{"id":4204,"date":"2025-08-27T16:09:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T04:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bdsaccountants.co.nz\/?p=4204"},"modified":"2025-08-27T16:19:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T04:19:47","slug":"are-your-ads-playing-by-the-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bdsaccountants.co.nz\/insights\/are-your-ads-playing-by-the-rules","title":{"rendered":"Are your ads playing by the rules?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ParagraphD\"><span lang=\"EN\">You\u2019re not trying to deceive anyone; you just want to stand out in a crowded market. But under the Fair Trading Act, even well-meaning marketing can land you in hot water with the Commerce Commission if it\u2019s misleading. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Overpromising<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If it sounds too good to be true, the Commerce Commission takes notice. Be careful with bold claims, and only promise instant results if you can prove it.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Hidden catches<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It\u2019s great to highlight the best parts of a sale, just don\u2019t let important terms and conditions get lost in the fine print. Customers appreciate clarity.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><strong> The urgency trick<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing wrong with a \u2018Today Only\u2019 deal\u2026so long as it doesn\u2019t run all week! In 2022, false urgency tactics earned online retailer 1Day an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stuff.co.nz\/money\/350397021\/biggest-fines-companies-have-received-breaching-fair-trading-act\"><u>$840,000 fine<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> Misleading language <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/comcom.govt.nz\/news-and-media\/news-and-events\/2023\/commerce-commission-action-delivers-$3.675-million-sting-to-one-nz-for-kiwi-consumers\"><u>One NZ<\/u><\/a> copped a hefty $3.675 million fine for a number of charges including advertising \u2018FibreX\u2019 as fibre broadband when it was copper. That false promise crossed the line, but even vague language can be a red flag. Always stick to clear, accurate wording.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong> Price hikes and fake sales<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Make sure your sale prices reflect a genuine deal\u2026 because bumping up prices before a sale to make a discount look bigger isn\u2019t a real saving!<\/p>\n<p><strong>The takeaway?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Being clear, honest, and upfront is the best way to earn trust and keep both your customers and the Commerce Commission happy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does the new Investment Boost tax break affect you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From 22 May 2025, businesses can take advantage of the new Investment Boost tax deduction.<br \/>\nThis allows you to claim 20% of the cost of eligible new assets upfront and depreciate the<br \/>\nremaining 80% as usual. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ird.govt.nz\/income-tax\/income-tax-for-businesses-and-organisations\/types-of-business-expenses\/new-assets---investment-boost#:~:text=Investment%20Boost%20is%20a%20new,usual%20on%20the%20remaining%2080%25.\"><u>Inland Revenue\u2019s website<\/u><\/a> for more details and examples.<\/p>\n<p>Not sure how this applies to your business? Get in touch \u2014 we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re not trying to deceive anyone; you just want to stand out in a crowded market. But under the Fair Trading Act, even well-meaning marketing can land you in hot water with the Commerce Commission if it\u2019s misleading. Overpromising If it sounds too good to be true, the Commerce Commission takes notice. Be careful with &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[489,490,493],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v14.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are your ads playing by the rules? - BDS Chartered Accountants<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bdsaccountants.co.nz\/insights\/are-your-ads-playing-by-the-rules\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are your ads playing by the rules? - BDS Chartered Accountants\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You\u2019re not trying to deceive anyone; you just want to stand out in a crowded market. 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