Who have the ASA referred to Trading Standards and what happened next?

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK keeps a page of non-compliant online advertiers - people are added to the page, and eventually fall off it. I thought I should keep a closer eye on changes to that page and set up a post to do that, but this post looks at the Referrals page. This outlines the activity where a non-compliant advertiser is referred to Trading Standards for further action.

There are curently 62 cases listed, however you have to keep pressing 'show more' to see them so this shows the full list all at once.

Bold text in yellow highlights what happened next after referral.

• iPhoneIMEI.net

  • 09 January 2019

  • Unlocking iPhone and iCloud service
  • Referred

• 97maxx.co.uk

  • 02 January 2019

  • 97maxx.co.uk
  • trainers
  • Referred

• 95max.co.uk

  • 23 October 2018

  • 95max.co.uk
  • Trainers
  • Referred

• D Smith

  • 06 September 2018

  • Contactthedvla.co.uk / dvla-contact-number.co.uk
  • Call forwarding service
  • Referred

• Travel Affairs Ltd

  • 23 August 2018

  • ehic-e111-card.org
  • Copycat website (EHIC)
  • Referred

• Kellys Vegies Ltd

  • 23 August 2018

  • My Farm Fresh Box
  • Grocery box subscription
  • Referred

• UK Official Records Ltd

  • 23 August 2018

  • ukofficialrecords.co.uk
  • Copycat website (Replacement certificates)
  • Referred

• Holistic Energy Advanced Learning Ltd

  • 20 August 2018

  • Allergy Testing UK
  • Allergy and food intolerance testing
  • Referred

• www.point-less.co.uk

  • 07 August 2018

  • www.point-less.co.uk
  • Point-Less
  • Website taken down

• PDQ Estates Ltd

  • 24 July 2018

  • PDQ
  • Estate agent
  • Referred

• kenyaairway.co.uk

  • 14 May 2018

  • kenyaairway.co.uk
  • Travel agent
  • Website taken down

• Online Central Reservations Ltd

  • 30 April 2018

  • Central Reservations
  • Hotel bookings
  • Website taken down

• Goodwin Development Trust

  • 09 April 2018

  • Oxypod
  • Referred

• George Smith

  • 24 January 2018

  • UK Directory Services
  • Call forwarding service
  • Website taken down

• ETA and E-Visa Service

  • 12 January 2018

  • us-esta.uk
  • “Copycat” website
  • Website taken down

• Thermalogica Ltd

  • 10 January 2018

  • Thermalogica Health Screening
  • Thermal imaging
  • Website taken down

• herdress.co.uk

  • 04 January 2018

  • HerDress
  • Dress for formal events
  • Referred

• Sky Number

  • 04 September 2017

  • skynumber.co.uk
  • Call forwarding service
  • Ceased trading

• Marie Atlas Ltd

  • 12 May 2017

  • marieatlas.co.uk
  • AtlasProfilax Therapy
  • Trader now compliant

• FreeFusion Ltd

  • 07 April 2017

  • www.iphonespecialist.co.uk
  • Mobile phone repair
  • Prosecuted

• Threechings.com Ltd

  • 21 February 2017

  • Three Chings
  • Trader now compliant

• Ticket4Football

  • 02 February 2017

  • Ticket4Football
  • Referred

• Premier Events

  • 01 February 2017

  • Premier Events
  • Referred

• Novum Publishing gmbh

  • 26 January 2017

  • United P.C. Publisher
  • Referred

• Britannia Campaigning Ltd

  • 24 January 2017

  • Britain First
  • Trader now compliant

• Lionheart GB

  • 24 January 2017

  • The Patriot Store
  • Clothing
  • Trader now compliant

• Halcyon Bracelets

  • 01 January 2017

  • Halcyon Bracelets
  • Halcyon copper bracelets
  • Trader now compliant

• Dr Jin

  • 01 January 2017

  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • Trader now compliant

• Zeetech Services Ltd

  • 01 January 2017

  • Canterbury Spine and Health Practice
  • Chiropractic Services
  • Website taken down

• Nature's Range Ltd

  • 01 January 2017

  • Nature's Range
  • ProstEase, JointEase, Pernol
  • Referred

• Easy Consulting SL

  • 01 November 2016

  • Direct Resorts International The Ultimate Holiday Package
  • Holiday accommodation
  • Trader now compliant

• Meridian Consumer Research Private Ltd

  • 01 November 2016

  • drivinglicenceguide.co.uk, incomesupportguide.co.uk
  • Call forwarding service
  • Trader now compliant

