Make a complaint

The ASAI Code has a very broad remit but there are types of material that it does not deal with. Section 2 of the Code sets out what’s in remit and what’s not; you can check it out here if your complaint is in our remit.

There are some common areas that are not in remit that we get complaints about, so we’ll ask you some questions to see if the material you wish to complain about is something we can deal with before we ask you for your details and the detail of your complaint.

We do not accept anonymous complaints so we will need your name and address. In most cases, we do not need to identify you if you are complaining as a consumer but if we do, we will always ask your permission first.

If your complaint is on behalf of a competitive organisation, we will not accept your complaint unless you agree to the identity of your organisation being disclosed to the advertiser and if the matter proceeds to adjudication, being disclosed in the Case Report, which is published on our website and to media.

If you are complaining as an ‘interested party’ we may require your identity to be disclosed. An ‘interested party’ includes lobby groups and organisations with a direct interest in the subject matter of your complaint. It may also include individuals because of either their profession or that they have made a significant number of complaints about the same issue.

The following applies only if your complaint is about food and specifically in the designated category of are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products: ASAI has introduced new rules that apply restrictions to advertisements for food and non-alcoholic beverages that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). These rules will be implemented from 1st December 2021. However, for the first six months, we will monitor any potential breach notifications we receive from consumers and add this information to our intelligence gathering data. These notifications will be robustly assessed and, where necessary, we will engage with the medium and / or the brand concerned to ensure that any potential non-compliance is addressed and corrected.

Once this initial six-month monitoring period is complete, notifications of potential non-compliance will be brought through the standard complaint process, up to and including, where appropriate, adjudication by the Complaints Committee.
Are you*
- complaining as a consumer?
- complaining as a competitor?
- complaining as an ‘interested party'?
The ASAI is not an arbitration service for disputes between commercially interested parties. These disputes are best resolved by direct discussions between the parties or through their appropriate trade associations.

An intra-industry complaint may be investigated by ASAI where the interests of consumers are involved and, subject to the other provisions of the Code, a decision by the ASAI whether or not to investigate a complaint in such circumstances is a matter entirely within its discretion. In cases where the ASAI does exercise its discretion to decide to investigate, complainants may be required to substantiate their complaints. The identity of the complainant is revealed to the advertiser or promoter and both parties are named in the published Case Report. The Authority has the option of issuing a statement rather than a formal decision where this is appropriate.

Where in the course of an investigation of an intra-industry complaint the ASAI decides that it is necessary for it to obtain independent expert opinion, the complainant shall be liable for the cost/fees involved and will be required to discharge same before the investigation can continue. For the avoidance of doubt, if the complainant does not pay such costs/fees, the investigation will be terminated and the parties informed.
Please tick if you wish to proceed to confirm*
1) that you have granted permission for your company or organisation to be named as the complainants.
2) that the matter is not being pursued through any other channel .
3) that you understand that if ASAI decides it is necessary to obtain independent expert opinion, we will require you at that point in the process to discharge associated costs/fees if the investigation is to continue.
- Yes
Please note that we may consider that your identity be disclosed but we will write to you to seek your permission before doing so.

Have you seen/heard the actual advertisement / marketing communication you are complaining about in the medium where it was placed by the advertiser?*
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The role of the ASAI is to consider compliance of advertisements and marketing communications with the Code in media which is in our remit. Complaints must be about seeing/hearing the advertising where the advertisers have placed it, not being alerted to it by news or other sources.

Is your complaint about editorial content, such as a press article or a news item on a broadcast programme?*
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit relates to commercial advertising.

The Code does not apply to the content of books and editorial material in media. (Code Section 2.3(i))

Other Resources:
You may wish to write directly to the editor.

For print publications, you may wish to contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman - www.presscouncil.ie.

For broadcast programmes, you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.

Is your complaint about charity, advocacy or political advertising?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a commercial element, such as a request for a donation?
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit relates to commercial advertising.

The Code does not apply to marketing communications whose principal purpose is to express the advertiser’s position on a political, religious, industrial relations, social or aesthetic matter or on an issue of public interest or concern. ( Code Section 2.3(f)).

Is your complaint about: Packaging?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a promotional element, such as Buy One Get One Free, 10% off, or a competition?
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit doesn’t cover labelling or packaging, except for promotional elements, for example, if there is a competition or a promotional offer referred to. Where packaging is depicted in a marketing communication, that depiction is part of the marketing communication and in remit.

