1. Introduction
Yell’s Advertising Policy (the “Policy”) is based on the UK Code of non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing Practice (“CAP Code”) which regulates online and non-broadcast advertising which is operated and enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The Policy is derived from the following three principles:
1. LEGAL – No Advertisement should contain anything that is in breach of the law nor omit anything that the law requires.
2. DECENT – No Advertisement should contain content that is: likely to cause grave or widespread offence or embarrassment; not suitable for publication or display; or likely to subject Yell to criticism or embarrassment.
3. HONEST & TRUTHFUL – No Advertisement should, whether by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission, or neglect, mislead users about any matters likely to influence their attitude to the advertised product or service.
By following these principles, we aim to:
- create fair and transparent rules that can be followed by businesses;
- protect the interests and reasonable expectations of the users of our products;
- demonstrate our support for the codes and guidelines set out in the CAP Code; and
- meet the obligations imposed both on ourselves (as publisher) and upon business owners under local laws and regulations.
Certain industries and trade associations have their own self-regulatory codes for advertising and marketing. Businesses who are members of these associations should refer to these codes.
Businesses agree in placing orders for advertising with Yell that the content of their advertising will comply with all relevant laws, statutes, and regulations in place, including the CAP Code, and which apply to the products and/or services that they wish to advertise (in the location that they wish to advertise them, where applicable). Useful information concerning the CAP Code can be found here. If a business is unsure about any aspect of its advertisement, free confidential pre-publication advice is available from The Committee of Advertising Practice Copy Advice team (“CAP Copy Advice”). The CAP Copy advice team can be contacted via their Bespoke Copy Advice Service.
For the avoidance of doubt, compliance with the requirements of any part of the Policy does not absolve the business of responsibility for ensuring compliance with any applicable law or regulation covering the same subject matter. In the event of any direct conflict between the provisions of the Policy and any applicable law or regulation, the provisions of the applicable law or regulation shall prevail solely to the extent necessary to resolve any conflict.
This is Yell's Policy. Depending on the Product or Service you purchase you may also be subject to other third party's Advertising Policies.
2. Legal
Any title protected by legislation imposes an obligation upon the individual using this title in advertising to ensure that they are appropriately qualified and authorised by the relevant regulatory body. In the interests of our users, we will only accept advertising in the professions listed below from businesses holding the appropriate qualifications. Yell reserves the right to vary the list from time to time.
NB. Criminal and civil remedies can be brought by a regulatory body against any individual who does not comply with the above.
The following professions are protected by legislation (note, this list is not exhaustive):
| ACCOUNTANTS | ARCHITECTS | BARRISTERS | CHIROPODISTS & PODIATRISTS | CHIROPRACTORS |
| COUNSELLING & ADVICE | DENTAL TECHNICIANS | DENTISTS | DOCTORS (MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS) | INSOLVENCY PRACTITIONERS |
| NOTARIES | OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH | OPTHALMIC OPTICIANS | ORTHODONTISTS | OSTEOPATHS |
| PATENT ATTORNEYS | PHARMACIES | PHYSIOTHERAPISTS | PSYCHOLOGISTS | SOLICITORS |
| TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS | VETS | GAS ENGINEERS |
Example: Only qualified solicitors who hold a current practicing certificate issued by the Law Society are permitted to either advertise under the Solicitors classification or otherwise state or infer that they are Solicitors.
Exception: Telephone referral agencies that represent a firm of solicitors may also appear under the ‘Solicitors’ heading, PROVIDED they:
- confirm that they do not deal with any aspect of the work before passing the call through to a qualified solicitor; and,
- insert a statement in the advertisement advising that they are not qualified solicitors, but calls will be passed on to one of a panel of independent qualified solicitors, e.g. “We are not solicitors/do not undertake legal work. We will take your initial enquiry and pass your details on to a personal injury solicitor on our panel.”
Businesses who carry out regulated activities must comply with the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) and the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005. Regulated activity under FSMA is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This includes products such as:
- Loans (for example, personal loans, car finance, HP)
- Investments (for example, stocks and shares)
- Savings and bank accounts
- Insurance (for example, motor, home, travel) providers, brokers, and advisors
- Pensions
- Mortgage providers, brokers, and advisors
Consumer credit firms must also be authorised by the FCA to carry out consumer credit activities. As an overarching requirement, all financial promotions must be clear, fair, and not misleading. The FCA also has specific rules and guidance, tailored to each product type being promoted.
