such as AOL, BT, O2 and many more.

More coverage here

Related articles

• Ofcom to introduce code of conduct for broadband advertising [via Zemanta]
• Code agreed on broadband ads [via Zemanta]
• Ofcom concern over unclear broadband speeds [via Zemanta]
• Voluntary code for internet speed [via Zemanta]
• Broadband speed: Ofcom introduces code for providers [via Zemanta]

Irish broadband provider Perlico has been making waves in the last few days with their "99 cent broadband" offer.

Does it sound too good to be true?

Well, putting it bluntly, it is.

Even if you were to factor in the below cost selling as being a cheaper way of acquiring clients, the figures simply did not add up.

The 99 cent broadband deal is actually 40.99. That's 40 euro more than advertised.

They may claim that there are "terms and conditions" etc., etc., but who are they kidding?

If you claim to be offering 99 cent broadband, then why can't I actually buy it for 99 cents?

I suppose it comes as little surprise to many people to discover that there were several complaints about Irish ISPs to the Irish advertising standards authority. Adrian Weckler covers some of the low points for both UPC (NTL / Chorus' new owner) and Digiweb. What's surprising is that there aren't more complaints. I guess a lot of people don't believe in using official channels

UK ISP, Bulldog, has been held to task by the British advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority, for making misleading claims in its advertising. The advert in question claimed that users would be able to avail of speeds of upto 8 megabits for £15.50 / month. Due to technical limitations the actual speed available to a lot of potential clients would have been lower. Full story