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Spicerhaart awaits yet another ruling on its advertising

19 April 2010
Written by rosalind renshaw

Yet another complaint about advertising by Spicerhaart has been upheld.

It is the fifth complaint since last September and the fourth to have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. Adjudication on a sixth complaint is expected very shortly.

The latest complaint to be upheld was an advert for Darlows, which appeared in the regional press. It covered five pages and claimed that Darlows of Cardiff had sold the most properties this year. It was accompanied by a pie chart and small print which said that the data was based on an independent survey by Vizzihome, covered properties sold subject to contract, and excluded data from agents whose sales were not published on the internet. Following pages listed properties for sale, giving telephone numbers of offices and listing 13 areas.

Kelvin Francis estate agents complained to the ASA, saying the advert implied that Darlows had offices in each of the 13 areas, and that the claim that Darlows of Cardiff had sold most properties was misleading.

Spicerhaart explained that the advert referred only to coverage, not offices, and said the claim “Darlows of Cardiff have sold the most properties this year” was fully supported and there was no inconsistency between the headline statement and some explanatory wording which was also in the advert.

The ASA ruled that the advert gave a misleading impression about the number and location of branches and said the claim that the Cardiff branch had sold most properties was not substantiated and was contradicted by the advert’s own small print.

The complaint currently going through the ASA procedures relates to a Spicerhaart advert telling vendors to dump their existing agent and picturing an estate agent in a dustbin.

Comments

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    This isn't an external attack on SpicerHaart it is a self inflicted wound caused either by their own poor management and control or by a leadership within the organisation that doesn't care about flaunting the law.

    I am sure that the vast majority of Spicer Haart staff and offices are law abiding and a credit to the industry - they should be mighty pi**ed off that they are being let down by theri colleagues and have a management that appears not to care. Have any heads rolled within SpicerHaart as a result of these consistent breaches - if they have then I would see it as a positive sign that the company wishes to clean up its act.

    • 21 April 2010 16:41 PM
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    Beeber, you have no idea what you are talking about...none

    • 21 April 2010 14:37 PM
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    I love the fact that every attacks haart/darlows but agents should look in to the fact that they are one of the market leaders in every town they operate in! they advertisement they offer is vast compared to countrywide, connells and the small agents in the country. good for them!

    • 21 April 2010 13:25 PM
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    materially misleading! dreadful stuff what ever happened to good old fashioned estate agency!!

    • 20 April 2010 19:05 PM
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    I note with interest that every time there is a posting on this site regarding Spicerhaart that it becomes a free for all attack on them. I am curious to know what the background to this stance is.

    • 19 April 2010 13:05 PM
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    I refer to an earlier 'exchange of views' between Mr Smith and I: It is a great pity that, as I commented in the exchange, you could not afford me. My marketing ideas would not have got you in this position...

    • 19 April 2010 11:08 AM
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    I have to pre warn my new instructions now that when they get the 'call me urgently' compliment slip through the door to ignore it. These idiots have been ignoring the ASA for years and something should be done. I hope Mr Smith is reading this because your underhand practices are getting you nowhere around here, i still wipe the floor with Haart. You lot give agents a bad name.

    • 19 April 2010 10:36 AM
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    Mr Smith holds himself out to be a voice of the industry (in another publication)but I respectfully suggest he does something to earn this position by putting his own house in order - anyone can fall foul of the authorities on occasion but to either have a total lack of control over what goes on in his own business or a blatent disregard for the law just sets a very poor example.

    • 19 April 2010 10:13 AM
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