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Adverts for British Gas have been banned for being misleading.
The ads about the HomeCare service, which first aired in February, generated 24 complaints from customers.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed that the advert was misleading for suggesting that emergency callouts were available to all customers at short notice.
Over 87% of the complaints said they had either been waiting for up to three weeks for an emergency callout or were informed that one could not be provided due to severe limitations on services because of the COVID-19 pandemic and strike action.
Thirteen customers told the ASA that they had been waiting several months for an annual boiler service or were told that one could not be provided because of COVID or strike reasons.
British Gas said they were subject to extensive industrial action from January to March 2021 and, coupled with the pandemic, that meant that some customers had to wait longer than they would have liked for a visit from an engineer.
The TV ads had been commissioned and recorded before the third lockdown and the full impact of industrial action became clear and they added that a range of measures were implemented to help customers, including paying for customers to buy heaters up to a value of £50 or to cover the cost of transport to a friend’s or relative’s house.
A British Gas spokeswoman said: “We’re disappointed at the outcome and are seeking an independent review of the council’s decision, which is contrary to the original ASA recommendations and Clearcast’s views.
“We actually completed more emergency and vulnerable customer visits in the first quarter of this year compared to the first quarter last year, despite COVID and industrial action which has now ended – seeing over half a million customers in total.
“We know there will have been…
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Source : skynews
