Decision Outcomes

Decision outcomes have the following meanings:

No further action: This means the Chair of the Complaints Board has reviewed the complaint and has ruled a Code has not been breached, and no further action is required. This outcome may occur when a complaint is about an extreme interpretation, is trivial or vexatious, or if there is a precedent decision that relates to the same or similar advertising.

Upheld: This means the Complaints Board agreed with the issues raised by the complainant and the advertiser is asked to amend or remove the advertisement. The media platforms where the ad appears will also be requested to remove the advertisement.

Settled: When an advertiser either withdraws an advertisement or makes immediate changes (that the Chair considers satisfactory) to address the issues raised by the complainant, the complaint can be settled by the Chair.

Not upheld: This means the Complaints Board found the advertisement did not breach the Advertising Codes in relation to the complainant’s concerns.

No jurisdiction: Sometimes a complaint is outside the jurisdiction of the ASA. The ASA deals with complaints about advertisements that target NZ audiences. Highly technical complaints, matters of law or complaints about advertisements from outside of NZ, which are not targeting NZ consumers, are among advertising that is outside the ASA’s jurisdiction.