'Escape the price rise rip-off' — the ASA banned Grain's email about a rival's takeover

Grain Connect emailed its opted-in customers on 6 March 2026 under the headline 'IMPORTANT NEWS: Virgin Media are taking over YouFibre & BRSK'. It urged readers to help friends 'escape the price rise rip-off': 'If your friends or neighbours chose them to avoid big-brand pricing and in-contract price rises… then this will feel like they're being dragged back to square one'. The hook was a referral deal: 'Share your code. Save your friend. Enjoy your free month'.

Grain argued the wording was contextual comparison with big-brand practice: Virgin Media O2 historically applies in-contract price rises under its published terms, so once YouFibre was acquired it might no longer be able to prevent them. The email, Grain said, reflected its opinion on the likely consequences of a publicly announced change of ownership, not a claim about YouFibre's actual pricing.

On 8 July 2026 the ASA upheld YouFibre's complaint. Because the competitor was named, consumers read the claims as an objective comparison: YouFibre customers would face VMO2-style in-contract rises after the takeover. Grain produced no evidence that YouFibre would cease trading as a brand, that customers would be moved to new contracts, or that any rise would follow. The email breached CAP Code rules on misleading advertising, substantiation and comparisons with identifiable competitors.