Is This Misleading/Bait Advertising?

Ughhh on 20/09/2016 - 20:42
Last edited 20/09/2016 - 20:42

Just wondering whats everyones opinion on this matter and whether it's considered misleading and/or bait advertising or not.

There is a catalogue and on the front page there's a 10x6cm ad that says "1/2 price selected cosmetic sale#", with 4 brand logos pictured underneath. On the bottom of the page it states " #savings based on RRP. RRP is manufacturers retail price", nothing else.

Would you, an average customer, believe it's reasonable to assume that the majority (or at least a few) of the products from the pictured brand logos are 1/2 half?

Apparently you were supposed to turn to a page half way through a 20 page catalogue where it has a "1/2 price cosmetic sale" picture and X brand logo with Y product photo and name (the other brands are pictured too). Only 1 product (Y) from that X brand is actually half priced, nothing else is. The other brands are all 1/2 off.

Note that the front page says nothing about turning to page XX for more details.

Should the front page be more clearer? Does it give the impression that the majority of the products from those 4 brands are half off- considering 3/4 of the brand logos pictured on the front page were all 1/2 off?

Poll Options

  • 18
    Misleading / bait
  • 7
    Nothing misleading
  • 2
    other
General Discussion

Comments

  • Savas on 20/09/2016 - 20:47
    +1

    Why don't you share a picture?

  • poboy on 20/09/2016 - 21:27
    +1

    There is at least 1 product within each brand that meets the promotional criterion. I think that's ok.

  • cameldownunder on 20/09/2016 - 22:02
    +2

    I stoped to believe those 1/2 price ads long time ago.

  • PJC on 20/09/2016 - 22:03
    +4

    The operative word here is "selected". It is no more misleading than "from" next to a price in a far larger font.

    • pais on 20/09/2016 - 22:36
      +2

      I think retailers need to be as clear as possible in their advertising. Based on my interpretation of this ad, this would be 'selected brands of makeup' (i.e. it excludes Maybelline but includes 50% off Nude), rather than 'selected makeup of these particular brands'. When you do selected and then include pictures of products or brands… You're in for a bad time.

    • Almost Banned on 20/09/2016 - 22:37
      +1

      I would read 'selected' to refer to the specified brands rather than all cosmetics brands - not as only selected products in the specified brands…
      But even still I guess it doesn't necessarily mean all products by those particular brands.

  • whooah1979 on 20/09/2016 - 22:44

    The operative word here is "selected". It is no more misleading than "from" next to a price in a far larger font.

    the retailer can print the t&c from p20 on every page and some consumers will still whinge about something. e.g the fonts are to small.

    when in doubt. don't assume. ask.

  • PJC on 20/09/2016 - 22:53

    Such advertisers suppose prospective customers will read "1/2 price selected cosmetic sale" as "1/2 price cosmetic sale". If challenged, they can argue that what it actually says is true, and they are not responsible for what it does not say. So it is not misleading. It is certainly manipulative.

    Legally, Good Price Pharmacy Warehouse cover themselves at the bottom of Page 15 by explaining the # with "Selected Products Only."

    • Ughhh on 21/09/2016 - 00:02
      +1

      bottom of Page 15 by explaining the # with "Selected Products Only."

      Should that not be stated on the front page where the first ad is? Or at least state "refer to page xx for more details". There's # on the front page, enough room for them to be more clearer.

      • PJC on 21/09/2016 - 00:15

        Page 1's offer, qualified with the #, served its pupose of getting us to peruse Page 15 without actual deception. Clarity was not the objective. Their business exists for their benefit, not ours.

        • Ughhh on 21/09/2016 - 00:28
          +2

          qualified with the #, served its pupose of getting us to peruse Page 15 without actual deception

          The # just states about RRP, nothing about page 15. Same thing with the T&C if you click on the first page ad.

          Their business exists for their benefit, not ours.

          That I have never doubted. Never heard of scams etc etc benefiting consumers over themselves.

        • PJC on 21/09/2016 - 01:03
          +1

          @Ughhh: Like I said, it is certainly manipulative. Page 1's # qualifies the term "1/2 price" by saying that is based on RRP - not the store's previous price, which may constitute a lower percentage saving. Page 15's # qualifies the term "1/2 price cosmetic sale" by explaining "Selected Products Only" conducive to Page 1's "1/2 price selected cosmetic sale#".

          "Besides, Your Honour, my client instructs me there are many thousands of precedents to support my argument this is a normal, established practice in their line of business and numerous others. The words "all" and "every" are avoided because they would have misled customers, Your Honour, and my client is not responsible for what has not been stated."

  • Olokun on 20/09/2016 - 23:25
    +1

    To me the entire catalogue has misleading and deceptive price advertising as all the "save up to" refer to a price that the business has never sold at for a reasonable amount of time (as well as recently)

    Misleading prices may include:

    savings’ or ‘discount’ statements when compared to the recommended retail price (RRP), but the goods have never been sold at the RRP or the RRP does not reflect a current market price.

  • backpaqer on 21/09/2016 - 14:10

    The real question is why aren't you using OzBargain to score yourself a real bargain?
    Unless you thought you might have found a deal to post up for us and then thought - hey! wait a minute!
    :P

  • backpaqer on 21/09/2016 - 14:12

    Or as Fran Fine from The Nanny used to say…it aint a sale unless it's at LEAST 50% off

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join