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EnergyCash4Gold rapped for misleading advert
Filed under: Your Rights
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Musadeq Sadeq/AP/Press Association Images
So what did the firm do wrong, and how can you get a good price for selling your gold?
The advert
The advert in question was promoting a Cash For Gold Calculator on the website. It said "What is your gold worth?" and allowed customers to enter the weight and carat of their gold to be given a price figure.It also included a section with the headline: "What Are Your Current Gold Prices?" which listed various prices for different carats of gold. Text underneath stated "*The gold price changes daily and so does the price we pay. We always keep inline with the market price so if the gold goes up we pay more!"
After sending their gold into the website, one consumer was shocked to find that the sum they received for their gold was far less than had been shown on the calculator, so they complained that the advert had been misleading.
Misleading
The Advertising Standards Authority agreed. It said: "Consumers were likely to understand that the figure given by the gold calculator was an approximate one, and may not tally exactly with the price offered for their gold. However, we also considered they would expect the figure given by the calculator, and the listed prices for gold, to be close to the amount offered to most consumers sending in that carat of gold. As we had not been provided with any evidence this was the case, we concluded the gold calculator and listed prices for gold were misleading."It demanded that the advert must be changed, so that it no longer stated or implied that the listed prices would be close to the amount offered to most customers - unless they could prove it was true.
Falling prices
The complaint is a reflection of the fact that people are receiving less for their second-hand gold than previously. Henry Lancaster, Senior Investment Analyst at Coutts, says that the price of gold has been falling slightly for the past year, as demand from India and China has dropped, and the demand for jewellery has fallen 13%. There has been a brief rally recently, but the movement of the dollar against the rupee has made gold expensive in India, and hit demand hard.He expects the price to start increasing again, as central banks buy more gold, but in the interim, sellers have been receiving less for their old gold.
Get more
The advice from the experts is to think carefully how you sell your gold. It pays to understand what you have before you sell. You need to know the karat before you know how much it is worth when sold on. You also need to know whether the designer is well-known or popular. If you have a designer piece, it may be worth more when sold as second-hand jewellery rather than melted down and sold for its gold.And finally, you need to shop around. Take it to a reputable jeweller, try a jewellery party, and if you send it away to a mail-away service, bear in mind that you really don't have to accept their offer. There's no guarantee of who is most likely to offer you the most value for your gold, but if you are going to part with your jewellery, you need to be sure you are getting good value for it.
Advertising's most sexist ads
- Try quitting<p> <em>"A woman is only a woman but a good cigar is a smoke".</em> <em>Only</em> a woman? Feminists would take issue at the "only" adverb, and the idea that any human being of either gender is inferior to a cancer-inducing product from <strong>Benson & Hedges</strong>.</p> <p> <br /> Don't blame the ad men completely. That ad tag line is actually the evil work of one Rudyard Kipling. From a poem he penned called "The Bethrothed".</p>
- Target of desire<p> Now, does anyone have any questions about archery? Clearly <strong>Bear Archery</strong> in the 1970s thought this was clever: this time it's the woman's that's the hunter, not the man.<br /> <br /> She's also bare, of course, too. <em>Uh-huh</em>. The ad men who put this together must have thought they were very smart. <em>It's all about the hunt, guys.</em></p>
- The grateful sex<p> Now this <em>is</em> a creepy ad: <em>"I have created a playground for men's hands</em>." <strong>Armando Ghedini</strong> created wigs "for other men who adore women". This wig was also wash'n'wear. Nice.</p> <p> <br /> The thoughtful signor Ghedini had also designed a wig to be combed in any direction, "for men to tousle". Men, he said, become "inspired" by women who wore it and women, Ghedini added, were grateful.</p>
- VW's low point<p> VW advertising has often been self-deprecating and clever. In 1960s America their ads were phenomenally successful, persuading thousands of Americans to ditch large thirsty home-made offerings for the company's cramped, noisy but economical Beetle.<br /> <br /> Their ads flattered the intelligence of the American middle class. But this ad depicing a bashed-up VW bug? <em>"Sooner or later your wife will drive home one of the best reasons for owning a Volkswagen".</em> Not their female customers, clearly. What <em>were</em> they thinking?</p>
- Get them talking, pointing and complaining<p> Similarly, Easyjet<strong> </strong>also thought that a pair of ample breasts would be enough to help ticket sales. This ad dates back to 2003 when George Bush, Dick Cheney and Tony Blair were getting very animated about those hard-to-find weapons of mass destruction.</p> <p> <br /> This particular ad garnered around 200 complaints to the Advertising Council and also escaped any ticking off. And plenty of publicity of course. It all worked out beautifully for Easyjet. Tits away, Stelios.</p>
- It's typing, silly, not writing<p> Car manufacturers and cigarette companies are regular sexist offenders. Here Italian typewriter maker Olivetti peddles the idea that young women are passive, servants ready to transcribe boardroom minutes at a moment's notice.</p> <p> <br /> Where are Olivetti now in the global brand firmament?.<em> Join the Olivetti girls</em>. At ease, ladies, <em>please</em>.</p>
- A tad dated<p> Melon distributor F.H.Hogue of California thought his melons were pretty buxom and wanted to spread the word. Ho-ho, Mr Hogue.</p>
- Home sweet home<p> There are plenty more examples and we'll be looking at more anther time. In the meantime let's leave with a woman knowing exactly where she should be (in the home, honey).<br /> <br /> Here is a 1970s shoe ad from a brand called <strong>Weyenberg</strong>. You may find it hard to track down a Weyenberg shoe today however.</p>
- Not an automatic choice<p> However, not all car makers followed such a well-worn patronising path. Back in the 1970s Honda in the US reversed the idea that women always needed cars with simple, easy-to-drive automatic gearboxes.</p> <p> <br /> Despite offering both a manual and auto gearbox, neither was "a women's car" Honda stated firmly. Note the jaunty hat and jeans. A stab at selling to the US lesbian community? Or an independent straight girl fed up with stereotypes. Good for Honda.</p>
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