Ad description
Claims on www.volvocarslondon.co.uk, for a car dealership, was headlined "The Volvo Essential Service". Text stated "If your Volvo is over 4 years old, why not take advantage of the Volvo Essential Service. At just £199, and available for every model in the Volvo range, the Volvo Essential Service is the low-cost alternative to standard servicing for older Volvo cars. But even though it's cheaper, you'll still receive the same peace of mind you would with a full service - and that means the same levels of expertise from our Volvo technicians, the same tailor-made methods and the same genuine Volvo parts. The Essential Service is designed so essential parts are only serviced when they are likely to need it - this results in a quicker, more efficient service which means less cost for you. For more information download our Volvo Service Offering PDF on the right, or complete the form below to book your service." It included a link to the "Volvo Service Offering", which detailed the costs and content of all the Volvo Cars London services available.
Issue
The complainant challenged whether the claim that the Volvo Essential Service was priced "At just £199" was misleading and could be substantiated, because she was informed that the service on her 2008 vehicle would cost £300.
Response
Regent Automotive Ltd t/a Volvo Cars London said the Essential Service was available to customers with cars approaching their fourth service and onwards, and was charged as a fixed price of £199 across any model in their range. They said they also always offered their customers the full manufacturer service as part of the service reminder process, which had a "From" price depending on model/age/fuel type. They said the Essential Service included an oil and oil filter change and vehicle inspection, but any additional work on the vehicle that needed to be carried out would be invoiced as an additional cost. They provided the "Volvo Service Offering", a service matrix setting out the details of each service offered, which they stated was sent to every qualifying customer as part of the service reminder process and was freely available to download from their website. They also provided several invoices showing the Essential Service had been sold at £199.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA noted that the "Essential Service" was advertised in the "Aftersales - Volvo Servicing" section of the Volvocars website. We noted that the Volvo Servicing section of the website listed the services offered: the "Volvo Manufacturer Scheduled Servicing" advertised at "from just £239"; the "Volvo Value Service" advertised at "just £99"; and the Essential Service advertised at "just £199". We noted that the details of each service were listed in a dedicated web page for that service, all of which included a link to the "Volvo Service Offering", a PDF which set out what each service entailed. We therefore considered that it was clear to consumers what services were on offer, what they included and the price for that service.
We considered that consumers would understand from the website's claims that the Essential Service was fixed at £199, but that it was also clear from the "Volvo Service Offering" what the "Essential Service" included for that fixed price. We also noted that the advertisers had provided supporting documentation showing that the Essential Service had been sold at £199. We understood that, if consumers wanted or required additional work they could opt for the "Manufacturer Scheduled Servicing", priced at "from £239" and acknowledged that the complainant was likely to have been offered that option.
However, because we considered that the website clearly set out the cost and content of the Essential Service and because we had seen documentation showing that it was sold at "£199", we concluded that the ad was unlikely to mislead.
We investigated the ad under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules
3.1
3.1
Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.
3.3
3.3
Marketing communications must not mislead the consumer by omitting material information. They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.
Material information is information that the consumer needs to make informed decisions in relation to a product. Whether the omission or presentation of material information is likely to mislead the consumer depends on the context, the medium and, if the medium of the marketing communication is constrained by time or space, the measures that the marketer takes to make that information available to the consumer by other means.
(Misleading advertising),
3.7
3.7
Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation.
(Substantiation) and
3.17
3.17
Price statements must not mislead by omission, undue emphasis or distortion. They must relate to the product featured in the marketing communication.
(Prices), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
