Eurotunnel ad banned over weather claim

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a Eurotunnel email promotion claiming its service took vehicles to France by train in just 35 minutes and ran "whatever the weather". One irate traveller, who was stranded for several hours at a Eurotunnel check-in during heavy snowfalls in December, complained to the advertising watchdog that the ad should be banned. Eurotunnel told the ASA a "reasonable" consumer would not take an "absolute view" of "whatever the weather", and the "fluffy snow" blamed for causing trains to stall and block the tunnel should be seen as comparable to a "hurricane or tsunami … as it was so unusual", and the delay would not recur. The ASA banned the ad saying, that the inclement Christmas weather was "not in the same bracket" as exceptional conditions such as a hurricane or tsunami. Because the situation could occur again, and Eurotunnel is dependent on other companies and infrastructure working, the ASA said the ad was misleading and banned it. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".