purplenbricks

CIELA waits to see if advertising watchdog decision will go its way

The rolling war of attrition between The Charter for Independent Estate and Letting Agents (CIELA) and Purplebricks has witnessed its latest battle. CIELA says it has been receiving weekly updates from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regarding its complaint about the hybrid agent’s “misleading representations” within its website and TV advertising. In its statement released to media outlets, CIELA is clearly confident that its arguments to the ASA have done the trick, and that “we look forward to the outcome”. Although CIELA admits that nothing within Purplebricks’ communications is inaccurate, it says the company’s comparisons of its up-front flat fee with a tradition agent’s commission is “irresponsible and misleading”. Elements of its complaint to the ASA were repeated within a Daily Telegraph article published in May, in which CIELA chief executive Charlie Wright questioned Purplebricks’ high completed sales claims. Following the article, CIELA was contacted by Purplebricks’ lawyers and, after responding, CIELA says it has not heard anything since, saying it was “nothing but sabre rattling and a hollow threat”. Membership drive CIELA has also revealed why it believes the number of agents joining the organisation has not been as large as expected. “The last three months have been absolutely…

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