The dealer ran an advertisement with the words: ‘Outstanding. It's back. Right now at Evans Halshaw… you get any car from their outstanding range with just a £99 deposit then a full 5 years interest free credit.”

A listener complained that the advertisement misled because the offer was restricted to only a selection of used cars.

The ASA agreed and told the dealer group not to repeat it. In its defence, Evans Halshaw said the term ‘outstanding range' referred to a separate selection of used cars that differed at each of its participating dealerships, and that point of sale material which flagged this up had been produced. However, the ASA decided the word ‘outstanding' was ambiguous, and that without a disclaimer the advertisement could mislead. The Radio Advertising Clearance Centre, which initially approved the advertisement, acknowledged that the name of the range could potentially mislead. But it said it believed that the advertisement's use of the word ‘outstanding' made it clear that the special finance was available on a specific range of vehicles.