If You Are Going To Fit Up The Best, Fit Up Everest

TV personalities David Domoney and Carol Klein in the Mesothelioma UK front garden display by Everest at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Two of the biggest names in windows (including Everest) have been 'fitted up' for misleading advertising by a company found guilty of the same offence three years ago.

Safestyle UK went to the Advertising Standards Agency to complain that both Anglian Windows and Everest had been making 'money off' offers that when investigated, were not substantially any different to the usual selling price, The complaints against both companies were upheld on 5 August 2020.

Safestyle had a similar case brought against it in 2017 (upheld 28 June) because the firm had offered 'up to 60% off' for Christmas followed by 'up to 60% off' for January' that not only ran consecutively but also ran after or before similar '60% off' offers.

Safestyle had at least engineered a number of days between campaigns - roughly speaking between 2016 and 2017, products were 'on sale' for half the time.

Not only was Anglian Windows found guilty of not providing a substantial period when products were not on sale, the company was also sanctioned for making its 'discounts' too hard to understand or achieve as they were based on an overall product order rather than on individual products - and the discount was not applied to the installation.

Everest, also tried to avoid the requirement to provide a substantial period when products were not 'on sale'. by first making a '40% off' offer on its Editions range for a period of time and then taking Editions 'off promotion' and putting ‘Signature’ 'on promotion'. The difference between Editions and Signature being Editions comes with a black gasket and Signature comes with either a black gasket or a grey.

Everest had actually run nine consecutive 'promotions' for  different products that ultimately weren't that different.

Anglian had its products on promotion for sixteen months prior to the 'promotion' that saw it investigated by the ASA.

Anglian has been told not to run the adverts again and that all future advertising must not contain misleading information and must substantiate the offer including making pricing absolutely clear.

Everest has been told their adverts must not appear again in the form complained about. The company has also been instructed to ensure their future savings claims do not mislead and must have substantiated savings against the usual selling price of their products. The company should take care when planning any consecutive promotions to ensure that ranges on promotion would be seen as genuinely distinguishable by consumers.

Back in 2017, Safestyle was told its adverts must not appear again in the form complained about and that future savings claims did not mislead and substantiated savings against the usual selling price of products. Safestyle is also required to present all material information in marketing communications that include any significant limitations or qualifications to promotions - because the not only were the discounts not really 'discounts' they were also virtually impossible to achieve in full.

Picture: TV personalities David Domoney and Carol Klein in the Mesothelioma UK front garden display by Everest at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
21st August 2020

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