• -Limit Ltd

  • 01 October 2016

  • www.europeanhealthcard.org.uk
  • “Copycat” website
  • Ceased trading

• Chinese Clinics (Balham) Ltd

  • 01 September 2016

  • The Chinese Clinic
  • Traditional Chinese medicine
  • Website taken down

• Crystal Healing Light Ltd

  • 01 September 2016

  • Crystal Healing Light
  • Crystal therapy
  • Website taken down

• Ron Prescott ND

  • 01 September 2016

  • www.ronprescottnd.co.uk, www.mecures.co.uk & www.smileqigong.com
  • Alternative therapies
  • Trader now compliant

• XT-Tec Ltd

  • 01 August 2016

  • pcbattery.co.uk
  • Laptop Batteries
  • Website taken down

• missydress.co.uk Inc

  • 01 July 2016

  • www.missydress.co.uk
  • Dresses
  • Website taken down

• top-battery.co.uk

  • 01 June 2016

  • www.top-battery.co.uk
  • Laptop Batteries
  • Website taken down

• Kitchen Units Cardiff

  • 01 June 2016

  • www.kitchenunits-cardiff.co.uk
  • Kitchens
  • Website taken down

• Finitro

  • 01 February 2016

  • Finitro
  • Finitro Forte Plus
  • Trader now compliant

• Dr Alyssa Burns Hill

  • 01 January 2016

  • www.alyssaburns-hill.com
  • Hormone Testing and Holistic Health Advice
  • Referred

• Tiny Tinklers

  • 01 December 2015

  • www.teethingnecklace.co.uk
  • Amber teething necklaces
  • Website taken down

• ATN-UK Company

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.amber-teething-necklaces.co.uk
  • Amber Teething Necklaces
  • Website taken down

• Bamboo Textiles

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.bamboo-textiles.co.uk
  • Bamboo Textiles
  • Trader now compliant

• Live Blood Test

  • 01 August 2015

  • Errol Denton
  • Live Blood Test
  • Referred 

  
  This person is also behind Fitalifestyle Ltd and was prosecuted and fined under the Cancer Act 1939 and two years later again under trading laws (and again fined) and is currently subject to a Community Behaviour Order - Jo

• Howard Bult

  • 01 August 2015

  • Howard Bult
  • Bowen Therapy
  • Trader now compliant

• Cascade Financial Ltd

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.daddycashforgold.co.uk
  • Financial
  • Website taken down

• Kitchen Factory Ltd

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.the-kitchenfactory.co.uk, www.kitchendesign1.co.uk, and www.uk-fittedkitchen.co.uk
  • Kitchens
  • Website taken down

• Fitalifestyle

  • 01 August 2015

  • seemycells.co.uk - see comment for Live Blood Analysis above, Jo
  • Liquid Chlorophyll
  • Referred

• Paul Godber

  • 01 August 2015

  • IronHorseHouse (IHH)
  • Software add-ons for a train simulator game
  • Website taken down

• SeaMaple (HK) Ltd

  • 01 August 2015

  • Urdress.co.uk
  • Formal dresses
  • Website taken down

• The Tanning Hut

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.thetanninghut-huntingdon.co.uk
  • Sunbeds
  • Trader now compliant

• LifestrengthUK

  • 01 August 2015

  • LifestrengthUK
  • Lifestrength wristbands
  • Website taken down

• London Natural Therapies

  • 01 August 2015

  • www.londonnaturaltherapies.co.uk
  • Live blood
  • Trader now compliant

• Philip Martin's

  • 01 August 2015

  • Philip Martin's
  • Philip Martin's Organics
  • Website taken down

• Sonic Reflex

  • 01 August 2015

  • Waterboost
  • Waterboost
  • Trader now compliant

• Kidz 5 A Day Ltd

  • 01 August 2014

  • Kidz 5 A Day Ltd
  • Powdered Drink
  • Ceased trading

• Attitude Holidays

  • 01 August 2014

  • Attitude Holidays Ltd
  • Holidays
  • Website taken down

• The Linden Centre

  • 01 August 2014

  • The Linden Method
  • The Linden Method
  • Now in Primary Authority Partnership

• Systek Marketing Group

  • 01 August 2014

  • Prospect Email
  • Email address lists
  • Website taken down

• Electronic Healing

  • 01 May 2014

  • Electronic Healing
  • BobBeck Protocol / Liquid Oxygen Drops
  • Prosecuted

Who's on the ASA's list of non-compliant online advertisers in Jan 2019?

Updated: 31 Jan 2019

There are currently 40 companies on the UK Advertising Standards Authority's list of non-compliant online advertisers. This is a list off organisations against whom an adjudication has been upheld regarding their misleading advertising. Companies that fail (or refuse) to amend marketing material are placed tere and some may have additional sanctions applied - this can include removing their page from Google search, adding an ad warning people searching for relevant keywords and referral to Trading Standards for prosecution.

