Watchdog tells property firm not to repeat misleading claims
The Advertising Standards Authority rules that company's adverts for holiday development were misleading.
A property firm has been told not to repeat ads suggesting a holiday park could be used as a main residence.
Heritage Park Estates was found to have issued a misleading advert in a national newspaper for its Bendochy Park development in Perthshire, Scotland.
Text in the ad read: “Heritage Park Estates are proud to announce their brand new development of 43 bespoke built lodges … your dream home built your way”. It also said the park was open 365 days a year.
Investigation
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated after a complainant, who understood that the development was a holiday park, challenged whether the ad misleadingly implied that the properties could be a main home.
There were several further references to the units at the park in Blairgowrie being ‘homes’.
The ASA considered that consumers would understand from the ad that the units available could be used as a main residence.
Response to ASA
In response, Heritage Park Estates Ltd said that there might have been issues with aspects of the wording of the ad.
It confirmed that the lodges available for purchase at the park could not be used as sole residences, and were intended for holiday use only.
The company said that because the word ‘lodge’ had been used extensively, rather than ‘home’, and the word ‘residential’ had not featured in the ad, it did not think it would mislead customers.
Steps taken
All paperwork and contracts relating to a potential purchase of a lodge clearly stated that they were for holiday use only, and required the purchaser provide their main residence address.
Steps had now been taken to ensure future ads were in line with the requirements of the CAP Code covering advertising, the company said.
Read more about recent ASA decisions.
