31/03/2017.

Private businesses and individuals distributing charity collection bags house to house are targeted by new guidance warning them they must be up-front and clear with consumers about the nature of the service they provide.

‘Charitable door-to-door collection bags: CAP Compliance team guidance for commercial participants’ has been written by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) following a review of potentially misleading advertising by private door to door collection companies.

It also follows the 2016 ruling by CAP’s sister organisation, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), that a company’s charity collection bag did not make the commercial nature of its business sufficiently clear.

The guidance is aimed at legitimate companies. Bogus companies that masquerade as charities are engaged in criminal activity and best tackled by law enforcement bodies.

Problems with charitable collection bags issued by commercial companies have included

• giving customers the misleading impression they are donating directly to a charity

• not providing their company name or commercial status on the front of collection bags

• giving undue prominence to a charity’s name and registration number on the collection bags

• not giving their own company name equal prominence to the charity’s name

The new guidance includes examples of the type of wording and presentation on collection bags that is in keeping with the rules. Businesses that are unable or unwilling to follow the guidance have been warned they face being referred to Trading Standards for potential statutory sanctions.