ASA Adjudication on Lockdown Security Services
Lockdown Security Services
23 Bath Street
Frome
Somerset
BA11 1DJ
Date:
10 October 2012
Media:
Internet (on own site)
Sector:
Business
Number of complaints:
1
Complaint Ref:
A12-203046
Ad
The website www.lockdown-securityservices.co.uk featured testimonials attributed to Wiltshire Guard Dogs, which stated "LDSS employees are more reliable than my own staff!" and "Thank you for all your hard work, hopefully one day our handlers and dogs will be as well trained as yours".
Issue
Wiltshire Guard Dogs objected that the testimonials were false.
CAP Code (Edition 12)
Response
Lockdown Security Services said they did not hold any written evidence that the testimonials were genuine but, because Wiltshire Guard Dogs were no longer operating, they did not feel they were in breach of the Code.
Assessment
Upheld
The ASA noted the Code stated that documentary evidence must be held to show all testimonials were genuine, unless they were obviously fictitious. Because that was not the case, we concluded that the ad breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 (Misleading advertising) and 3.45 (Endorsements and testimonials).
Action
The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Lockdown to ensure they held documentary evidence that testimonials were genuine.
