Sainsbury's ordered to change 'misleading' Brand Match ads
The supermarket has been ordered to change its ads for the promotion after the advertising watchdog ruled some were misleading.
Sainsbury’s has been told to change the advertising campaign for its Brand Match promotion by the advertising watchdog.
The ad campaign claimed that shoppers wouldn’t pay more for brands at Sainsbury’s than they would at Asda or Tesco, and that if prices were cheaper at the two rival supermarkets they would be given a voucher for the difference.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 20 complaints, including one from Tesco. They included complaints that the fact that the offer was only available if shoppers spent £20 or more wasn’t made clear. And some people also claimed that the ads did not make it clear that the saving was calculated across all of the brands bought by a shopper, not just individual goods.
The ASA ruled that, because shoppers might pay more for brands than they would have done at Asda or Tesco before receiving a Brand Match voucher, the ads were contradictory and misleading.
It also said the condition that shoppers had to spend at least £20 to qualify for the Brand Match voucher was contradicted by claims on the ads that “You won't pay more for brands than you would at Asda or Tesco”.
And it ruled that the fact that the brand savings were calculated across all of the brands purchased by a shopper, rather than individual goods – so any that were cheaper at Sainsbury’s would be offset against any that were more expensive – was also not made clear.
The ASA also noted that customers had to spend at least £10 within two weeks of receiving a Brand Match voucher to be able to use it.
It has told Sainsbury’s to change the ads to “ensure all significant conditions of promotions were made clear in future”.
Sainsbury’s said: “We do not believe that our customers have been misled but we have already changed our current advertising to reflect the concerns raised."
It said it has so far issued nearly 100 million Brand Match coupons.
For more on the supermarkets' attempts to beat each other on price, read The big supermarkets' price checking services compared
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I am a Sainsburys girl through and through and loathe Tesco and Asda, mainly because of their poor quality fruit and veg. and also because of Tesco's failure to support farm animal welfare concerns. I have no complaints about the brand match scheme, it has saved me up to £5 on a shop in the past. It would be nice to see the items in detail that they are measuring though. What I do find irritating is the number of coupons that I get at the till and then cannot use because they run out too fast. Millions of pensioners like me, and people on benefits, do a main shop when they get their money - i.e. fortnightly, but many coupons only last for a week. I would also like to say how good Sainsburys customer services are. Unusually, a pack of meat that I bought recently did not come up to expectations and I complained online. I got a prompt answer and the value of my purchase was returned to me in the form of Nectar points. I am happy to buy their own brand goods, even the 'Essentials' range are acceptable quality, something I can't say about Tesco's bargain line. The money I save by buying own brand where I can, makes up for any extra that I spend on branded goods.
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Accountants will tell you that having a supermarket card is dangerous. Details of customer's spending are being passed on to HMRC . This has led to prosecution where HMRC feels the spending is at variance to the customer's tax returns. Are these cards worth it or just another way for big brother to watch us?
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Amusing comments! Maybe time to become Facebook friends. I am glad for the offers ..any offers.In a quick T.V ad who can put in all the facts.If this is so then every ad on T.V could be hauled through the coals . Somebody loves Sainsburys . Take a peep at their share prices up about 50p in a few months . Everyone has a fave place to shop or .. has time to shop around . I like to take advantage of various offers. I actually feel sorry for my gran who could only get her groceries from the corner shop but never caught her moaning that she was being ripped off or ....ooooh how dear is that!!!
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15 November 2012