An advertisement for popular auction site eBay has recently come under fierce criticism and drew flakes from the Advertising Standards Authority. The advertisement in question showed a coffee machine available for £100, which a customer was unable to find. The ASA has upheld the complaint against the advertisement stating the ad was completely misleading.
Besides coffee machine, the advert also featured a chair, apparently being sold for under £50, and a Le Creuset set for under £80. The prices were linked to the eBay site. The company in its defense argued that their intention was to advertise examples of generic items available on the website.
However, the ASA in its ruling stated, ‘all the items depicted in the ad should have been available for the whole time the ad appeared, and as soon as the items were no longer available the ad should have been withdrawn’. The company has reportedly withdrawn the ads immediately.
