Spicerhaart awaits yet another ruling on its advertising

News Category: Industry News

Yet another complaint about advertising by Spicerhaart has been upheld.

It is the fifth complaint since last September and the fourth to have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. Adjudication on a sixth complaint is expected very shortly.

The latest complaint to be upheld was an advert for Darlows, which appeared in the regional press. It covered five pages and claimed that Darlows of Cardiff had sold the most properties this year. It was accompanied by a pie chart and small print which said that the data was based on an independent survey by Vizzihome, covered properties sold subject to contract, and excluded data from agents whose sales were not published on the internet. Following pages listed properties for sale, giving telephone numbers of offices and listing 13 areas.

Kelvin Francis estate agents complained to the ASA, saying the advert implied that Darlows had offices in each of the 13 areas, and that the claim that Darlows of Cardiff had sold most properties was misleading.

Spicerhaart explained that the advert referred only to coverage, not offices, and said the claim “Darlows of Cardiff have sold the most properties this year” was fully supported and there was no inconsistency between the headline statement and some explanatory wording which was also in the advert.

The ASA ruled that the advert gave a misleading impression about the number and location of branches and said the claim that the Cardiff branch had sold most properties was not substantiated and was contradicted by the advert’s own small print.

The complaint currently going through the ASA procedures relates to a Spicerhaart advert telling vendors to dump their existing agent and picturing an estate agent in a dustbin.




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