Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.
In addition to any pricing legislation that they might have to comply with, the CAP Code requires marketers to include all non-optional taxes and charges in advertised prices (Rules 3.18, 3.19 and 3.21).
In December 2001, the ASA ruled that that principle should apply to ticket prices. In advertisements that name specific sales outlets, the ASA ruled that marketers should state the existence and amounts of any compulsory extra charges by including them in the advertised price of tickets or, if that were not possible, by a prominent statement of their existence and amount. That meant that it was not enough merely to quote the face value of the ticket and state in a footnote that the price was subject to a booking fee. Because of the complicated system of extra charges involved in ticketing, CAP created the Help Note on Ticket Pricing. The Help Note explains how the 2001 adjudication applies in varying situations.
Marketers may state solely the face value of a ticket without qualification only if no extra charges (such as booking fee, transaction charge, etc.) exist for a booking method featured in the advertisement. If the face value varies, for example by quality of seat, the lowest price should be stated as a “from” price.
If extra charges apply in some circumstances, marketers may state the face value price of the ticket if they immediately explain where and how customers can achieve this price, for example; “Tickets £10 available from box office when paying by cash; other methods subject to booking fee”. The qualification should be no less prominent than the price.
If extra charges always apply to all booking methods featured in the advertisement (i.e. tickets are never available at face value) but those extra charges depend on the booking method, marketers may state the minimum inclusive price that must be paid for the ticket as a “from” price. For example, if tickets are £10 and mandatory extra charges vary from £2 to £5, advertisers may state “tickets from £12”.
If extra charges always apply to all booking methods featured in the advertisement and all those extra charges are the same amount, the price quoted must include them. For example, if tickets are £10 and every booking method featured in the advertisement carries a charge of £5, the price quoted should be £15.
Last modified : 03 August 2010