Amazon pulled up by ASA over misleading promotions

Amazon has been pulled up by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over four adverts for electrical goods.

The July 2017 adverts emphasised savings of up to £300 on a TV, a monitor, a laptop and an electric toothbrush, compared with the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of the items. 

An ASA investigation determined that the claims could not be substantiated because the price of the items had fluctuated over the previous six weeks, and said that consumers would understand the reference to an RRP to mean that the advertised product was typically available for sale at the stated price.

Amazon confirmed that there had been an 'error' in one calculation but denied wrongdoing, advising that the RRPs were similar to prices on Amazon Marketplace and other retail websites.

The ASA found, in the case of the monitor, that it had an RRP of £752 but was for sale at £559.  It had been available at the higher price for nine days during the previous six weeks, for a lower price for two weeks, back to the higher price for two days, and then at a different, lower price for 16 days. 

An Amazon spokesman said: "Our customers come to Amazon and expect to find low prices and incredible deals, and we work hard to provide both all year long."

The ASA stated: "The ads must not appear again in their current form. We told Amazon to ensure that future references to RRPs reflected the price at which the products concerned were generally sold, and to ensure that they held adequate evidence to substantiate their savings claims."

See the full report on the ASA website, here.

Source : The Insight DIY Team

Don't miss out! Sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter for news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers