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Train companies have been warned over price claims made on their ticketing websites after the advertising watchdog banned ads run by three sellers.<\/p>\n
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that claims made for fares booked via ScotRail and Greater Anglia\u2019s website, as well as by a third-party ticketing site, My Train Ticket, were misleading.<\/p>\n
In all three cases, the ASA said, it found the companies could not provide evidence to show that people would get the lowest available price by booking train tickets through them.<\/p>\n A ScotRail website had told customers that they could \u201cget cheapest tickets\u201d, \u201cbook direct for the best price\u201d and that is was \u201cunbeatable on price\u201d.<\/p>\n Greater Anglia\u2019s website contained the claim \u201cbook direct for lowest prices\u201d.<\/p>\n While both firms argued that their sites highlighted the cheapest prices available on the day, and had no booking fees, the ASA said that \u201cbest price\u201d claims needed to be backed up by evidence to show that retailers \u201cwould always beat, and not merely match, competitors\u2019 prices\u201d.<\/p>\n In fact, under industry rules, operators are not permitted to create or sell their own train fares, the ASA said.<\/p>\n The ASA further found that in some instances, Greater Anglia\u2019s prices could be bettered by split ticketing, or buying separate tickets for segments of a journey.<\/p>\n