Cookies policy statement
We are using cookies on our site to provide you with the best user experience.
Disabling cookies may prevent our website from working efficiently. Click ok to remove this message (we will remember your choice).
OK

ASA Adjudication on ATP Publishing

ATP Publishing t/a wwmdirectory.com

4 Caledonian Road
Chichester
PO19 7PH

Date:

26 March 2008

Media:

Direct mail

Sector:

Publishing

Number of complaints:

1

Complaint Ref:

43421

Ad

A direct mailing from wwmdirectory.com, in the form of an invoice, promoted an advertising link from their website www.Wwmdirectory.com. The mailing was headlined "Invoice" and stated "Payment for this Pro-forma Invoice due of (sic) you require this service". A table in the middle of the mailing was divided into two columns. Text in the left hand column stated "Advertising link from www.Wwmdirectory.com. Guaranteed no 1 - 3. On the relevant page of Google. All enquiries go direct to client website ... 12 Months advertising @£70.36 Inclusive of TAX ... " The right hand column was headed "Rate" and contained the price "70.36". Beneath the table was the text "Balance Due: £70.36".

Issue

Design LSM challenged whether the ad was misleading because it was presented as a genuine invoice for services by the advertiser that required payment.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

wwmdirectory.com did not respond to the ASA's enquiries.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA was concerned by wwmdirectory.coms lack of response and apparent disregard for the Code, which was a breach of CAP Code clause 2.6 (Non-response). We reminded them of their responsibility to respond promptly to our enquiries.

Because the mailing was headlined "Invoice" and contained a table with a product description, price and the text "Balance Due: £70.36", we concluded it implied the recipient owed wwm.directory.com money, and the ad was misleading.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 2.6 (Non-response), 6.1(Honesty) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

Action

We told wwmdirectory.com to seek guidance from the CAP Copy Advice team before advertising again and asked CAP to inform its members of the problem with wwmdirectory.com.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)

Making a complaint

Find out what types of ads we deal with and how to make a complaint.

How to complain

Adjudications

View our latest weekly ASA adjudications or search for rulings from the last five years.

Adjudications

Non-compliant online advertisers

Check the list of non-compliant online advertisers.

Non-compliant online advertisers

Sign up

Sign up for adjudications alerts and newsletters.

Sign up

Already registered? Log in

Follow Us

For ASA news, including our weekly rulings, press releases, research and reports.
ASA_UK

Dealing with complaints - FAQs

We work hard to ensure our complaints procedures are transparent. Here we answer some commonly asked questions about how we handle complaints.

Dealing with complaints - FAQs

Advertising Standards Authority Ltd, Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6QT  |  Copyright © 2012 ASA