ASA Adjudication on Windsor Products

Ad

A direct response press ad for Luxis Leather Insoles. The order form in the ad stated "1 pair for £19.95 + £3.95 insured postage and handling SAVE £10.00 - 2 pairs for £33.85 + £3.95 insured postage and handling".

Issue

The complainant objected that the savings claim was misleading because he believed Windsor Products had counted the postage charge twice.

CAP Code (Edition 11)

Response

Windsor Products said the savings claim was based on the price of two Luxis Leather Insoles and two postage charges, totalling £47.80, minus the sale price of £37.80. They acknowledged that the majority of customers purchased the products at the discounted price, but pointed out that a few customers had purchased two pairs of insoles and paid the full price £19.95 + £3.95 postage and handling twice. Windsor Products sent details of all the orders they had taken for the insoles, which, they maintained, substantiated the savings claim.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted the complainant's argument that the postage charge had been counted twice and, therefore, inflated the savings claim. We also noted the ad made clear the price of one pair plus postage and the price of two pairs plus postage and readers could therefore see that the £10 saving included the charge of postage for a second pair. We noted Windsor Products sent information to show that they had sold several sets of insoles at full price, i.e. unit cost plus postage and packaging. Because Windsor Products had demonstrated that customers paid twice the postage charge of £3.95 when they bought two pairs of insoles, we concluded that they had substantiated the basis of the savings claim and readers were unlikely to be misled.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 7.1 (Truthfulness), 15.1 (Prices) and 27.4 (Sales Promotion Rules) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)