Where advertisements fall under these regimes businesses will be required to complete and sign a Credit and Financial Services Advertising Declaration (“CFSA”) in accordance with Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions.
Advertisements must adhere to policies that are set out by regulators with regards to Advertisement Content, including (but not limited to):
- Advertisement Content that includes a specific interest rate must also include text indicating that this is the typical APR. If the typical APR interest rate is included in the ad copy, the interest rate must be immediately followed by the text “(typical APR).”
- any invitation or inducement to engage in investment or to engage in claims management activity must be made by an approved or authorised person or it is exempt. It must also make clear that the value of investments is variable and can go down as well as up.
Yell does not accept Advertising for the following products and services:
- Financial products or services designed to facilitate illegal purposes, e.g., to avoid applicable taxes, or money laundering.
- Binary Options or other similar financial products e.g., Advertisements for digital options, binary options, all or nothing options, fixed return options, educational sites or blogs on binary options, site only offers binary options including signals and software.
- Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, or other legally questionable business opportunities, particularly if returns on investment rely solely on adding participants to the scheme or the consumer must pay a subscription fee or buy a specific product to join, and the value proposition of doing so is undefined.
Cryptocurrencies and cryptocurrency related products are allowed to be advertised in limited circumstances. The following is allowed:
- Business not related to the purchase, holding, or exchange of cryptocurrencies. Examples include businesses accepting payment in cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency mining hardware, tax and legal services, security services, platforms that rely on blockchain for operations and do not market or sell cryptocurrencies or tokens, or educational materials.
The following cryptocurrency products and services may only be advertised if the business, the products, and Advertisements comply with UK law and industry standards, and the business has completed a CFSA Declaration.
- Hardware wallets designed to hold the private keys for cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or other crypto based assets. Examples include devices that allow people to safely hold the private keys for cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or other crypto based assets but do not offer additional services such as purchasing, selling, exchanging, or trading assets.
If you believe you meet the requirements to advertise cryptocurrency products and service, you must compete a CFSA Declaration Form. If you are not registered with the Financial Conduct Authority your Advertising will not be accepted.
Cannabidiol (or CBD) is one of the naturally occurring cannabinoids found in the leaves, flowers and stem of hemp and cannabis plants. When extracted and refined, CBD can be suspended in liquid tinctures, blended into creams and lotions, or prepared as solids or liquids intended to be ingested by smoking or vaping.
It is the business's responsibility to establish which regulatory regime applies to their CBD product and to ensure the products they are selling are compliant with applicable law. There are many things to consider in order to establish if and how they can market the product. For example, is it a controlled substance; is it a medicine; or is it a food/ food supplement.
Business's must ensure their CBD product:
- has been derived from an industrial hemp strain that is EU-approved;
- contains no more than 0.2% of THC (which refers to the cultivation of hemp (for which a licence is required) or lower;
- be correctly authorised/ licenced (see further details here);
- is safe; and
- does not contain substances that fall under drugs legislation.
Medicine
You must not sell, supply, or advertise, a medicinal product that does not have authorisation granted in accordance with EU law by the European Commission or the relevant licensing authority.
Businesses should not make any claims that the CBD product can treat, prevent, cure, restore, avoid, fight, or heal a disease or an adverse condition, for example, cancer/ joint pains, or give/ make medical recommendations unless the product has been classified as a medicine and you may be required to provide proof of a medical license before it can be advertised. For further information, see here.
Food/ Food Supplements
Where the CBD product is classified as a food/ food supplement (which includes, for example, oils, drops, gels, sweets, bread and drinks), businesses can only make general claims in relation to CBD being “healthy”, “good for you” or “great start to the day!” (or similar) where it is accompanied by a relevant, specific authorised heath claim. See here for the guidance on nutrition and health claims on foods. The specific health claim must appear next to or immediately following the general health claim. Food businesses should apply for authorisation of their CBD extracts and isolates to be placed on the UK market. For further details, see here.
