Virgin slapped down by ASA. again

[Toto]

Fallen foul of advertising watchdog.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/231045/a...dband-ads.html

Sorry if this has already been posted, please feel free to merge, I did riun a quick forum search, honest.

[on in an hour!]

Originally Posted by Toto

Fallen foul of advertising watchdog.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/231045/a...dband-ads.html

Sorry if this has already been posted, please feel free to merge, I did riun a quick forum search, honest.

1 complaint from sky,2 from joe public,hardly an outcry!!
VM are claiming their through speed can be reached whereas other ISP's claim 'up to' speeds,(which have never been proven extensively)the ASA ruled that the public wouldnt be able to differentiate between the 2 so found in favour of the 3 complainants..beggers belief..seems ASA think we are all thickies.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by on in an hour!

1 complaint from sky,2 from joe public,hardly an outcry!!

Well it shows some balance, Virgin did have a ten point complaint against them previously that was not upheld on all counts.

However I agree, the term outcry is a little tabloid.

[deltanine]

Its a shame that they got `slapped down` for basically the ASA dumbing down the british publics understanding of broadband speeds.

I guess when 50Mb comes out they will be able to take back the crown of having the fastest `upto` speed

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by on in an hour!

1 complaint from sky,2 from joe public,hardly an outcry!!
VM are claiming their through speed can be reached whereas other ISP's claim 'up to' speeds,(which have never been proven extensively)the ASA ruled that the public wouldnt be able to differentiate between the 2 so found in favour of the 3 complainants..beggers belief..seems ASA think we are all thickies.

How many people though can be bothered to write to the ASA, how many even know they exist?

The tabloid angle of the article is pants, and the ASA's understanding of broadband is dubious, however here they're probably about right.

Remember also that all ISPs advertise 'up to' for various reasons - have a closer look at the adjudication and note that even VM's 20Mbit tests through Epitiro averaged around 10Mbit.

While the ASA may think we're all thickies nearly all advertising people do, it's their job

---------- Post added at 18:30 ---------- Previous post was at 18:27 ----------

Originally Posted by deltanine

Its a shame that they got `slapped down` for basically the ASA dumbing down the british publics understanding of broadband speeds.

I think you overestimate the British public's understanding of broadband speeds there, it's why DSL advertisements have to note that speeds may be lower due to line quality, people still think they'll get that advertised speed 24x7. Some do, some don't!

I've complained to the ASA in the past about an advertisement, when Virgin Media started advertising fibre optic broadband. I've also however written regarding other ads from broadband suppliers as well, my main bones being badly performing ISPs advertising super fast servers and especially ISPs with FUPs punishing heavier users advertising unlimited broadband.

I would actually quite like to see advertisements listing not only maximum speeds but also an average speed for their service, based on industry approved and standardised testing metrics, and no service that throttles speeds being listed as unlimited, along with it being made clear that services which do so shape certain protocols and types of traffic.

However that wouldn't be very good advertising now, would it, as testing shows that even the better performing higher speed services only average perhaps 50% of maximum performance going by VM's Epitiro data.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by on in an hour!

1 complaint from sky,2 from joe public,hardly an outcry!!
VM are claiming their through speed can be reached whereas other ISP's claim 'up to' speeds,(which have never been proven extensively)the ASA ruled that the public wouldnt be able to differentiate between the 2 so found in favour of the 3 complainants..beggers belief..seems ASA think we are all thickies.

But you know that what Virgin claimed were lies. that's why it matters. if we all thought you need more than 3 complaints to make it an untruth, then we might as well just let anyone say anything they want.

there are people that believe what they are told and what they read. then there are others that know it's all a pack of lies

[Toto]

OK, who got 20:15 in the pool for the Gary L "lets diss VM comment on every chance I get"?

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by Toto

OK, who got 20:15 in the pool for the Gay L "lets diss VM comment on every chance I get"?

Not sure, but I had 21:00 in the 'First Person to Attract A Moderator's Attention by Dragging the Thread Off Topic with a Needless Dig at Another Poster' pool.....

---------- Post added at 21:04 ---------- Previous post was at 21:03 ----------

<HINT> Subtle comment that includes very string suggestion as to the future direction of this thread </HINT>

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Rob M

Not sure, but I had 21:00 in the 'First Person to Attract A Moderator's Attention by Dragging the Thread Off Topic with a Needless Dig at Another Poster' pool.....

What you win?

And I thought my post was on topic considering I started it

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Toto

OK, who got 20:15 in the pool for the Gay L "lets diss VM comment on every chance I get"?

Hi pal, any chance you can spell my name correctly? it looks like you're being homophobic

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Hi pal, any chance you can spell my name correctly? it looks like you're being homophobic

YIKES..........sorry, correcting it now.

[Magilla]

Originally Posted by Toto

Fallen foul of advertising watchdog.

Quite. I've just recieved a flyer through the post which contained the same misleading statements.

I think the ASA have got it right this time.

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

How many people though can be bothered to write to the ASA, how many even know they exist?

Well, I know they exist, and I have complained to them about NTL in the past - when they ran an ad in a regional newspaper touting one of the benefits of broadband as being that you could download Spiderman off the internet before it was even in the cinema.

They may well have actually meant you could download the trailer off the internet, but even so ...

We had a thread about it on here, right back in the very early days of this site (because there was a near-identical thread going on at nthw.com at the same time). I was applauded and pilloried in equal measure.

Those were the days ...

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Chris

I was applauded and pilloried in equal measure.

Those were the days ...

Hey, those days can be easily revived,you just say the word

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Toto

Hey, those days can be easily revived,you just say the word

It's here if you are that interested