ASA upholds complaints over Viagra fax marketer

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has condemned a website apparently selling prescription drugs such as Viagra direct to UK consumers, for breaking rules on fax marketing.

The ASA investigated complaints about unsolicited faxes from Planet Pharmaceuticals, which runs the www.medbargain.co.uk site. The faxes appeared to be private communications that had been mis-sent, in which a woman discussed her sexual adventures.

It agreed that the faxes were offensive and that Medbargain appeared to be marketing prescription-only medicines to small business employees in their capacities as private individuals. Some recipients were also members of the Fax Preference Service, and thought they should not have been contacted at all.

â¢The ASA has cleared an ad for budget airline Ryanair showing a drawing of a beer glass and the slogan “Enlarge your beer belly”. It received a number of complaints that it encouraged excess drinking, but the ASA ruled that it was clear the ad was promoting flights, not beer.