The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a regional press advertisement and claims made on the website of Haart estate agency.
The ASA ruling came after a challenge by Hamnondlee, a three-office agency, which suggested that Haart was misleading readers as to their office locations.
The authority says a branch search on the Haart website returns the contact details of several offices, including a telephone number and email address for each. Listings included those headed Norwich, Norwich Golden Triangle, Eaton and Cringleford, Wymondham and Hethersett, and Costessey and Sprowston.
The regional press ad was headed "Wymondham & Hethersett 01953 469275" and text at the foot stated "haart of WYMONDHAM & HETHERSETT".
SpicerHaart, parent company of Haart, told the ASA that the ads did not state that the firm had physical branches in the challenged locations, each of which was within close proximity of Norwich.
The information provided the approximate distances of each of the locations from the centre of Norwich and explained that although they did not have offices in any of the locations stated in the ads, they had two offices in Norwich itself. One of those was in the city centre, and the other in the 'Golden Triangle' area in the east of Norwich. Both had sold properties in the locations listed.
The firm considered that information in the ad and on the website meant consumers would not be misled into believing they had branches in each of the locations named. The email addresses and phone numbers stated for each of the locations were different to those of the relevant physical offices, as that was to ensure initial enquiries were directed accordingly, according to Spicerhaart.
However, the ASA said the ad and the website gave the overall impression that Haart had a physical branch serving some specific locations - which was not the case.
The ASA ruling is that the ads must not appear again in their current form. We told Haart Estate Agents to ensure their future advertising did not state or imply they had physical branches in locations if that was not the case says an authority spokesman.
Comments
Why is it always the same people
Suprise suprise, but of course we must not be too critital of ShysterHaart as they are members of that fine bunch Agents Mutual!
This kind of story is precisely why the public hate estate agents so much! A quick Facebook poll of my friends last year resulted in less than flattering responses and this is an industry with a serious image problem. Well done to Hammondlee for standing up to a national company and calling them out on false advertising.
No amount of positive PR (see below story) can help mask these sort of indiscretions, which seem to be piling up by the month for SH...
As a former employee I have witnessed first hand the corrupt nature of this company, eagerly conning it's vendors. In particular the manager of the Dereham Branch. It looks like the company is ignoring my intial complaint to the them about its ilegal actibities.