Thaindian News

London, Feb 2 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Advertising Standards Authority have ruled that Asda’s price guarantee ad was misleading because not all the items sold were covered.

Asda in an ad campaign promised shoppers that if they found the price cheaper in Tesco or Morrisons, they would be refunded the difference during the next shopping. Tesco and Morrisons which is owned by Sainsbury complained to ASA.

The two companies cited nine possible breaches in the ad. However in ASA’s ruling, it found Asda guilty of only four of the charges.

Part of the ASA ruling read, “We told Asda to ensure their ads did not suggest their price guarantee applied to all items, including non-grocery items and items that were specifically excluded, or that their savings claims referred to shopping generally rather than specific items, if that was not the case.”

Asda has subsequently been banned from running the ad again in its present form.

During the hearing Asda tried unsuccessfully to defend its actions. The company argued that the ad did not state that all the products at the supermarket are covered under the price guarantee program. The ASA was not convinced by that argument because it claimed that the company failed to indicate in the ad those items that were not covered.