Wig seller falls foul of cross-border distance selling rules

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that online wig seller Wigshow.co.uk has broken advertising rules by not providing customers with the address of its foreign supplier and not explaining that customers returning goods would have to pay customs duty.

As of March 2011, when its remit was broadened, the Advertising Standards Authority’s rules on misleading ads now apply to marketing messages on businesses’ websites as well as promotions on social-networking sites. 

On the 18th July, the UK advertising watchdog upheld three complaints made from a consumer regarding information contained on the toupee seller’s returns and refunds page.

A consumer contacted the ASA following the purchase of a wig from Wigshow.co.uk. On arrival, the wig, which was supplied from Hong Kong, did not detail the supplier’s address. When the customer attempted to return the item, Wigshow said that it would only issue a refund of up to 50 percent of the cost and that the consumer would be liable for customs duty.

The ASA adjudication ruled that the retailer should not have tried to charge the customer for customs duty stating that “because there was no information on the website stating that additional international fees were payable, we concluded that it was misleading.”

The ASA ordered Wigshow to amend its website to include information about its geographic address, the full geographic address of its supplier, and state all applicable fees.