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ScotRail has been instructed to remove claims from its website suggesting it offers the “cheapest tickets,” following a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that these statements were misleading. In August, the railway company’s journey planner promoted the service as “unbeatable on price” and urged customers to “book direct for the best price.” However, the ASA upheld a complaint stating that ScotRail lacked sufficient evidence to substantiate these pricing claims.
The complaint brought to the ASA concerned an advertisement on the ScotRail journey planner page, which included phrases like “get cheapest tickets” and encouraged customers to “book direct for our best price.” On another section called “find the right ticket,” users could click on a “buy tickets” tab that revealed a drop-down journey planner labeled with the words “unbeatable on price.” These promotional messages suggested to consumers that they would consistently find the lowest fares by booking directly through ScotRail’s website.
ScotRail defended the statement “book direct for our best price” by explaining that customers purchasing tickets directly from the company always paid the lowest standard fare offered by ScotRail. A spokesperson clarified that rail fares are regulated within the industry, based on a centrally-managed fares database accessible to all authorized retailers. Because ScotRail does not charge extra booking fees, unlike some third-party sellers, they argued that customers who book directly would receive the best price available from ScotRail itself.
Despite this, the ASA concluded that the advertisement gave the impression customers would find the cheapest ticket for their journeys on the ScotRail site. It stated claims such as “get cheapest tickets,” “book direct for our best price,” and “unbeatable on price” could discourage consumers from looking elsewhere for cheaper options, and that ScotRail provided no evidence guaranteeing these prices would always beat competitors’. The ASA ordered the company not to repeat the advertising claims and warned against misleading consumers with such pricing promises. This ruling was part of broader action on rail industry advertisements concerning claims of the “lowest” or “cheapest” prices, with similar decisions issued against Abellio Greater Anglia and mytrainticket.co.uk.
In response, ScotRail’s commercial director Claire Dickie expressed regret that the website’s messaging did not completely meet ASA requirements and emphasized the company’s commitment to offering clear and accurate information. She also noted that ScotRail adheres to advertising standards and will review its procedures to uphold compliance at the highest level
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