The OTA was challenged over an ad which stated 92% of its customers said they saved money booking their holiday with On the Beach.
Text at the foot of the poster said the claim was based on a survey of 37,439 customers between July 14 2016 and August 30 2017.
However, the chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Statistics challenged the claim after spotting the ad on January 18 this year.
On the Beach said the survey was carried out through questionnaires send to more than 300,000 customers, asking them what type of holiday they booked, how much money they saved, and their age.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) though upheld the complaint on Wednesday (July 18), and ordered the OTA to ensure the ad did not appear again in its current form.
“We told On the Beach to ensure in the future, they held adequate evidence to substantiate saving claims,” said the ASA in its ruling.
The crux of the dispute was over whether consumers would interpret the headline claim to mean 92% of all On The Beach customers surveyed saved money on a specific holiday compared to purchasing it from another provider and would therefore also likely make a saving.
The watchdog said it also considered the headline claim would be understood in the context of the small print and that consumers would consider the claim “92% of our customers” meant 92% of the 37,439 respondents.
