Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
The Robert Dyas hardware and housewares chain has had its knuckles rapped for misleading over the price of a kettle in one of its catalogues.
Text in the ad for the Russell Hobbs Belmont stainless steel kettle, which was run last September, stated that the product was £39.99, but available at half price, £19.99.
But the Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint about the ad from someone, challenging whether the savings claim was genuine because he thought the kettle had been sold at the lower price for several years.
Robert Dyas said there had been a misprint in the leaflet and that the £39.99 price quoted should have been expressed as a recommended retail price. The company provided documentation from the manufacturer which Dyas claimed substantiated the RRP of £39.99, and also provided links to other websites where the product was on sale above the price quoted by Robert Dyas.
However, the ASA said these did not prove that the product had actually sold for £39.99. It upheld the complaint, saying that the price and the savings claim had not been substantiated and were misleading.
Robert Dyas says the ad has now been withdrawn.