Is your complaint about point of sale material, for example, a poster that is inside a shop?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a sales promotion on the material (e.g. 10% off, 2 for 1) or is it part of a wider advertising campaign
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code doesn’t apply to point-of-sale displays, except those covered by the promotional marketing rules (Section 5) or when part of a wider advertising campaign (Section 2.3e).

Who is the advertiser?*
What product or service is being advertised?*
Media in which the advertisement appeared*
Please select at least one
- Brochure
- Cinema
- Direct Mail
- Directory
- Internet
- Leaflet
- Magazine
- Poster
- Press - National
- Press - Regional
- Radio
- Television
- Other
Brochure*
Please describe the Brochure and tell us what page your complaint relates to.
Cinema*
Please tell us what film you were viewing and where you were watching the film.

We can deal with the advertisements that appear before the film but the Code does not cover the content of films or of the trailers that appear before the main feature.

If your complaint is about the classification of a film, you can contact the Irish Film Classification Office – www.ifco.ie.
Direct Mail*
Please tell us if the direct mail was addressed or unaddressed. You can upload a scan of the material later in this process or post it to us. We can investigate complaints about the content of direct mail and if you believe it has been inappropriately targeted. We do not however assess complaints about the receipt of unwanted emails.
Internet*
Please provide a URL of the website here. Please also provide a screenshot of the website you are concerned about - You can attach screenshots later in the form.

Digital advertising can change frequently or may be deleted. If you are unable to provide us with a screenshot of the online ad you are complaining about, we may not be able to consider your complaint.
Leaflet*
Please describe the leaflet
Magazine*
Please tell us the name of the magazine and the page number the advertising appeared on.
Poster*
Please describe the advertisement and tell us where you saw it
Press - National*
Please tell us the name of the paper and the page number the advertising appeared on
Press - Regional*
Please tell us the name of the paper and the page number the advertising appeared on
Radio*
Please tell us the ratio station where you heard the advertisement. It would also help if you could tell us what programme you were listening to.

We can investigate complaints about the content of radio advertising, including if the content is appropriate for the audience it is addressed to.

We cannot investigate complaints about the use of sirens or alarms or their noise levels in radio advertising. If this is your complaint you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.
Television*
Please tell us the television station where you saw the advertisement. It would also help if you could tell us what programme you were watching.

We can investigate complaints about the content of television advertising, including if the content is appropriate for the audience it is addressed to.

We cannot investigate complaints about programme content, or material that is promoting a television programme on the same channel. If this is your complaint you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.
Other*
Information about the advertisement:
WHEN did you see/hear the advertisement?*
(Please be as specific as possible, giving the date of the publication, date you went past the poster site, etc. If a sales promotion any additional features.)
The advertisement description is:
It helps if you describe the advertisement as advertisers can have more than one advertisement running at the same time.
My complaint is that the advertisement breaches the
- Misleading rules
- Offence rules
- Other
The reason I consider the advertisement breaches the Code is because:*
Please explain the basis of your complaint: For example, if you consider an advertisement to be misleading or offensive, please state why. While it may be clear to you why a marketing communication is misleading or offensive, for the complaints process we do need you to explain why you believe it to be so.

Hidden
Supporting files
If you have a digital copy of the advertisement or material associated with the sales promotion you can attach a picture or a document. If, however, you have the promotional material in hard copy, you can post of it to us.
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Supporting files
If you have a digital copy of the advertisement or material associated with the sales promotion you can attach a picture or a document. If, however, you have the promotional material in hard copy, you can post of it to us.
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Additional Second File
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Additional Third File
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.

Name*
Prefix First Last
Preferred Prefix
Organisation*
Address*
We require your full address as we acknowledge all complaints in writing. This way we can confirm the validity of the address.

Street Address Address Line 2 City County / State / Region Post Code Country
Telephone
Email

If you wish to provide us with an email address, we will generally correspond with you by email. If the issue you have raised is within the remit of the ASAI, we will send an acknowledgement by post.
CAPTCHA
Please click the checkbox beside I'm not a robot below

The ASAI Code has a very broad remit but there are types of material that it does not deal with. Section 2 of the Code sets out what’s in remit and what’s not; you can check it out here if your complaint is in our remit.

There are some common areas that are not in remit that we get complaints about, so we’ll ask you some questions to see if the material you wish to complain about is something we can deal with before we ask you for your details and the detail of your complaint.

