OFT clamps down on ‘misleading’ scratch card scheme operators

The Office of Fair Trading is taking legal action against five operators of scratch card schemes and their directors and company secretaries for operating what it claims are ‘misleading’. The OFT says that the schemes suggest that recipients have been lucky and won a valuable prize, whereas in fact they have to pay through a premium telephone line or expensive postal charges for what the OFT says is a purchase of a low-value product. The regulator says information is omitted or ambiguous regarding the chances of winning, costs of claiming and terms and conditions. The OFT is taking the action under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations – a very wide law that was brought into force in 2008 to prevent many forms of misleading or aggressive selling practices.