Where it is determined that an Advertisement does not meet the regulatory or legal requirements, Yell reserves the right to amend, terminate or suspend the Advertisement without notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions.
The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 and the Tobacco and Related products Regulations 2016 prohibits press, poster, and most advertising on the internet for tobacco products (anything that contains tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, rolling tobacco and smokeless tobacco products, such as those used in shisha and hookah pipes) and bans tobacco adverts targeted at the public. Business-to-business adverts are permitted. Marketing communications for rolling papers and filters and some point-of-sale advertisements are not covered by the ban. The law does not cover matches, lighters (although lighter fuel is covered) and specialist products, such as cigar cutters.
Businesses should also note that although the legislation prohibits all traditional forms of advertising for tobacco products as well as online marketing communications, it does provide for some narrow exemptions; in particular, for displays of tobacco products and prices on an business's own website where such products are offered for sale.
The following products are unlikely to be prohibited and can be included in Advertising:
- non-nicotine liquids
- non-nicotine disposable e-cigarettes (not able to be refilled)
- non-disposable e-cigarettes designed to only take cartridges with non-nicotine containing fluid
- medicinal products (subject to separate medicines advertising legislation)
- e-cigarette components and accessories such as: batteries, power units, drip tips, wicking material, wire, and cases, where their presentation does not directly or indirectly promote a product that cannot be advertised in media subject to the prohibitions.
The following products are likely to be acceptable on a business's website where only information is presented:
- Tobacco Products and Prices
Information provided in this context must only be factual and not promotional in nature. All retailers of tobacco products are required to display a statutory notice visible at the point of sale.
The CAP Code contains provisions on gambling in section 16. These particularly seek to ensure that gambling Advertisements are socially responsible with particular regard to the need to protect the under-18s and other vulnerable people. Tougher standards were introduced by CAP, focusing on the potential appeal to problem gamblers and on free bets and bonuses. There is also much guidance in CAP’s Advice online relating to different issues relating to betting and gaming with particular emphasis on the protection of children (aged 0-15) and young people (16 and 17).
CAP has specific rules relating to Lotteries (sections 17 and 18). A particular risk for businesses running prize promotions is that their promotional mechanic is regarded as a lottery. Unless licensed by the Gambling Commission, lotteries are illegal.
Advertising and Marketing communications must not:
- portray, condone or encourage gambling behaviour that is socially irresponsible or could lead to financial/ social/emotional harm;
- encourage or condone criminal or anti-social behaviour
- suggest that gambling can provide an escape from personal, professional, or educational problems (e.g., loneliness or depression) or provide an alternative to employment /or a way to achieve financial security
- portray gambling as indispensable or as taking priority in life; for example, over family, friends or professional or educational commitments
- suggest that gambling can enhance self-image or self-esteem, be a way to gain superiority or admiration, or link it to seduction or sexual success
- neither suggest peer pressure to gamble nor disparage abstention
- portray gambling in a context of toughness or recklessness
- be likely to be of particular appeal to children or young persons, and should avoid associating gambling with youth culture
- feature children or young people, nor portray anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 years old as gambling or playing a significant role (some exceptions e.g., horse racecourses), nor depict anyone behaving in an adolescent, juvenile or loutish way
- exploit cultural beliefs or traditions about gambling or luck
Advertisements should make clear where events or facilities can be accessed only by entering gambling premises. You should also note that spread betting remains subject to separate Financial Services Act requirements.
Advertising for gambling taking place in, or regulated from, a country outside EEA and Gibraltar is not permitted. No advertising of unlawful gambling is permitted e.g., gambling which requires a license but does not have one. The Gambling Act 2005 governs this, and guidance is also available at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.
Gas Safe Register is the registration body appointed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to manage the gas safety register in Great Britain. Their purpose is to protect the public from unsafe gas work. They do this by holding the Register, on behalf of HSE, of those who are competent and qualified to work on gas. The Gas Safe Register is the only official Register for gas businesses. Businesses who advertise services as a gas installer/engineer must be registered on the Gas Safe Register.
The provision of claims management services is a regulated activity under the Compensation (Claims Management Services) Regulations 2006 (the “2006 Regulations”). Organisations wishing to advertise under this heading must comply with the Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2014 – the “2014 Rules”), which were established pursuant to regulation 22 of the 2006 Regulations.
