“TEZ TOUR” REPEATEDLY VIOLATES THE LAW ON ADVERTISING

In its regular meeting the Competition Council assessed the findings on the investigation of the compliance of advertising by the travel agency UAB Tez Tour published in the catalogue Travelman 2006-2007 Egiptas, Gran Kanarija with the requirements of the Law on Advertising. The Competition Council resolved to acknowledge as misleading several advertising statements published, namely “Hotel Regina Style four stars”, “Special menu for children”. UAB Tez Tour was obligated to immediately cease the use of the incorrect statements; furthermore, the company was sanctioned to a fine in the amount of LTL 20,000 for the use of the misleading advertising.

The examination of the advertising statements contained in the catalogue showed that UAB Tez Tour had been providing misleading information to its potential clients when specifying the hotel category and special menu for children. The ads presented the accommodation conditions in Regina Style Hotel in the Egyptian town Hurgada which could have had an impact upon the economic behaviour of the customers, specifically holiday-makers destined for vocations with the children when selecting the tour operator and the hotel. However, it was only after the payment for the trip and arrival to the place of destination that the consumers understood to have been mislead, as they could legitimately expect to be offered the accommodation and the service terms compatible with the four-star category hotel.

The Competition Council had initiated the investigation in response to the consumers complaint referred to the Competition Council by the Ombudsman of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.

While concluding on the infringement of the Law on Advertising, and imposing the sanctions the Competition Council duly considered that the misleading advertising in the catalogue Travelman 2006-2007 Egiptas, Grand Kanarija, with the circulation of 10,000 copies was published for a considerably extensive period of time. Furthermore, UAB Tez Tour has been repeatedly recorded as infringing the requirements of the Law on Advertising – in May 2007 the Competition Council had sanctioned the company at LTL 10,000 for the publication of the misleading advertising statements.