ASA Adjudication on New Guardian Light Mystic Centre Ltd

Ad

A magazine ad, for the New Guardian Light Mystic Centre (NGLMC), stated "This is the most important phone call you will ever make. Leading Psychic and Clairvoyant with over 25 years experience covering LOVE RELATIONSHIPS MONEY CAREER We will read your past, present and future accurately. Do you wish to bring back a loved one or prevent a break up? Has your loved one left you? We will make them come back to you for good. For immediate changes in your life call 0208 xxxx. Readings cost £20.00 ...". Contact details were given at the foot of the ad.

Issue

The complainant, who had commissioned the NGLMC to carry out work which proved unsuccessful, challenged whether the ad misleadingly implied that the services were certain to succeed.

CAP Code

Response

NGLMC said they had been established for 13 years and provided reading services. They explained that if any client was dissatisfied with their services, they provided a refund of between 40 and 50%.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA considered that the claims "We will read your past present and future accurately.", "We will make them [loved ones] come back to you for good." and "For immediate changes in your life call ... " were likely to be interpreted to mean that the services offered by NGLMC were certain to succeed.  We noted the CAP Help Note on the Marketing of Spiritual and Psychic Services, Astrologers and Lucky Charms stated that "Claims that marketers will successfully solve all problems, break curses, banish evil spirits, improve the health, wealth, love life, happiness or other circumstances of readers should be avoided because they are likely to be impossible to prove."  Because we considered that the ad misleadingly implied that NGLMC's services were certain to work and because no evidence existed to support such claims, we concluded that the ad was misleading.

The ad breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation), 6.1 (Honesty) and 7.1 (Truthfulness).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form.  We told NGLMC to withdraw the ad and to contact the CAP Copy Advice team for help with future ads.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Non-broadcast)