Worst lying in an ISP ad?

Angilion

Angilion

Angilion

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I was covering a doorman for a couple of hours today during the quiet part of the day, so I sat down and read a book...tough job, but someone has to do it.

I spent a few minutes reading a tabloid "news"paper someone had left. Daily Star, which appears to be marketing itself as being cheaper and tackier than The Sun.

On page 21, there was an ad for Carphone Warehouse mobile broadband package at £40 a month. It listed the main attributes of the package in big, clear text near the middle of the ad. One of them was "unlimited download allowance". In very small print at the bottom, the ad stated that the package had a cap of 3GB per month.

That's blatant deception. Is there any organisation to complain to, because this ad is a lie and it's irritating.
 
it might be mis-guided information having a big "unlimited download allowance" in the ad but it does state in small print its not. its not like they advertise it as unlimited and you never knew until you started to download.
 
sja360 said:
it might be mis-guided information having a big "unlimited download allowance" in the ad but it does state in small print its not. its not like they advertise it as unlimited and you never knew until you started to download.
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What a load of rubbish. It's blatant deception.
 
got to agree that is blatent misrepresentation and is not allowed.

You can not say one thing in big massive writing then at the bottom in very small print say, "just kidding."
 
The ASA, though I can tell you now that months later you'll get a letter back saying "we don't care, the ISPs can do what they like".
 
I would point the advert out to the advertising people, you never know they may actually pull thumb from behind and do some good for a change!
 
Not as bad as my 'unlimited' mobile internet with Vodafone....500MB :)

But in all honesty, for what it is designed - a mobile phone, I doubt I would ever hit that cap. Plus it's free :)
 
Wicksta said:
Are fair usage policies suddenly new to people here? I feel like I'm in a time warp. :D
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Such blatant deceit is.

The usual excuse is that when they say "unlimited", they mean you can access it any time day or night. Not unlimited download allowance.

This ad explicitly states "unlimited download allowance", when it's a 3GB cap. Which is simply a lie.
 
Anyone who goes to CPW for anything at all deserves to be misled.

I've never in my life had to deal with such a load of useless, harassing, incompetent cowboys as that company.
 
the problem that imo the ISP fell into is that it underestimated the time it would take for people catch onto their "advertising tricks" If it was me running the ad - i would pull it - come up with a new ad (obviously the services that are actually provided never really change so much ;) but good advertising will "spin" it good heh) but definately change the ad every month or so.

So nowadays i just think its utterly stupid of ISPS to still advertise unlimited downloads etc and have small print saying "subject to fair usage policy" etc. Because the customer will see what they are trying to do - get annoyed at the duplicity and just go somewhere else.
 
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