Today, BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD) found that Charter’s Spectrum advertising claim — that “customers will receive free high-speed internet forever, with the purchase and maintenance of four mobile lines,” which appears in television ads and on the company’s website — was supported. But NAD also recommended that the advertising be modified to more clearly disclose the terms of the offer.
The review was prompted by AT&T, which competes with Spectrum in several markets.
NAD said the Spectrum advertising was supported because consumers pay the same price for mobile service whether or not they receive the free internet offer. But the advertising watchdog said the “free” term in the claim should be further explained by clearly and conspicuously disclosing — either in the main claim or through a prominent disclosure in close proximity to the offer — that eligibility for the “Free Internet Forever” offer requires four qualifying Spectrum Mobile lines.
In a prepared statement, Spectrum said it would abide by the ruling about its advertising.
In another recent NAD case, Spectrum agreed to modify the “fiber-powered” claims in website and video advertising. That challenge was brought via a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge, an expedited process for single-issue advertising cases. At issue was whether the term “fiber-powered” used in Spectrum’s advertising properly conveyed the message that it was providing fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure.
At the time, the NAD press release said that the video and webpage ads have a written disclosure saying that “Spectrum Internet is powered by fiber and delivered to the home via HFC.” HFC, an abbreviation for “hybrid fiber-coax,” is not FTTH.
The voluntary and permanent modification meant that NAD did not address the merits of the change. For compliance purposes, that matter was treated as if NAD had recommended the modification to Spectrum’s advertising.
