THE ADVERTISING ON DIPLOMAS GRANTING THE MASSEUR QUALIFICATION RECOGNISED MISLEADING

Having in its meeting examined and assessed the findings of the completed investigation the Competition Council recognised the information published in the website of the PE Gyvybės taurė on the masseur training course to be the misleading advertising. The ad claimed that graduates of the course were awarded the diplomas complying with the international requirements and providing to the holders thereof certain qualification of a masseur. PE Gyvybės taurė was obligated to terminate the use of the misleading advertising, if such actions were still continued. A fine in the amount of LTL 12,000 was imposed upon the company for the use of misleading advertising.

The investigation conducted by the Competition Council established that the public enterprise Gyvybės taurė in its internet website had been advertising the services provided by Mishakov’s massage school including the training course for the high-end massage masters. Among other statements the ad indicated that the graduates of the course shall be awarded the “diplomas with the qualification certificates in the Lithuanian and English languages. The diplomas comply with the international requirements“.

In the opinion of the Competition Council the statements in the ad were misleading the consumers and affected their economic behaviour inducing them to opt for exactly the services provided by the Mishakov’s school for the purpose of the acquisition of the qualification. The Mishakov’s massage school is not registered in the State Register of studies and education programmes and has not been issued any training licence, therefore the activity of the school can be attributed to the informal education of adults. However, according to the currently effective procedure, an institution engaged in the informal education of adults, and the Mishakov’s training school is exactly the case, is only authorised to issue the certificates on the attendance and the graduation of the adults’ education program, but not the diplomas on the acquisition of the relevant qualification as claimed in the advertisement.