Provisions regarding advertising and marketing by authorised claims management businesses are contained in the ‘Client Specific Rules’, which form part of the 2007 Rules. Without limitation, these establish that in advertising or marketing claims management services a business must:
- Clearly identify the name of the business / business owner;
- Not offer any cash payment or a similar benefit as an inducement for making a claim;
- Not promote the idea that it is appropriate that compensation may be used in a way that is not consistent with the cause of the claim; and
- Not imply that the business is approved by the Government or is connected with any government agency or any regulator (If a business wishes to mention in advertising and marketing material that it is authorised it may use only the following words which must be used in their entirety: “Regulated by the Claims Management Regulator in respect of regulated claims management activities”); and
- Use the expression “No Win No Fee” in accordance with CAP guidance on “No Win No Fee” – see further Clause 4.1 below.
Advertisements for claims management services in full compliance with the 2014 Rules (including those extracted provisions listed above) and the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing Practice will be acceptable. The Claims Management Regulator has published a guidance note on the interpretation of the provisions in the 2014 Rules for the purposes of marketing and advertising. The guidance note is available here.
Yell does not accept advertising that promotes products where the primary purpose is violence or to cause harm to an individual. The following weapons or dangerous products are strictly prohibited in Advertising Content including (but not limited to):
- The sale of any type of bombs e.g., nail/chemical bombs, grenades
- Instructional content relating to the enhancement, assembly, acquisition functionality of firearms or bombs.
- functional devices that discharge a projectile at high velocity for self-defence or combat.
- Knives that are designed/ promoted as weapons or whose primary use is violence, including switchblade knives, disguised knives, buckle knives, lipstick case knives, air gauge knives, knuckle knives and writing pen knives.
- Brass, plastic, or metal knuckles
- Pepper spray
- Any products which have been made or adapted to cause injury
Note, this list is not exhaustive.
Weapons in Advertisements for other products
Advertisements should be appropriately targeted and prepared with a sense of responsibility.
Advertisements that are not for weapons but show images of weapons, such as Advertisements for computer games, films, sports, should ensure that they do not promote violence or anti-social behaviour by depicting weapons in a threatening context or in a manner that could be seen to be glamorising violence. Businesses should be aware that images of weapons and implied violence are likely to offend some consumers, especially when used in more untargeted media.
Generally, businesses should avoid showing weapons pointing directly at the reader or guns that look as if they have just been fired.
Yell reserves the right to decline, suspend or cease to publish any Advertisement or part of any Advertisement, or suspend any Service, immediately and without prior notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions.
3. Decent
Yell media is distributed on an unsolicited basis and the contents should be acceptable to people within a wide range of sensibilities. Even though an advertisement may be legal, advertising copy can be offensive to a number of people. Accordingly, to avoid causing widespread upset, offence, or embarrassment, we reserve the right not to permit advertising where we, in our discretion, feel it may cause such offence or embarrassment. Specifically, no Advertisement is permitted: –
- for escort services, massage parlours, intimate massage, mail order brides and other similar services or those that offer ways of obtaining sexual gratification.
- containing images of full-frontal nudity or depictions of people in explicit or suggestive poses, or activities that are overly suggestive or provocative.
- that harasses, intimidates, or bullies an individual or group of individuals.
- that promotes discrimination or disparages an individual or group on the on the grounds of their nationality, religion, race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity, or age.
- that seeks to exploit others or threatens or advocates for physical or mental harm.
- that contains violent language including swear or curse words, variations, and misspellings of profane language, disgusting or graphic imagery or accounts of physical trauma.
4. Honest & Truthful
Businesses must not mislead any consumer by omitting important information. They must mot mislead by hiding important information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.
Using claims such as “clinically” and “scientifically proven” or “with guaranteed results” is not permitted unless the business holds documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. Yell may ask for such evidence and the business shall within seven (7) days of a request from us, provide or arrange the provision of the relevant documentary evidence. In the event, that it cannot be provided, Yell shall have the right to decline, suspend or cease to publish any Advertisement or part of any Advertisement, or suspend any Service, immediately and without prior notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions
The phrase “no win no fee” may only be used in an advertisement in accordance with CAP guidance available here.
