Spicerhaart has had a complaint against it by a rival agent upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority after suggesting that it had physical branches in places where it did not.
A branch search on the website returned details of several haart offices in Norwich, including a phone number and email address.
The regional press advert was headed “Wymondham & Hethersett” with a phone number, while text at the foot said “haart of Wymondham & Hethersett”.
Hammondlee challenged whether the ads misleadingly implied that haart had offices in Cringleford, Eaton, Wymondham, Hethersett, Sprowston and Costessy.
Haart’s parent company Spicerhaart argued that the adverts did not state that they had physical branches in the challenged locations. All were close to Norwich, where there were two haart branches. Both had sold properties in the locations.
Spicerhaart said the image, manager’s name and address shown for the Eaton and Cringleford, and Wymondham and Hethersett results corresponded to the Norwich Golden Triangle office and those for Costessey and Sprowston related to the city centre branch.
Spicerhaaart did not believe consumers would be misled into believing that there were haart branches in all of the locations named.
The email addresses and phone numbers given for each location were different from those of the two physical offices to ensure that initial inquiries were directed accordingly.
However, the ASA did not agree with Spicerhaart’s arguments. It noted that each listing had its own phone number, an email address that included the name of the location, and a button labelled “Visit branch page”.
It said the adverts were misleading and told Spicerhaart not to repeat them. Haart must not state or imply it has physical branches in locations if that is not the case.
Comments (5)
It is a pity this story has dropped off the bottom and into the archive, slipping onto page two stunts the discussion points that sometime need thinking about. I have thought of what I need to say about this and will save it for a Page 1 opportunity.
You are right Nick Word to notebook to Eye is a faff. Being blunt your techies are letting you down, I can’t remember having a Word paste issue for over 16 years. I am reliant on Word pastes to make any sense at all.
Let’s hope ASA look at Purplebricks claim of being 24 hour 365 day Estate Agents. I have a lot to fit into a day so 4:30 through to 7:30 is when I get stuff done. This week I have a property to sell and seeing that Purple bricks have according to their website and TV advert 24 hour property experts balh blah blah, I tried first there Live chat, Purple brick Live chat was closed, I emailed at 5am- bearing in mind according to Purblebrick web site- ‘no more waiting for normal office hours’ I got a reply 4 hours later when someone working normal office hours turned up! Then I tried the phone because the website would not allow me to book a 6am valuation appointment not just on that day- any day. I got through to the “out of hours service”, quite how that is possible for a firm open all 8760 hours in the year I couldn’t grasp. That is besides the point Purple bricks are open 8 am till late evening with a moneypenny type service answering the telephones when all the Agency staff have knocked off. If Purplebricks want to do the job of Estate agency 24 hours a day and advertise such on the telly- good luck to them. It is however wholly wrong to claim one thing and deliver a service that falls at about 10 hours short of the advertised claim.
This wasn’t a ghost shopping waste of time exercise, I really do have a property to sell. I have instructed an AM agent who has found me a buyer and we are now haggling over fine details.
This is a very relevant point. Why not forward your findings to ASA? Like you , I don’t mind competition, but it has to be fair and accurate.
I have to keep my personal life separate from my work to defend and guide the industry. What Robert May the seriously pi55ed off landlord/ vendor does about the frankly shocking and abysmal experience of PurbleBricks would be a private matter between Robert May, PurbleBricks and the ASA. It would hand a defence to PurbleBricks if they could say it was a put up job as suggested by Wilko at 5:34 Feb 5Th. I saw the TV advert and as many service suppliers will know I am infinitely fair when it comes to giving new services a go. If I thought a complaint was in order I would submit it at the time.
(Notebook paste)
ASA "noted that each listing had its own phone number, an email address that included the name of the location, and a button labelled “Visit branch page”."
BUSTED…..Makes you wonder why they tried to put up a defence. I wonder if OTM/Z/RM allowed them to show as "ghost" branches on their sites?