Islander wins delivery battle over misleading TV ad

An online store that claimed to ‘deliver anywhere’ in its TV ad, lost a battle started by a costumer living on the Scottish Shetland Islands who complained the ad is misleading because the company refused to deliver to the Scottish Island.

Achica is a firm that describes itself as a ‘members-only store offering luxury brands at discounted prices’. The company’s ad shows a man sitting on high-backed chairs in the middle of a field with the text: ‘I found just what I wanted in the middle of nowhere’. Achica also claims to ‘deliver anywhere you can get online’.

Not cost effective
The complainant is one of the 22.200 people living on the Shetland Islands, which lays more than 100 miles from the mainland of Scotland. He ordered online but did not receive some of the items. Achica states that some larger items were not being delivered to the Islands whereas it requires two delivery people and is not cost effective.

Advertising Standards Authority agrees
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) agrees the ad is misleading and stated: ‘We considered the on-screen text ‘I found just what I wanted in the middle of nowhere’ along with the voice-over ‘Great brands … available anywhere you can get online’ gave consumers the impression that dependent on an internet connection, consumers could order online and that Achica would deliver any product ordered, even if a customer lived in a remote location.’ The ASA ordered Achica to ensure any delivery restrictions were ‘clearly stated’ from now on.