Advertisment
The advertisement was seen on the homepage of the advertisers’ own website and featured a range of prices based on the service provided. These were detailed as:
“Emergency Door Opening – from €29 – Call us!
Fresh Lock Installation – from €69 – Call us!
Repair/Fix Mechanism – from €99 – Call us!”
Complaint
The complainant considered the advertising to be misleading as they said that they were charged €860 for a door lock change that was worth €20.
Response
The advertisers initially reverted asking for the complainant’s address so that they could carry out a thorough investigation into the matter. With the complainant’s permission, this information was forwarded to the advertisers.
The advertisers acknowledged this further information and said that they would revert within 10 days with the results of their investigation, however they did not provide a response.
Conclusion
Complaint Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint. The Complaints Committee expressed concern at the advertisers’ failure to respond to the complaint. They reminded them that there is an onus on advertisers to ensure that their advertising is in conformity with the Code.
The Committee noted the Code requirements that a marketing communication should not mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise (4.01) and that if a price is stated in a marketing communication, it should relate to the product depicted or specified in the marketing communication. Care should be taken to ensure that prices and illustrated products match (4.22).
The Complaints Committee noted that the prices were ‘from’ prices which did indicate a potential variability. Notwithstanding that, the cost to the complainant was significantly in excess of and disproportionate to the starting price. In the absence of evidence to show that customers had availed of the ‘from’ price, and in the absence of an explanation and a response from the advertisers, the Committee considered that the advertisement breached the Code at sections 3.10, 4.01, 4.04 and 4.22.
Action Required:
The advertisement must not reappear in its current form.
