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Misleading NatEx advert at Stansted airport

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Shimbleshanks

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I spotted this advert pasted to the window of an airport shuttle bus at Stansted Airport on Thursday night.

In case the picture isn't clear, the first panel says:
Travel Alert: No direct trains to London Today.
Click to expand...
It then goes on to say that:
National Express Coaches are running as normal
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...and there's a QR code to book tickets.

The trains were absolutely fine that evening and, according to Realtime Trains, had been all day. I wonder how many people have been duped into an excruciating two-hour coach journey to Victoria because of this?

I might put in a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, assuming it still exists.
 

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RustySpoons

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If you didn't know any different I can see many tourists being caught out by that, especially if they'd just come off a long haul flight and were tired!
 
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Shimbleshanks

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RustySpoons said:
If you didn't know any different I can see many tourists being caught out by that, especially if they'd just come off a long haul flight and were tired!
Click to expand...
This country, and London in particular, has a reputation for fleecing tourists and visitors. I'm not particularly proud of it. I've brought the post to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority, though I don't know if anything will come of it.
 
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SuspectUsual

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Shimbleshanks said:
This country, and London in particular, has a reputation for fleecing tourists and visitors. I'm not particularly proud of it. I've brought the post to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority, though I don't know if anything will come of it.
Click to expand...

I’ve only dealt with the ASA once and they were excellent - it was to do with a huge poster in a branch of Sports Direct with a completely misleading statement on it about a discount *

They replied to me saying they agreed it was wrong and that they had instructed for it to be taken down and not used again. So as good a result as Joe Public could hope for. Let’s hope you get a similar outcome

* i can’t remember the details but it was to do with a £20 discount voucher you could get by spending £50+ but it implied the discount could be used against that transaction not a subsequent one
 
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Shimbleshanks

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SuspectUsual said:
I’ve only dealt with the ASA once and they were excellent - it was to do with a huge poster in a branch of Sports Direct with a completely misleading statement on it about a discount *

They replied to me saying they agreed it was wrong and that they had instructed for it to be taken down and not used again. So as good a result as Joe Public could hope for. Let’s hope you get a similar outcome

* i can’t remember the details but it was to do with a £20 discount voucher you could get by spending £50+ but it implied the discount could be used against that transaction not a subsequent one
Click to expand...
That's reassuring to hear. I had occasion to contact Trading Standards about something a few years ago and found that the service had been completely dumbed down. The public could only contact them through the Citizens' Advice Bureau website which carried the warning that there was no guarantee that the issue would actually be taken up. I never even got an email acknowledgement of my complaint.
 
Sealink

Sealink

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SuspectUsual said:
I’ve only dealt with the ASA once and they were excellent - it was to do with a huge poster in a branch of Sports Direct with a completely misleading statement on it about a discount *

They replied to me saying they agreed it was wrong and that they had instructed for it to be taken down and not used again. So as good a result as Joe Public could hope for. Let’s hope you get a similar outcome

* i can’t remember the details but it was to do with a £20 discount voucher you could get by spending £50+ but it implied the discount could be used against that transaction not a subsequent one
Click to expand...

My problem is that some companies will chance it over and over, after all the removal notice only happens after its reported, so lots of people will have been misled. Ryanair were experts at this.
 
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Simon75

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Shimbleshanks said:
This country, and London in particular, has a reputation for fleecing tourists and visitors. I'm not particularly proud of it. I've brought the post to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority, though I don't know if anything will come of it.
Click to expand...
I think you will find a lot of other countries do that aswell !
 
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AndrewE

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Shimbleshanks said:
That's reassuring to hear. I had occasion to contact Trading Standards about something a few years ago and found that the service had been completely dumbed down. The public could only contact them through the Citizens' Advice Bureau website which carried the warning that there was no guarantee that the issue would actually be taken up. I never even got an email acknowledgement of my complaint.
Click to expand...
I had a similar problem with trying to get Trading Standards in Essex (I think it was) to follow up the non-delivery of a garden tool that I had bought online.

I was diverted off into government approved websites, which didn't help at all, so I wrote to the CEO of the County Council f.a.o. the head of trading standards... it did the trick.

I got a phone call from a TS officer who tried to mediate ("Would I accept something other than exactly what I had ordered?" I said No) and they persuaded the trader to actually supply what I had ordered. I guess he made a loss on it by having to buy it in there and then.

In my view, it served him right, as he shouldn't have advertised without intention of delivering what he was offering.
 
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Shimbleshanks

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AndrewE said:
I had a similar problem with trying to get Trading Standards in Essex (I think it was) to follow up the non-delivery of a garden tool that I had bought online.

I was diverted off into government approved websites, which didn't help at all, so I wrote to the CEO of the County Council f.a.o. the head of trading standards... it did the trick.

I got a phone call from a TS officer who tried to mediate ("Would I accept something other than exactly what I had ordered?" I said No) and they persuaded the trader to actually supply what I had ordered. I guess he made a loss on it by having to buy it in there and then.

In my view, it served him right, as he shouldn't have advertised without intention of delivering what he was offering.
Click to expand...
The County Council chief is a good tip - I might try that if I ever have cause.
In my case, which was a company failing to deliver a pallet of woodchips having taken my money, I'd already recovered the money through my bank so I didn't pursue it.
The only reason why I wanted to take it to Trading Standards was to prevent other people being duped. But, unfortunately, they didn't seem to take it up and, for all I know, this guy is still out taking peoples' money.
 
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Titfield

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I would also be inclined to report it to the Traffic Commissioner as well as misleading advertising goes against the repute of the operator.
 
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