Organisations that do later amend their material can also be removed from the list, so it varies over time and I thought I'd start recording what's on there and look at it again in a couple of months.

As far as I'm aware the ASA tends to delete older adjudications (cleared out every five years I think) - this wouldn't necessarily be done for non-compliant organisations though, but I thought it might be a good idea to record some of this. Also the ASA's page hides most of the info that's lower down and you have to keep clicking 'show more' to get them on the page, so here's the info all on one page.

• Person(s) unknown t/a Ecofundingplan.co.uk and Ecofundingplan.com

  • Ecofundingplan.co.uk and Ecofundingplan.com
  • Windows
  • 28 January 2019 [added to this blog post on 31 Jan] 

• Imperial GB Ltd

  • Kitchen – household
  • 23 January 2019   [added to this blog post on 31 Jan] 

• Agency Management Ltd

  • BMA Models
  • Modelling agency
  • 14 January 2019 [added to this blog post on 14 Jan] 

• Northern Myth Ltd

  • Rune Balm Body Butter
  • Body butters
  • 14 January 2019 [added to this blog post on 14 Jan] 

• Watts Marketing Ltd/H2B Windows Ltd

  • 04 January 2019
  •  

  Edit - 19 Jan 2019 - the company seems to be no longer on the list (the linked page is now 404ing though can, at time of writing, be accessed via Google cache). Here's a copy of the original adjudication for context. 
  

• Avid Technology Inc

  • avid.com
  • Creative digital tools
  • 02 January 2019

• SportsDirect.com Retail Ltd

  • Sports Direct
  • Walking boots
  • 19 December 2018

• Person(s) Unknown t/a Career Study College

  • careerstudycollege.com
  • Educational courses
  • 19 November 2018

• Person(s) Unknown trading as wilfredandalice.co.uk

  • Shoes
  • 19 November 2018

• Shaun Smith

  • 18kaweek.com
  • Financial advice on increased earnings
  • 15 November 2018

• Natural Medicine Devon

  • naturalmedicinedevon.co.uk
  • Bioresonance therapy and homeopathy
  • 07 November 2018

• Shaping Wellness

  • Radiesthesa testing
  • 05 November 2018

• Gemstones Power Water

  • gempowerwater.com
  • Gemstones Power Water
  • 11 October 2018

• Mr Jay Wenman

  • Milton Property Maintenance
  • Construction services
  • 11 October 2018

• The Beauty Company Belfast Ltd

  • Logan Wellbeing Medical & Aesthetics
  • Massage Therapy
  • 04 October 2018

• Vistaprint BV

  • Vistaprint
  • Business cards
  • 24 September 2018

• The Women’s Centre

  • The Women’s Centre
  • Post Conception Advice
  • 29 August 2018

• kinnaird-guesthouse.co.uk

  • kinnaird-guesthouse.co.uk
  • Clothing
  • 15 August 2018

• Persons unknown

  • Green Deal Funding Group
  • Replacement windows funding scheme
  • 06 July 2018

