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Two Purplebricks radio ads referred to advertising watchdog

Hybrid agent agrees to be clearer in future advertising that it does charge a fee for its service.

Nigel Lewis

purplebricks

Purplebricks has agreed to be clearer in its advertising that customers are charged a fee for its service.

The announcement comes after a member of the public complained to The Advertising Standards Authority recently after hearing two radio ads by the hybrid agent.

The complainant claimed that the ads were not sufficiently clear whether Purplebricks charged a fee for its service, and the agency has given assurances that future ads will be clearer following an informal agreement with the ASA rather than a full judgement.

This is the 12th time Purplebricks has been referred to the ASA since it started up in 2015.

Tipi point

Purplebricks is not the only property firm to be referred to the ASA this week. Tipi, a letting business that specialises in build-to-rent properties set up by developer Quintain in 2015, was referred to the watchdog over a billboard poster advert and advertising copy on its website that claimed tenants paid ‘no deposit’ when renting via Tipi.

The complainant said the two adverts were contradictory because several properties available to rent featured ‘smaller deposits’, a claim that Tipi has now agreed to remove and add ‘appropriate disclaimers’.

Tipi is one of several build-to-rent lettings operators in the UK whose main schtick is to offer tenants no fees, zero deposits and both utilities and broadband included in the rent, in its case at the developments it operates in Wembley, North London.

Read more about Purplebricks and the ASA.

October 3, 2018

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