40 Pct of Japanese Consumers Overlook Contract Terms in Smartphone Ads

May 21, 2018

Tokyo- Some 40 pct of consumers in Japan have overlooked contract terms in smartphone advertisements for bargain deals, a recent Consumer Affairs Agency survey showed.

The online survey, conducted in February, received responses from 1,000 smartphone users in their 20s to 60s.

The share of respondents who have purchased goods or services using their smartphones in the past year stood at 55.1 pct. Of them, 39.2 pct said they have overlooked contract terms in ads, according to the survey.

Some respondents said they have skipped reading contract terms and others said they failed to recognize the existence of such terms, the survey said.

The survey also found that some 70 pct to 90 pct of respondents failed to recognize the existence of contract terms in example ads, including on English conversation lessons and health food products.

While calling on advertisers to show contract terms more clearly, the agency also asked consumers to develop the habit of cautiously checking contract terms in bargain deals. Jiji Press