ASA bans misleading Xbox 360 video rental service ad
UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has struck an advertisement for Xbox 360's video download service with the ban hammer because it did not disclose the expiration time frame of Video Marketplace content.
The ASA investigated the advert after receiving a complaint that it did not specify Microsoft's actual policy on video rentals, which states that rentals will become unwatchable 24 hours after initial viewing or 14 days after purchase. The ASA concluded that "new users could be influenced to purchase" with the belief that they would own the right to watch the film at any time.
According to Webuser, Microsoft argues the brief television spot did not allow enough time to detail the entire Video Marketplace policy, but the ASA maintains the service has "significant conditions" that must be disclosed to consumers. It's true, gamers, you really don't own anything you put into your Xbox 360 console. Cracking it open will only reveal a stack of digital IOU's.
[Image]