We do not accept anonymous complaints so we will need your name and address. In most cases, we do not need to identify you if you are complaining as a consumer but if we do, we will always ask your permission first.

If your complaint is on behalf of a competitive organisation, we will not accept your complaint unless you agree to the identity of your organisation being disclosed to the advertiser and if the matter proceeds to adjudication, being disclosed in the Case Report, which is published on our website and to media.

If you are complaining as an ‘interested party’ we may require your identity to be disclosed. An ‘interested party’ includes lobby groups and organisations with a direct interest in the subject matter of your complaint. It may also include individuals because of either their profession or that they have made a significant number of complaints about the same issue.

The following applies only if your complaint is about food and specifically in the designated category of are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products: ASAI has introduced new rules that apply restrictions to advertisements for food and non-alcoholic beverages that are high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). These rules will be implemented from 1st December 2021. However, for the first six months, we will monitor any potential breach notifications we receive from consumers and add this information to our intelligence gathering data. These notifications will be robustly assessed and, where necessary, we will engage with the medium and / or the brand concerned to ensure that any potential non-compliance is addressed and corrected.

Once this initial six-month monitoring period is complete, notifications of potential non-compliance will be brought through the standard complaint process, up to and including, where appropriate, adjudication by the Complaints Committee.
Are you*
- complaining as a consumer?
- complaining as a competitor?
- complaining as an ‘interested party'?
The ASAI is not an arbitration service for disputes between commercially interested parties. These disputes are best resolved by direct discussions between the parties or through their appropriate trade associations.

An intra-industry complaint may be investigated by ASAI where the interests of consumers are involved and, subject to the other provisions of the Code, a decision by the ASAI whether or not to investigate a complaint in such circumstances is a matter entirely within its discretion. In cases where the ASAI does exercise its discretion to decide to investigate, complainants may be required to substantiate their complaints. The identity of the complainant is revealed to the advertiser or promoter and both parties are named in the published Case Report. The Authority has the option of issuing a statement rather than a formal decision where this is appropriate.

Where in the course of an investigation of an intra-industry complaint the ASAI decides that it is necessary for it to obtain independent expert opinion, the complainant shall be liable for the cost/fees involved and will be required to discharge same before the investigation can continue. For the avoidance of doubt, if the complainant does not pay such costs/fees, the investigation will be terminated and the parties informed.
Please tick if you wish to proceed to confirm*
1) that you have granted permission for your company or organisation to be named as the complainants.
2) that the matter is not being pursued through any other channel .
3) that you understand that if ASAI decides it is necessary to obtain independent expert opinion, we will require you at that point in the process to discharge associated costs/fees if the investigation is to continue.
- Yes
Please note that we may consider that your identity be disclosed but we will write to you to seek your permission before doing so.

Have you seen/heard the actual advertisement / marketing communication you are complaining about in the medium where it was placed by the advertiser?*
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The role of the ASAI is to consider compliance of advertisements and marketing communications with the Code in media which is in our remit. Complaints must be about seeing/hearing the advertising where the advertisers have placed it, not being alerted to it by news or other sources.

Is your complaint about editorial content, such as a press article or a news item on a broadcast programme?*
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit relates to commercial advertising.

The Code does not apply to the content of books and editorial material in media. (Code Section 2.3(i))

Other Resources:
You may wish to write directly to the editor.

For print publications, you may wish to contact the Office of the Press Ombudsman - www.presscouncil.ie.

For broadcast programmes, you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.

Is your complaint about charity, advocacy or political advertising?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a commercial element, such as a request for a donation?
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit relates to commercial advertising.

The Code does not apply to marketing communications whose principal purpose is to express the advertiser’s position on a political, religious, industrial relations, social or aesthetic matter or on an issue of public interest or concern. ( Code Section 2.3(f)).

Is your complaint about: Packaging?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a promotional element, such as Buy One Get One Free, 10% off, or a competition?
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code’s remit doesn’t cover labelling or packaging, except for promotional elements, for example, if there is a competition or a promotional offer referred to. Where packaging is depicted in a marketing communication, that depiction is part of the marketing communication and in remit.

Is your complaint about point of sale material, for example, a poster that is inside a shop?*
- Yes
- No
Is there a sales promotion on the material (e.g. 10% off, 2 for 1) or is it part of a wider advertising campaign
- Yes
- No
Thank you for your interest in our work. Unfortunately, your complaint does not appear to be one that we can assist you with.

