BCOBS 2.2 The fair, clear and not misleading rule
A firm must take reasonable steps to ensure that a communication or a financial promotion is fair, clear and not misleading.
The fair, clear and not misleading rule applies in a way that is appropriate and proportionate taking into account the means of communication and the information that it is intended to convey. So a communication addressed to a banking customer who is not a consumer may not need to include the same information, or be presented in the same way, as a communication addressed to a consumer.
The rules in SYSC 3 (Systems and Controls) and SYSC 4 (General organisational requirements) require a firm to put in place systems and controls or policies and procedures in order to comply with the rules in COBS 4.6 (Past, simulated past and future performance), COBS 4.7.1 R (Direct offer financial promotions), COBS 4.10 (Systems and controls and approving and communicating financial promotions) and this chapter of BCOBS.
Part 7 (Offences relating to Financial Services) of the Financial Services Act 2012 create criminal offences relating to certain misleading statements and practices.
1A communication or a financial promotion should not describe a feature of a product or service as "guaranteed", "protected" or "secure", or use a similar term unless:
- (1)
that term is capable of being a fair, clear and not misleading description of it; and
- (2)
the firm communicates all of the information necessary, and presents that information with sufficient clarity and prominence, to make the use of that term fair, clear and not misleading.