Advertising Standards and DeLorean and Ling - THANKS

[Strawman]

Laugh, good thread, I did look at your website a few months ago and was amused by the DeLorean advert, I seem to remember it did say not actually available (or something similar).

[Ling Valentine]

Strawman said:

Laugh, good thread, I did look at your website a few months ago and was amused by the DeLorean advert, I seem to remember it did say not actually available (or something similar).

VINDICATED!!! Please tell a) pedantic idiots on here who are moaning, b) ASA.

Ta.

Ling

[ali4390]

I've found this thread and the whole ASA situation very funny. Agree that you shouldn't have been reported and I like the way you dealt with the whole thing.

Question to the mods though: How the hell is

Ling Valentine said:

Easy to confuse me with a full-franchise dealer. Except my new cars are far, far cheaper.

Ling

not advertising? This thread surely opens the gates for any business owner to make it well known what their business is before starting a thread in which they make similar comments to the above.

[Fire99]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

But the ASA does allow leeway for false claims, when it's clearly a joke. Does any bloke who sprays on Linx seriously expect hordes of beautiful women to throw themselves at him. Could I complain to the ASA that despite eating Ferraro Roche chocolates, I have still yet to be appointed an ambassador by HM Govt, whereby I can throw glamerous parties in my embassy!

That did tickle me. Also if I eat Ferraro Roche, will my mouth and the words coming out, strangely go out of sync with eachother?? That would perhaps offer me a whole new career.

[Sixpackpert]

ali4390 said:

Question to the mods though: How the hell is

Ling Valentine said:

Easy to confuse me with a full-franchise dealer. Except my new cars are far, far cheaper.

Ling

not advertising? This thread surely opens the gates for any business owner to make it well known what their business is before starting a thread in which they make similar comments to the above.

Agreed.

I also dislike Ling constantly calling anyone that has an opinion that differs to hers idiots/nits etc etc. I really do think she is quite an unpleasant person.

[Ling Valentine]

I need to be VERY VERY afraid:

The ASA has a range of sanctions at its disposal. Unfortunately, it is a non-statutory body so cannot impose fines or take advertisers to court.

---

Sanctions include:

The weekly publication of ASA adjudications which attract media attention. (ohno, free SEO!)

Request the removal or amendment of an advertisement. But has no power to demand that. (I refuse)

Ask the traditional media to consider the withdrawal or removal of trading privileges (Adverts are on my own website, so are not subject to this).

Pre-vetting, in which persistent offenders must have their materials vetted prior to publication. (Only applies to paid adverts in a traditional environment)

The ASA can refer non-broadcast advertisers that refuse to work within self-regulation to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for misleading or unfair advertising. (I would love them to try that. I don't think the OFT would touch this with a bargepole.)

---

It's very scary, eh?

Ling

[Strawman]

ali4390 said:

not advertising? This thread surely opens the gates for any business owner to make it well known what their business is before starting a thread in which they make similar comments to the above.

Because in the four years she's been a member here she's averaged less than one post a month, it's not like she's spamming the site with boring threads about the great lease deals she has available.

[randlemarcus]

Ling Valentine said:

I need to be VERY VERY afraid:

The ASA has a range of sanctions at its disposal. Unfortunately, it is a non-statutory body so cannot impose fines or take advertisers to court.

---

Sanctions include:

The weekly publication of ASA adjudications which attract media attention. (ohno, free SEO!)

Request the removal or amendment of an advertisement. But has no power to demand that. (I refuse)

Ask the traditional media to consider the withdrawal or removal of trading privileges (Adverts are on my own website, so are not subject to this).

Pre-vetting, in which persistent offenders must have their materials vetted prior to publication. (Only applies to paid adverts in a traditional environment)

The ASA can refer non-broadcast advertisers that refuse to work within self-regulation to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for misleading or unfair advertising. (I would love them to try that. I don't think the OFT would touch this with a bargepole.)

---

It's very scary, eh?

Ling

Must admit, this whole thing is amusing me. The sanctions do seem to be a little reminscent of "immediate cessation of chocolate rations".

[drivin_me_nuts]

Ling Valentine said:

I need to be VERY VERY afraid:

The ASA has a range of sanctions at its disposal. Unfortunately, it is a non-statutory body so cannot impose fines or take advertisers to court.

---

Sanctions include:

The weekly publication of ASA adjudications which attract media attention. (ohno, free SEO!)

Request the removal or amendment of an advertisement. But has no power to demand that. (I refuse)

Ask the traditional media to consider the withdrawal or removal of trading privileges (Adverts are on my own website, so are not subject to this).

Pre-vetting, in which persistent offenders must have their materials vetted prior to publication. (Only applies to paid adverts in a traditional environment)

The ASA can refer non-broadcast advertisers that refuse to work within self-regulation to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for misleading or unfair advertising. (I would love them to try that. I don't think the OFT would touch this with a bargepole.)

---

It's very scary, eh?

