ASCI urges consumers to take action against misleading ads

On the occasion of the World Consumer Rights Day, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has urged consumers to not just be vigilant, but also take action against misleading advertisements by informing ASCI through a simple WhatsApp message on +91 77100 12345.  Additionally, consumers can also reach out to ASCI through its website, ascionline.org, or via email to contact@ascionline.org 

D Shivakumar, Chairman, ASCI, commented, “Consumer is the King or Queen and has a voice today, thanks to the digital medium. We are encouraging consumers to reach out to us using our WhatsApp number. It’s as simple as that.” 

World Consumer Rights Day originated in 1983 and is an occasion to remind the world about the importance of observing and enforcing consumer rights. It is celebrated with a purpose to unite the consumers and reiterate that corporations must keep in mind their responsibilities. Advertising is an indispensable mode of communication and has always been an important medium to persuade consumers and create a perception about a certain product or service. 

Established in 1985, ASCI is a self-regulatory organisation that is working towards protecting the interests of consumers by ensuring that the advertisements conform to the Code of Self-Regulation of advertising content. While ASCI does not accept anonymous complaints, it maintains utmost confidentiality with respect to complainant’s identity. Each complainant gets acknowledgement and unique tracking ID number for their complaint. Key milestones of complaint processing are informed via automated SMSs. ASCI receives over 300 complaints a month from end consumers.