A lead-gen site sold itself as a laser eye clinic — 'our' was the lie

On 9 May 2024 a paid Facebook ad announced 'LOOKING FOR: People over the age of 65 interested in our REVOLUTIONARY laser eye procedure'. The accompanying video said 'We're looking for people in the UK who are interested in this revolutionary laser eye surgery procedure. Almost all patients have achieved 20/20 vision with this brilliant procedure and it's all over in a matter of minutes. Tap below to see if you're eligible.' The landing page at web.lasik-eyes.co.uk claimed 'Rapid Advances in Corrective Eye Surgery Have Made It More Effective Than Ever Before'.

Marketing VF Ltd t/a The Eco Experts confirmed it operated a lead generation service, not a direct provider, and said the ad made this clear through language such as 'our partners' and 'finds Britain's leading optical surgeons in your local area', and that a disclaimer sat on the landing page. It defended the claims with a 2016 study showing most patients achieved 20/20 or better, NHS advice putting the procedure at 20–30 minutes, and an eye hospital article describing the procedure as generally painless.

On 18 December 2024 the ASA upheld both issues. Consumers would interpret 'our' and 'we're' as Lasik Eyes having developed its own proprietary procedure. The clarifying statements appeared further down the page and were not prominent or clear enough. The claims also overstated the procedure: LASIK is a commonly performed, well-established operation, recovery was not immediate (patients cannot drive on surgery day), and NHS guidance describes pressure, mild discomfort and side effects. The ads breached CAP rules 2.3, 3.1, 3.7 and 3.11 and must not appear again.