The ASA have upheld complaints against two deal of the day coupon emails from Groupon, one of which Groupon have said appeared in error after a technical problem.

The email stated "Today's Extra Deal £25 instead of £60 - Round Trip Business Class Flights from London Heathrow to Berlin Tegel with bmi”. The complaint that the deal was misleading was upheld by the ASA because at the time the e-mail was distributed the actual cost of flights was £174.20 and not the advertised £25.

Groupon said the claim had appeared in error caused by a software technical problem, the result of their efforts to ensure that advertising on their website was not misleading.

Groupon explained that the flight deal worked differently from their usual offers and consequently, when their database automatically generated details, the discount displayed on the website was incorrect. They said they inputted a new figure in to the database in an attempt to rectify the problem, but in doing so, the £25 and £60 figures were automatically generated in the e-mail.

The ASA also upheld a complaint on a deal that stated “£98 for £1650 towards Invisalign Teeth-Bracing Technology and Whitening at Q Clinic”. The complainant believed this was misleading because having clicked through to the offer, she found there was a significant amount to pay in addition to the £98.

Although the deal highlights stated "£1650 discount on the full price (usually £3,500)" and text under the heading "Fine Print" stated "Holder must pay remaining balance".

The e-mails must not appear again in their current form and the ASA told Groupon to ensure the nature of their offers are clearly made in future e-mails and that the advertised price is correct.