Tele2 to correct ‘misleading’ ads

A court in The Hague has ordered Dutch IPTV provider Tele 2 to correct its advertising campaign, in which it claims to sell cable TV for €5.00. The judge ruled that the operator failed to tell consumers the offer is part of a multi-play deal costing €44.95.

The Tele 2 offer is still cheaper than a similar offer from Ziggo, which costs €51.50, but the difference is not 70%, as Tele 2 suggests in its advertising campaign. The judge ordered the IPTV operator to place 30 second spots around 20.00 on all channels on which it showed the original commercials.

The court case was brought about by Dutch cable operators Ziggo and UPC, who both have to open up their analogue networks to third-party resellers such as Tele 2. Ziggo claimed the Tele 2 cable offer is not the same as theirs, as Tele 2′s only comprises a basic 30 channel analogue bouquet as compared with Ziggo’s analogue plus digital 60-channel offer.

UPC said in a statement: “We are pleased with the verdict. Competition for analogue TV has now been made possible within a very competitive market. Everyone must of course have to keep the rules for fair advertising. Tele 2 was our opinion far beyond it.”

In a separate statement Bernard Dijkhuizen, managing director of Ziggo, also in a statement said: “We are delighted with the verdict because the consumer is given no more misleading information and that was our point in this case.”

Tele 2 now has to place corrections within five days of the verdict in all news papers, radio stations and TV channels. People who can read Dutch, can find the two original verdicts from the Court here.