The ASAI Code doesn’t apply to point-of-sale displays, except those covered by the promotional marketing rules (Section 5) or when part of a wider advertising campaign (Section 2.3e).

Who is the advertiser?*
What product or service is being advertised?*
Media in which the advertisement appeared*
Please select at least one
- Brochure
- Cinema
- Direct Mail
- Directory
- Internet
- Leaflet
- Magazine
- Poster
- Press - National
- Press - Regional
- Radio
- Television
- Other
Brochure*
Please describe the Brochure and tell us what page your complaint relates to.
Cinema*
Please tell us what film you were viewing and where you were watching the film.

We can deal with the advertisements that appear before the film but the Code does not cover the content of films or of the trailers that appear before the main feature.

If your complaint is about the classification of a film, you can contact the Irish Film Classification Office – www.ifco.ie.
Direct Mail*
Please tell us if the direct mail was addressed or unaddressed. You can upload a scan of the material later in this process or post it to us. We can investigate complaints about the content of direct mail and if you believe it has been inappropriately targeted. We do not however assess complaints about the receipt of unwanted emails.
Internet*
Please provide a URL of the website here. Please also provide a screenshot of the website you are concerned about - You can attach screenshots later in the form.

Digital advertising can change frequently or may be deleted. If you are unable to provide us with a screenshot of the online ad you are complaining about, we may not be able to consider your complaint.
Leaflet*
Please describe the leaflet
Magazine*
Please tell us the name of the magazine and the page number the advertising appeared on.
Poster*
Please describe the advertisement and tell us where you saw it
Press - National*
Please tell us the name of the paper and the page number the advertising appeared on
Press - Regional*
Please tell us the name of the paper and the page number the advertising appeared on
Radio*
Please tell us the ratio station where you heard the advertisement. It would also help if you could tell us what programme you were listening to.

We can investigate complaints about the content of radio advertising, including if the content is appropriate for the audience it is addressed to.

We cannot investigate complaints about the use of sirens or alarms or their noise levels in radio advertising. If this is your complaint you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.
Television*
Please tell us the television station where you saw the advertisement. It would also help if you could tell us what programme you were watching.

We can investigate complaints about the content of television advertising, including if the content is appropriate for the audience it is addressed to.

We cannot investigate complaints about programme content, or material that is promoting a television programme on the same channel. If this is your complaint you may wish to contact the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland – www.bai.ie.
Other*
Information about the advertisement:
WHEN did you see/hear the advertisement?*
(Please be as specific as possible, giving the date of the publication, date you went past the poster site, etc. If a sales promotion any additional features.)
The advertisement description is:
It helps if you describe the advertisement as advertisers can have more than one advertisement running at the same time.
My complaint is that the advertisement breaches the
- Misleading rules
- Offence rules
- Other
The reason I consider the advertisement breaches the Code is because:*
Please explain the basis of your complaint: For example, if you consider an advertisement to be misleading or offensive, please state why. While it may be clear to you why a marketing communication is misleading or offensive, for the complaints process we do need you to explain why you believe it to be so.

Hidden
Supporting files
If you have a digital copy of the advertisement or material associated with the sales promotion you can attach a picture or a document. If, however, you have the promotional material in hard copy, you can post of it to us.
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Supporting files
If you have a digital copy of the advertisement or material associated with the sales promotion you can attach a picture or a document. If, however, you have the promotional material in hard copy, you can post of it to us.
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Additional Second File
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.
Additional Third File
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 32 MB.

Name*
Prefix First Last
Preferred Prefix
Organisation*
Address*
We require your full address as we acknowledge all complaints in writing. This way we can confirm the validity of the address.

Street Address Address Line 2 City County / State / Region Post Code Country
Telephone
Email

If you wish to provide us with an email address, we will generally correspond with you by email. If the issue you have raised is within the remit of the ASAI, we will send an acknowledgement by post.
CAPTCHA
Please click the checkbox beside I'm not a robot below

Tip

* Denotes a required field

Contact Details:
In order to submit a complaint to ASAI you will be required to provide your full contact details, including your postal address, which allows us to validate contact details. We do
not disclose the identity of an individual consumer complainant, however, should we consider that there is a need to disclose any of your details in order to investigate your complaint, we will always request your permission to do so in advance.

©ASAI 2021 // 7 Herbert Street, Dublin 2, D02 K838 // Ph: (01) 6137040

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