The CAP Code states that comparative claims in advertising are permitted, provided they are not misleading in any way. Comparisons can only be made between products or services of the same or similar type. Listed below are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable statements.
- We have the largest and best stock of carpets and flooring in the Southeast
- We are the cheapest wholesaler in England!
- Very competitive prices! We will match the cost of branded products if you find the same model cheaper in another store
- We are one of the leading suppliers in the Southeast (if supported by independent statistics)
Comparative advertising should not directly or by implication question the quality, integrity or reputation of other businesses or their products.
- Don’t trust the cowboys come to us instead!
- Why use the sharks when you can get a truly reliable service with us?!
- We have built an excellent reputation as a caring family business in Torquay.
- We look after businesses and offer outstanding after sales service.
Advertising should not resemble any other so closely that it misleads or is likely to cause confusion.
- Never use well known slogans or copy used by other businesses as they are likely to be trademarks or protected by copyright.
- Never copy the visual style of advertising used by others to avoid trademark, copyright infringement or passing off.
- Use fresh material and ideas.
- Obtain images from Yell’s general artwork studio.
Advertisements for the provision of services or products in the areas of Health and Beauty are regulated. This is by way of professional or regulatory bodies for health, and the ASA for beauty.
Advertisements offering advice or treatment for medical conditions are acceptable, provided they adhere to the CAP Code. The following guidance notes are taken from the CAP Code:
HEALTH – GUIDANCE NOTES
- Advertisements must not encourage users with serious or chronic medical disorders to visit them rather than their own doctor.
- The title “Doctor” or “Dr” may be used provided the Advertiser is a qualified medical practitioner.
- Businesses qualified in other doctorates are also entitled to call themselves “Doctor” or “Dr” but must specify the subject so that users are aware if the qualification is non-medical.
- Abbreviations may be used, e.g., “D.Ch.” (Doctor of Chiropractice).
- Dentists may only use the title “Doctor” or “Dr” in an advertisement if the Advertiser is a dentist with a dentistry-related doctorate or PhD.
- Dental technicians are not permitted to advertise any service which necessitates working inside the patient’s mouth. (This is to ensure that such work is carried out only by qualified dental surgeons.) This prohibition includes the fitting, insertion or fixing of dentures, artificial teeth or other dental appliances.
- Establishments where medical treatment is offered, may not be described as “clinics” or “hospitals” in an advertisement unless they are under the direct supervision of a qualified medical practitioner(s).
- No advertisement should include details of the cure of an illness or disease as opposed to the relief of its symptoms.
- No advertisement should use testimonials or unrepresentative evidence to support exaggerated claims for the efficacy of a product or the relief of a particular condition.
- These unacceptable terms listed below must not be used within the bullets of their Yell Marketplace product that appear on Yell.com’s search results page except for those permitted classifications as mentioned below.
- The following medical terms and conditions should not be used by businesses unless explicit written permission is obtained from Yell or they appear under the Doctor’s (Medical Practitioners), Clinics (medical clinics only) or Hospital’s classifications or are recognised for use by suitably qualified health professionals as agreed by the ASA.
- Acceptable alternatives to medical terms are only appropriate for use by a suitably qualified health professional, for example, an individual subject to regulation by a statutory body, recognised medical or health professional and the Advertising Standards Authority.
Unacceptable medical terms and conditions and Acceptable alternatives (where applicable). This is not an exhaustive list and may from time-to-time change based on advice from CAP or the ASA. You can view the full list here
BEAUTY – GUIDANCE NOTES
- Some elective therapies, treatments and procedures that are made available (e.g., cosmetic surgery) should be properly carried out under the direct supervision of a qualified medical practitioner even though the advertising of such therapies may not appear in a “medical” classification.
- Use of terms such as lasers and IPL require the business to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
There are certain beauty and cosmetic related terms that need to be used in a responsible way, you can view the full list of terms here. This is not an exhaustive list and may from time-to-time change based on advice from CAP or the ASA.
