Can businesses advertise in this way?

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mattwnz

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#233881 7-May-2018 20:56

I recently saw an advert for up to 25% worth of savings, if you buy a package of products (eg multiple products as part of a package). However after clicking through to the deal, I saw that they were advertising it as ' up to 15% off, plus a free product' . So if you included that free product in the price, you would get up to that 25% off in total. But you can't get up to that amount of saving if the value of the free product isn't factored in. It just didn't seem a very clear way to advertise a discount like that. I would rather they just say 15% off plus a free product, not say that you will get 25% worth of savings. Many people like me, wouldn't want the free product, and would rather just have the 25% off the package of products I want to buy. What do others think about that way of advertising?

gzt

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#2009677 8-May-2018 07:09

Amazon have something like save 21% if you buy these two products together.

What you are describing sounds very different and misleading.

Coil

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#2009681 8-May-2018 07:33

Misleading, Report it.

tdgeek

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#2009683 8-May-2018 07:50

Up to 25% of savings isn't misleading, it seems 100% factual to me. Its up to the customer to check the deal. These days its rarely as straight forward as a one liner.

marej

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#2009690 8-May-2018 08:12

I perceive it to be deliberately deceptive. I would report it.

sbiddle

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#2009699 8-May-2018 08:30

gzt: Amazon have something like save 21% if you buy these two products together.

What you are describing sounds very different and misleading.

Amazon's "save x%" sales are often very misleading a lot of the time. They'd certainly be facing Comcom investigations if they operated that way in NZ.

Journeyman

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#2010124 8-May-2018 16:40

This doesn't sound misleading at all. They're doing exactly what they advertised. The fact that you're not interested in the free product is irrelevant. The fact that the deal doesn't work out to 25% if the free product isn't included is also irrelevant because it is included.

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Rikkitic

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#2010153 8-May-2018 17:31

Interesting split of opinion here. If the initial advert says up to 25% off, I would think they are covered. Intended to deceive, but not technically deceptive.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

gzt

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#2010160 8-May-2018 17:46

A photo or IMG link to the ad would shorten this discussion a bit.

tdgeek

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#2010162 8-May-2018 17:50

Rikkitic:

Interesting split of opinion here. If the initial advert says up to 25% off, I would think they are covered. Intended to deceive, but not technically deceptive.

Intended to promote interest.

Rikkitic

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#2010166 8-May-2018 17:54

tdgeek:

Intended to promote interest.

That is another way of phrasing it.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

mattwnz

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#2010230 8-May-2018 19:04

Rikkitic:

Interesting split of opinion here. If the initial advert says up to 25% off, I would think they are covered. Intended to deceive, but not technically deceptive.

Yes interesting that it is split. It is worded as 'up to 25% of savings' which I think is an unusual way of advertising in NZ, but I think it does seem factually correct. But IMO buying a product you don't want as part of the package, shouldn't be factored into the savings.

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tdgeek

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#2010391 9-May-2018 06:48

mattwnz:

Rikkitic:

Interesting split of opinion here. If the initial advert says up to 25% off, I would think they are covered. Intended to deceive, but not technically deceptive.

Yes interesting that it is split. It is worded as 'up to 25% of savings' which I think is an unusual way of advertising in NZ, but I think it does seem factually correct. But IMO buying a product you don't want as part of the package, shouldn't be factored into the savings.

I think "up to" is very common. No sales have all products at the same discount. Some, and probably only a few are the max discount, many are less, and there are always exclusions. Apple products, Samsung phones, Surfaces, etc. And with Harvey Normal I think you also need a GE card. There are always these types of conditions. So we need to read the fine print that is provided in these ads. "Up to" makes this ad clear and factual IMHO

Goosey

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#2010397 9-May-2018 07:10

Hello OP.

Just curious as to how long it took you to realise that the 25% saving was made up of various components as you say?

Seconds, Minutes, Days?