x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Purplebricks told not to say it advertises on all major portals

Purplebricks has been the subject of another complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, this time over a claim on its website about portals.

A claim on the homepage of the agency’s website stated that it was “advertised on all major property portals” but a complainant said he believed this was misleading.

Purplebricks is effectively excluded from advertising on OnTheMarket, which insists its agent advertisers have offices. 

Advertisement

“We received an assurance from Purplebricks that it would amend the claim” says a spokeswoman for the authority.

Purplebricks is now reported to have changed the wording to say "all leading property portals" rather than all major portals.

The dispute has been classified as being informally resolved, and Purplebricks has told Estate Agent Today that it has no comment to make on the decision.

This is the latest of several complaints lodged with the ASA about Purplebricks in recent years - most have been more substantial than this one, and not all have been upheld by the authority.

In June this year a number of specific issues raised by Hunters Property Group were upheld - these referred to fees paid to Purplebricks and the savings which the agency had claimed were possible for sellers. 

During the second half of 2017 numerous complaints were made to the ASA about Purplebricks' TV ads which, the authority judged, did not make sufficiently clear that the fee payable to them was always required to be paid even when a property had not been sold.

However, in October last year a series of complaints lodged by - amongst others - Plymouth council’s Trading Standards team and Cornish estate agency PDQ about Purplebricks’ Local Property Experts were thrown out by the ASA.

  • icon

    How do they define 'leading'? What is OTM, chopped liver?

    icon

    It may as well be for all the use it is

     
  • icon

    Focus on High Street Agents.
    We only take a Fee when we sell
    Forget title tattle.
    Do your best for your client

  • Paul Singleton

    I’m still listening to ads on the radio from PB that don’t state that you lose your money when they fail to sell it! How do they continually get away with it?

  • David Gibbs

    PB do this on purpose. Any press, good or bad is great publicity. They put things out there knowing they are crossing the line, knowing that it will be pulled up on it, but it’s another headline for them.

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up