UK advertising watchdog upholds complaint against ntl direct mailing

Internet Business News, April 3, 2003

INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A customer in Wales recently complained to the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over a direct mailing from ntl Group Ltd.

The mailing offered "guaranteed" pre-Christmas installation on all orders for broadband Internet which were placed on or before 16 December 2002. The complainant ordered before this date, mentioning the mailing in his telephone call, but was told that it was not possible for the service to be installed before Christmas.

In response ntl stated that it had not experienced any difficulties in fulfilling demand in Wales, and claimed that the complainant had not specifically asked for pre-Christmas installation.

However the ASA believed that the claim "Guaranteed pre Christmas install on all orders made on or before 16th December" implied that all customers who ordered broadband by 16 December would be offered an installation before 25 December. The Authority also noted from ntl's order data that not all customers in Wales who had asked, by 16 December, for broadband installation had received it by Christmas.

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