• Ray Brown Healing

  • www.raybrownhealing.com
  • Spiritual Healer
  • 29 May 2018

• Marambra Ltd

  • shopmarambra.com
  • Amber teething jewellery
  • 17 April 2018

• Protein World Ltd

  • Protein World
  • Carb Blocker
  • 10 April 2018

• Power Body Nutrition Ltd

  • powerbody.co.uk
  • 09 April 2018

• Official iPhone Unlock Ltd

  • www.officialiphoneunlock.co.uk
  • iPhone unlocking service
  • 05 April 2018

• Sarah Burt ND

  • Sarah Burt
  • Iridology
  • 03 April 2018

• Direct Response Marketing Group Ltd

  • Wellform Direct
  • Snail Elixir Miracle
  • 28 March 2018

• Barry Pearson t/a www.compareheaters.com & www.whatheater.com

  • Heater comparison
  • 20 March 2018

• Hydrox Systems UK

  • hydroxsystems.co.uk
  • HHO fuel saver kits
  • 19 March 2018

• Daniel Corlett

  • number-direct.co.uk
  • Call forwarding service
  • 08 March 2018

• iPhoneIMEI.net

  • iPhoneIMEI.net
  • Price claims
  • 08 March 2018

• Cocoalocks

  • Cocoalocks.com
  • Cocoa Locks hair supplement
  • 25 October 2017

• Gymheadz Sportswear Ltd

  • SkinnyFitCoffee
  • Skinny Fit Coffee
  • 22 August 2017

• Skinny Coffee Club Ltd

  • Skinny Coffee Club
  • Skinny Coffee
  • 08 May 2017

• Roger Meacock t/a Natural Healing Solutions

  • health-disk.com
  • Alternative Therapy Devices
  • 04 May 2017

• Roger Meacock

  • quinton-water.com
  • Quinton water supplements
  • 10 April 2017

• Water for Health Ltd

  • www.water-for-health.co.uk
  • Food supplements
  • 12 October 2016

• Marcos Pavlides Reflexology

  • Reflexions – The Reflexology Shop
  • Reflexology
  • 27 April 2016

• Gerad Kite Clinic

  • www.geradkite.com
  • Acupuncture
  • 08 April 2016

• Teddington Homeopathy

  • Teddington Homeopathy
  • CEASE Therapy
  • 27 August 2015

• Comfort Click Ltd

  • shytobuy.uk
  • VigRX
  • 07 August 2015

• Allergy and Asthma Ltd

  • The Salt Cave
  • Salt therapy
  • 06 August 2015

• LadyCare Lifetime Limited

  • www.ladycaremenopause.com
  • Magnotherapy
  • 08 September 2014 

  
  LadyCare Lifetime Limited were removed from the list shortly after this post was published, coincidentally around the time that Woman & Home magazine wrote a reasonably favourable article about the product (11 Jan 2019). I emailed the magazine to point out problems with the article and they promptly made some quite strong amendments, highlighting the ASA's original adjudication and including info from Jen Gunter's blog about the lack of evidence of effectiveness. Good work Woman & Home!
  

Adjudications etc by the Advertising Standards Authority against misleading homeopathy claims

These days it's fairly rare to get an actual Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) adjudication on a misleading homeopathy claim. That's because most homeopathy complaints are fast-tracked to the ASA's Compliance team rather than being investigated (because the ASA, like so many others, has previously investigated homeopathy and found there's no evidence that it's effective for any condition) and the Compliance team doesn't publish its findings.

Last week there was a new adjudication, against Teddington Homeopathy, for claims made about using 'CEASE Therapy' for treating autism.

There are now 11 ASA adjudications upheld against misleading homeopathy claims, 2 upheld in part and 1 not upheld. There are also 11 'informally resolved' complaints where the homeopath has agreed to amend their website and remove the incorrect claims, so no further action needs be taken.

Since most homeopaths do amend their website when asked by the ASA relatively few of them find their way to the non-compliant online advertisers but the Islington Homeopathy Clinic has managed to make it there.

Here's the list.

ASA adjudicatons upheld

Teddington Homeopathy
Re: CEASE therapy
Date: 22 July 2015
Decision: Upheld

Happy Homeopathy
Re: menopause relief
Date: 11 June 2014
Decision: Upheld

Islington Homeopathy Clinic
Date: 26 February 2014
Decision: Upheld

Steve Scrutton Homeopathy
Re: homeopathy for depression
Date: 18 September 2013  
Decision: Upheld

Steve Scrutton Homeopathy
Re: homeopathy for influenza
Date: 8 August 2012  
Decision: Upheld

Society of Homeopaths 
Date: 3 July 2013
Decision: Upheld

Dr Batras Positive Health Clinic (UK) Ltd
Re: homeopathy for psoriasis 
Date: 27 April 2011  
Decision: Upheld

British Institute for Allergy and Environmental Therapy
Re: allergy testing
Date: 9 March 2011  
Decision: Upheld

The Homeopathic Clinic
Re: thermal mammography
Date: 2 March 2011
Decision: Upheld

Comfort Click Ltd t/a ShytoBuy.co.uk
Re: homeopathic wart relief spray
Date: 4 July 2012  
Decision: Upheld

CNM The College of Naturopathic Medicine Ltd
Re: naturopathy
Date: 13 March 2013
Decision: Upheld

ASA adjudications upheld in part

Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century
Date: 3 July 2013
Decision: Upheld in part

Ainsworths (London) Ltd t/a Ainsworths Homeopathic Pharmacy
Date: 27 July 2011
Decision: Upheld in part

ASA adjudications NOT upheld

Neals Yard (Natural Remedies) Ltd
Date: 2 February 2011
Decision: Not Upheld

Informally resolved cases

Happy Homeopathy                                         23 Oct 2013
Maya Homeopathy                                           23 April 2014
Naturally Well Homeopathy                            12 Feb 2014
Amanda Hughes Homeopathy                         12 Mar 2014
Classical Homeopathic Healing                       22 May 2013
The Kernow Chiropractic Clinics                     19 Jun 2013
Team Health Windsor                                       14 Aug 2013
The Rock Clinic t/a Rock Clinic Association                   19 Jun 2013
North Lakes Clinic                                                            19 Jun 2013
University College London Hospitals t/a
The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine        2 May 2012