The ASA has ordered Dell to change its printer advertising to
make it clear that printers do not come with cables. Cables for a
£59 Dell printer cost around £14 and therefore are a significant
cost in the context of the printer price, said the ASA.
A newspaper advert showcased a printer which a customer bought.
No cable came with the printer which could connect it to the
customer's computer, so that customer made a complaint.
The ASA upheld the complaint, saying that the advert breached
the 'truthfulness' clause of its Code.
"We noted that it was essential to have a cable to use the
printer and that a cable was likely to cost approximately £14,"
said the ruling. "We considered this was a significant cost in
relation to the price of the printer. We considered the ad gave the
impression that the printer could be used in conjunction with a
computer without the purchase of any further equipment and that the
natural expectation among customers was that a cable would be
included in the advertised price unless the ad specifically stated
that it was not."
"The ad breached CAP Code clause 7.1 (Truthfulness). We told
Dell to ensure their ads stated that cables were not included in
the advertised prices for printers in future, if that was the
case," said the ASA.
Dell had said that it did not supply cables because it believed
that most customers were likely to have their own cable already and
would not want a new one.
