Spicerhaart in trouble with advertising watchdog agai...

22 October 2010

5019 Reads
10 Comments

Written by rosalind renshaw

Spicerhaart has been in hot water yet again with the Advertising Standards Authority, after sending out 'compliments slip' that appeared to be hand-written.

Both mailings were sent out by haart and both asked the recipients – one addressed to a landlord and one to a vendor – to contact the sender, named as a Lesley Miller.

One complaint to the ASA was from Accent Property Management, whose tenant had received one of the slips and was worried there was a problem with the tenancy. The second complaint was from a member of the public.

The ASA was told that the literature caused distress and was misleading, because it did not make it clear that the compliments slips were marketing material.

Spicerhaart said they did not agree that it was unclear, but were prepared to discontinue using mailings in the same form.

The ASA upheld both complaints.

Comments

- wooden top
And to think that these people (Spicer Harrt)are the ones who keep on popping up on quangos to tell us how to run our business's. Just because they are big in numbers, not brains or professional by the looks of it, yet again!
- 25 October 2010 14:56 PM
- ???
Yeh, and it's far more pro-active then you spending half your day on estateagenttoday posting comments. If you're doing (not specifically you, i mean in general) your job properly, your vendors shouldn't want to leave anyway.
- 23 October 2010 14:40 PM
- Ms Take
Reeds Rains in my area are another bunch who like to hand write 'please call me' on their business cards ( the property RM details attached !! ) and drop them through other agents doors.
- 23 October 2010 13:09 PM
- Tim Mather
Not really, but we never get to see the things Spicers' are doing which don't attract negative press.

I'm guessing if they do so many things wrong, they are probably doing a similar amount right.

At least they are doing something different.
- 22 October 2010 15:10 PM
- wardy
so not playing by the rules is pro-active?
- 22 October 2010 15:01 PM
- ???
I don't like the slips either, but the fact is, they work. At least they are doing something pro-active (which is the only good thing I would ever say abut haart) rather than sitting back and moaning about the market and other peoples advertising.
- 22 October 2010 13:11 PM
- wardy
They was told to stop this last year in december. The ASA are being laughed at by spicer. A google search on Lesley Miller tells the full story, countless complaints upheld over this practice and nothing is ever done.
- 22 October 2010 10:02 AM
- Tony Harrison
This is an outrage! If Mr & Mrs Bonebrain of Penge can't tell spivvy marketing material from a real hand written note then I'm a monkey's bladder.

Mrs Harrison & I are enjoying some early Fleetwood Mac at the moment. Penguin is a particular favourite.
- 22 October 2010 09:49 AM
- The Yorkshire Agent
I think EAT should have a sweepstake as to when the next spicerhaart and ASA storey will appear. I'll start with 14 days
- 22 October 2010 09:29 AM
- Ric
The ASA just give everyone a mandate to do what they like without fear of punishment.
- 22 October 2010 09:26 AM

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