Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) released a press release
on the complaints which it had recently dealt with.
The clinic operates in the UK.
Some people may find the arguments put forward by the advertiser (when
responding to the complaint) interesting!
I am not going to give it free advertising so am deleting the identifying
information.
Other people may not know or may forget that in many/most/all countries one
can make complaints about any ads that one sees that one finds misleading.
In Ireland, this has recently been extended to internet advertising so I may
complain about one or more Google ads I see when I search for "chronic
fatigue syndrome" and the like. But I only have limited time and energy.
It'd be good if other people complained about ads they saw.
Tom
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Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI)
Bulletin 09/7
Batch No. 190
Ref 12439
Product Health
Advertiser xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Agency
Medium Press
Complaint
Advertisement:
The advertisement stated "ME - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Over 1,000 people
successfully recovered at our ME/CFS Clinic. Next recovery course Dublin
29th - 31st July 2009 (5 places left). Apply now - Free Assessment.
www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
Complaint:
The complainant considered that the advertisement breached Sections 8.1,
8.4, 8.5, 8.6(d) and 8.13 of the Code. He challenged the claim that over
1,000 people had successfully recovered and requested that the advertisers
substantiate such a claim.
2006 Code 2.38 8.1 8.5
2002 Code
Response
The advertiser said that he had documentary evidence which proved his claim
that "over 1,000 people had successfully recovered at" the ME/CFS clinics.
He said that such documentary evidence was founded in the correspondence
from clients' post-treatment.
In relation to Section 8.5 of the Code he said that he was not offering a
product or treatment for serious or prolonged ailments or conditions which
required the attention of a registered medical or other qualified
practitioner.
He said that he did not offer treatment or a product, rather stress
management, Life Coaching and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Training and that
he was a qualified practitioner in each of these disciplines.
In addition he said that the training he offered was not a replacement for
medical advice or treatment, that he was a therapist not a medical doctor
and that he did not diagnose clients. He explained that the training took
place in the form of a lecture and that at no time did he administer any
form of treatment.
Prior to part-taking in the course, he said that clients were given full
information about the course via an initial application and a free telephone
assessment. From these the person's suitability for the course was
ascertained. Where a customer is not satisfied on the first day of the
training course a full money back guarantee was offered.
Conclusion
Complaint Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint and the
advertisers' response. The Committee noted that the reference to '1,000
successfully recovered' was to testimonials received by the advertisers.
They did not consider that this represented adequate substantiation for the
absolute claim in the advertisement.
Action Required:
The advertisement must not run in its current format again.
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