I recently complained to the ASA about a “Cotton Traders” ad for clothes by post which added in an “insurance” charge – albeit with an asterisk to a note below. This note showed that the insurance in fact only ensured that the stuff arrived in 7 days, and did not cover the goods themselves (and anyway it’s the company’s responsibility to ensure the stuff does arrived). Pretty well worthless – but even worse, it was in 5.2 point type-face, which I was unable to read, even with glasses.
The ASA – the Advertising Standards Authority – rejected my complaint, saying 5.2 point was quite large enough! This means they are quite happy that people will have paid for the absolutely unnecessary insurance (which, together with the postage, came to 35% of the cost of the article).
Again and again we hear that self-regulation works for consumers, i.e. allowing an industry to police itself, albeit with some independents appointed to is committees. How many more consumers get ripped off by such supposed systems? I often complain about such things to test the system. When I get such a poor response as this, I want to take it further, but need more examples. I’d therefore be interested in hearing whether other consumers have had a bad experience.
We get ‘bad’ experiences and ‘rips-off’; but mainly “shoddy” and insisdious little “personal human energy-time” wasters.
That is why you don’t hear participative-democracy between elections;
nor ‘no-lose’ problem solving when things are bewildering, not right, or ‘plain bad’:
we have simply and exhaustedly run out of personal human-energies and timeframes.
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Websites are also rife with such time and energy wasters;
and include some quite unnecessary “security” revolving-doors.
Both governmental and ‘knowledge/educational’ sites are also highly “client-need-avoidant”, “trivia-derivative”, and “value-added” [profiteering-runaway and run-around] skilled
at ripping off the public or the disadvantaged real-lifesupport seeker.
And as a little sunday school girl answered the priest’s question “How will you keep yourself good ?” Answer: ” I will stay away from those places and people that cause me to sin”.
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[Thus I would recommend turning away from waste-mongering organisations, individuals, and websites,
and pursuing one’s own genericly affordable and sustainworthy life guidances ,
for one’s own individual holistic health and human-ness:
from lists of such genuine life-guidances published by honest, up-to-date-and-going-ahead leaders, a goodly essential lists have been made copyable from “Key Foundations” in the not-for-profit ‘Towards a Sustainworthy Earth-Citizenship’ website http://www.lifefresh.co.uk . ]
One of the more bizarre lies from banks was realised when I was asked where I bought petrol. Apparently, my spending is tracked and put up as a security question. Also, apparently, I only buy petrol from one provider.
I can’t begin to know what goes through the brains behind this farce, and I’m running out of banks willing to process my money. I realise I am most fortunate in being married to someone whose sensibilities were neutered from an early age when he joined the Socialist Workers Party.
@ Tizres:
If I were you I would worry far more about the ‘Capitalist’ workers exploitation party, as the bankers and banks robbed our society in a way the Communists never did.
In fact, if you do a little research you will see and hear the previous communist countries have thousands of people who wish they had remained socialists rather than wished they were inside the Capitalist regime they signed up to.
So Maude. Explain how you’re beloved socialist have made such a mess of the socialist welfare state?
Last figures published by the ONS had the debt at 5,010 bn pounds. A billion is 1,000 million.
It’s socialist, because the money was redistributed.
it’s not capitalist, because there is no capital.
It’s not neo liberal, because it pre dates neo liberalism.
It’s bankrupt, and not a bank or banker involved.
It’s awful value.
Mr Median’s NI contributions come to 2225.28 + 2559.07 = 4784.35 a year
Over 47 years that is 224864.45 in value paid in
He gets back £113.10 a week for an average of 18 years.
That’s 105861.6 in value back.
Where’s the morality of ripping him (or her) off?
@ Blagger:
Indeed you are a joy to behold.
Which socialists are you referring to? We haven’t had any in our Commons or Lords for decades. I think Skinner is the only one left.
And do you really believe this so called privatisation of our welfare system, prisons, et al, is gong to be the cure all? Don’t make me laugh. There is no such thing as privatisation. It is tax payer funded Capitalism, or, socialism for the wealthy and Capitalism for the poor.
I am going to add links to broaden your relentless stubborn intelligence but no doubt you will ignore it, as always. Too close to ruining your little gravy train is that.
http://www.maxkeiser.com/2015/02/kr723-keiser-report-sovietization-of-capitalism/comment-page-1/
And here is a success story we should be following with glee. Iceland.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/traceygreenstein/2013/02/20/icelands-stabilized-economy-is-a-surprising-success-story/
Time to throw all three deranged politically correct parties out and find a real socialist party to move in and repair our broken society.
One that has the political requirements to understand the population are the wealth makers, not the sit on their arses fat cats who do nothing but suck the life out of the working population.
Here is a good start as ten front running priorities.
http://www.debatingeurope.eu/2014/04/18/support-european-lefts-manifesto/#.VPAPCC7_Fdc
It’s the banks money when its paid to the petrol company. That’s the legal set up. They then take the money from you.
If the petrol company is a fraudster, then the bank is liable not you.
My own experience with the ASA – 17 months since I first referred an ad to them. Cpmplaint rejected; appeal to the Independent Reviewer; complaint referred back (that is an abbreviated account). Still waiting. Apparently the ASA does not regard itself as bound to follow due process like other bodies, (that is, the requirement to hear both sides & treat them equally); is content with impressionistic descriptions rather than facts; and employs “investigators” patently devoid of the necessary (in my case) expertise. I plan to go on the warpath.