5. Rules applicable to Yell Marketplace (Yell.com) Advertising
All Yell Marketplace web advertisements must only contain the usual business trading name of the business, which must be the normal trading name of the business, i.e., the name registered at Companies House or the relevant financial services body, used on official company literature or on a company website. A business trading name cannot include the following unless it is the usual business trading name: –
- An e-mail address or full URL address for a website
- A Classification or a Location e.g., Joe’s Team Plumbers, Joe’s Team Berkshire or Joe’s Team Plumbers Berkshire
We do not recommend that business's include:
- A strapline e.g., Joe's Plumbing - Berkshire's best 24-hour plumbing service.
The standard address i.e., number/house name/business unit, street name, town and postcode published on Yell Marketplace is that provided as a Free Business Profile with Yell. This can be changed to include a valid UK address where the business is located, subject to the branch policy set out in this clause 5.2. PO Box and mailbox numbers are considered acceptable however when included in a listing or advert, their prominence on the search results may be detrimentally impacted as it is not considered a standard address.
Where a business has provided an address, that is not the genuine trading address then Yell reserves the right to terminate or suspend their advertisement without notice in accordance with Clause 7 of Yell’s Advertising Terms & Conditions.
A business must meet the following criteria in order to use a branch address on Yell Marketplace:
Be either: (1) part of the same legal entity or be part of the same company group, i.e., linked by common ownership (common directorship is not sufficient); or (2) be linked by formal franchise agreement.
All branches must: (1) have different address details to the holding company or head office; and/or (2) have some of the characteristics below:
- have public liability insurance to operate their business from the address of the branch; or
- comprise branch premises that are being leased, licensed, or owned as the primary business address by the employee or the legal entity and not just temporary occupation.
Multiple branches can have the same telephone number providing that the business name remains the same for each branch.
Businesses shall have regard, in complying with the branch policy, to the objective of this paragraph which is to ensure that only those businesses which are genuinely related to the business and are genuinely associated businesses (and/or are linked through common ownership (or contractual relationship)) benefit from the main Advertisement.
An address can be suppressed (on Sponsored Listings, Local Presence Plus and Local Listings) on a business listing where they conduct their business over the internet, via a call centre or delivers (a service not requiring the user to physically visit the address). Please note, suppressing an address automatically suppresses the Map/Directions link and the business address will not be displayed on Proximity Searches or on the Multi Point map. An Advertisement must display either a phone number or a URL if the address is suppressed.
If a business wishes to suppress their address, they are required to contact Yell. Yell reserves the right at its sole discretion not to suppress an address. Yell also reserves the right to disclose an address of a business in the event of a complaint or we are required to do so by law.
If any user complaints are received or Yell views that a business does not comply with the eligibility rules, Yell will investigate this and has the right to turn off the address suppression option at any point during the contract.
Yell retains absolute discretion to decide if a business may benefit from this branch policy. Yell reserves the right without notice to withdraw, or suspend pending investigation, the advertising of a business benefiting from this branch policy if Yell does not reasonably believe that it is a genuine branch. Yell may ask you to provide such supporting documentation as may be required by Yell to verify that a branch address is genuine.
A business that only conducts their business over the internet and not through voice-to-voice communication, does not need to display a telephone number within their Advertisement.
Free Business Profiles must include a telephone number which must not be a premium rate telephone number.
Businesses cannot display premium rate telephone numbers in a Free Listing as call rate information, as defined and required by Phonepayplus guidelines, cannot be displayed on these types of listings.
If a business wants to display a premium rate number in a paid for advert the call rate information required by Phonepayplus must be included in the bullets/text. Alternatively, the business can choose not to display a telephone number in their paid for advert.
Where telephone numbers are included in an advertisement, they must fully comply with Phonepayplus guidelines where appropriate.
Phonepayplus is the industry-funded regulatory body for all premium rate charged telecommunication services. For more information about their guidelines please refer to their website www.phonepayplus.org.uk and follow the appropriate link.
Yell does not knowingly accept any telephone services that Phonepayplus determines to be of an adult nature including, without limitation telephone services accessed through telephone numbers prefixed 0908 and 0909.
Advertisements must appear under either:
- classification headings that describe the actual product or service offered; or
- any heading related to that product or service as defined by Yell, except for:
- the Professional Services classifications further to section 1(A) above); or
- advertisements on Yell Marketplace which promote or link to sites promoting or enabling gambling, gaming, betting, lotteries, prize draws or paid entry competitions which are only acceptable within those classifications that describe actual product or service offered.
Where a business appears in a specific classification it is responsible for ensuring it is entitled for the duration of the advertisement and shall continue to be entitled for the duration of the advertisement, to describe itself in this classification and that it holds appropriate and required licences, certificates, authorisations or permits as determined by laws, regulations, local council byelaws or other legal requirements.
Excluding Sponsored Listings (Local and Regional), businesses are permitted to order multiple advertisements within the same classification.
Typically, but not exclusively, Yell competitors will be businesses that provide internet services offering classified directory type searches or listings (but not search engines) as their main business/function.
Yell’s competitors’ advertising, as any other, will be accepted on Yell Marketplace providing it adheres to the Policy. Yell may however, at its sole discretion refuse a competitor’s advertising from parts of the site where its presence may confuse users, or it is detrimental to Yell’s reputation, brand, and/ or trademark.
In addition, with respect to our content pages, Yell may have exclusive third-party arrangement agreements running with content providers or third-party service providers. For the duration of these agreements Yell may exclude certain companies appearing on the provider pages or require provider approval before inclusion.
Any excluded companies may however advertise on other content pages within Yell Marketplace at Yell’s discretion.
Yell may allow such competitor advertising as it feels appropriate in other products and services.
Adverts and Free Business Profiles are ranked based upon the type of service purchased e.g., a Sponsored Listings or a Local Presence Plus, as well as its relevance to the search. The number of adverts and listings displayed for every search will be limited up to a maximum of 250 results over 10 pages. Yell does not guarantee that paid for business listings will appear above Free Business Profiles on a search results page. Determination of relevance is at the sole discretion of Yell.
Foreign language advertisements are acceptable provided they are supplied with a covering note detailing the English translation. Languages using non-English alphabet are not acceptable.
Yell may accept advertising from intermediaries or aggregators in the following products only: Prominence Adverts, subject to Clause 5.5 above for Competitor Advertising. An intermediary is any business who acts as an agent/middleman and refers enquiries from Yell.com to a business or network of businesses.
Advertisement content displayed in Adverts and Profile Pages must not contain a PO Box Address. Internet Web Addresses (URL), email addresses, and telephone numbers can be included in a Free Business Profile.
Businesses must ensure that they are licensed and/or authorised to use any music, logos, photos, or images contained within any video published on Yell Marketplace. The video must not contain visually disturbing graphics (e.g., graphics that flash too fast or generally make the user experience of viewing the video very unpleasant), or be interactive (e.g., request that a user types text into a search field in the video) and comply fully with this Policy.
Businesses must be permitted to use any logo in their Yell Marketplace advertisements. Trade association logos can be used, provided that the business remains a member of that association for the duration of the advertisement. Businesses must have the relevant authority to use another company’s name as part of their “actual trading name”. Businesses may be asked to provide written authorisation of the logo/ trade name usage. Photos used in all Yell Marketplace advertisements must show business premises, products, and/ or services. Animated logos, images, or photos are not permitted within Prominence adverts. Only static images can be used.
Websites hosted on a domain hosted by a third party e.g., eBay, Facebook, or Amazon, can be used provided the business has the relevant permission from that third party to use the URL to advertise on other websites. The business has overall responsibility to ensure that they can use the link to the third-party site. The Advertisement on the third-party hosted website must also contain the business’s contact information (to avoid confusion for users of Yell Marketplace) and adhere to the Policy.
QR Codes can be included in a Profile Page for a Yell online advert or a Yell website. Please note, images are currently resized to fit the image capsules within a Profile Page so should be taken into consideration especially when the QR code is complex and clicks through to a long web address. Businesses can provide or upload the following file formats: JPG, GIF and PNG.
IMPORTANT – Limitations on QR codes
QR codes, as with any other image, are published on Yell Marketplace in good faith. By placing an advert containing a QR code the business acknowledges and accepts that the reproduction of these codes may interfere with the function of the QR code. This in turn may lead to the QR code not working in some or all devices. Yell strongly recommends the inclusion of an accompanying standard web address for all QR codes.
Last updated on 22 August 2023