Ling

... but do you not think you're close to the tipping point where people will just say 'hold on, she's not just feisty, she really does have a screw loose'. You persist with what comes across as obsessional behaviour and your business is more than likely to suffer. It's all very well you talk about how great your cust service etc is, but with all due respect you are beginning to sound just a little bit all too much.

Give it a rest and go do what you're good at.

[ali4390]

Strawman said:

ali4390 said:

not advertising? This thread surely opens the gates for any business owner to make it well known what their business is before starting a thread in which they make similar comments to the above.

Because in the four years she's been a member here she's averaged less than one post a month, it's not like she's spamming the site with boring threads about the great lease deals she has available.

Based on what you have said then someone can create an account now, come back in 12 months and start a similar thread in which they post 11 times about how great/cheap their business is without ever directly linking their website etc, and that is acceptable?

Watch out for a thread created by ali4390(2) in a few months thanking people for their support in a recent case involving ali4390(2).co.uk (never linking it in the thread but the site will be in the profile), insulting anyone who dares to have a different opinion and constantly reassuring people that the site offers products cheaper than competition.

Edited by ali4390 on Friday 12th April 11:08

[Ling Valentine]

randlemarcus said:

Must admit, this whole thing is amusing me. The sanctions do seem to be a little reminiscent of "immediate cessation of chocolate rations".

Yes, the whole premise of the ASA is that their censure is something companies would regret to have associated with themselves. Traditionally, that would always be the case.

But I have been amazed to find that the ASA is a complete paper tiger, staffed by idiots. They are a busted flush if you actually ask them what they can do to people who self-publish on their own websites. They have no actual power. You look them in the eye and call their bluff and ask what they can do...

Answer is: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

What happens when (as in this case) the perpetrator (me) regards censure by the ASA as a badge of honour and sees the listing on their well-respected PageRank5 authoritative site as a free PR exposure and SEO opportunity? The ASA even threaten me with free PR and free SEO: "This will appear as a natural search result on a Google search for ‘Lingscars.com’ so potential customers might see it." ... for me this is a stunning free opportunity on the ASA website, worth £ thousands.

The ASA Press Officer crows "One of the consequences of an upheld ASA ruling can be negative publicity for an advertiser." - well, that may be a substantial threat if you view the publicity as negative. But view the publicity as positive, replace the word, and you get "One of the consequences of an upheld ASA ruling can be POSITIVE publicity for an advertiser." WOW! Who wouldn't want some of THAT? FREE PUBLICITY! By an AUTHORITY!

The ASA website is trawled by media companies looking for stories. So far, I have had 4 x proper news stories published, including one on MSN cars, which is a big site. Each story has been written in a positive manner, making out the ASA to be the villains (or slightly dim). Suits me, as they are.

However, everyone should bear in mind that I did not start all this, all I have done is taken advantage and turned around a situation started by a vindictive poster (who we all agree was probably a Pistonhead).

Ling

Edited by Ling Valentine on Friday 12th April 11:13

Edited by Ling Valentine on Friday 12th April 11:14

Edited by Ling Valentine on Friday 12th April 11:17

Edited by Ling Valentine on Friday 12th April 11:17

[ferrari1]

Sixpackpert said:

Agreed.

I also dislike Ling constantly calling anyone that has an opinion that differs to hers idiots/nits etc etc. I really do think she is quite an unpleasant person.

Bore off.

Some people are so serious over such trivial things.

[Sixpackpert]

ferrari1 said:

Sixpackpert said:

Agreed.

I also dislike Ling constantly calling anyone that has an opinion that differs to hers idiots/nits etc etc. I really do think she is quite an unpleasant person.

Bore off.

Some people are so serious over such trivial things.

So I'm not allowed an opinion then? My god this place has got worse over the years.

So you don't mind being called an idiot then?

[ferrari1]

Sixpackpert said:

So I'm not allowed an opinion then? My god this place has got worse over the years.

So you don't mind being called an idiot then?

You can have your opinion, and I just had mine, about you.

I dont mind you being called an idiot at all.

Smile a little, its only the internet.

[Pothole]

Sixpackpert said:

ferrari1 said:

Sixpackpert said:

Agreed.

I also dislike Ling constantly calling anyone that has an opinion that differs to hers idiots/nits etc etc. I really do think she is quite an unpleasant person.

Bore off.

Some people are so serious over such trivial things.

So I'm not allowed an opinion then? My god this place has got worse over the years.

So you don't mind being called an idiot then?

Pistonheads: Sycophancy Matters.

[ikarl]

I've looked on the website a few times and I'm pretty certain within the next year I'll lease a car from Lings. By the sound of it though, maybe I should try getting a job there, it sounds much more fun than what I do just now.


Ling - I love this thread!! Has definitely made my friday afternoon brighter!!

[wolves_wanderer]

r11co said:

Wow! 9 pages of free advertising. Ling's hooked another sucker......

Is the sucker you for posting on the thread and drawing more attention to it?

[madhat1]

Dear Ling


ARRSE misses you, come back you crazy woman. We'll support you in your drive to total grobal lease car domination.

[Kozy]

So after all that crap about the GT86 advert, Toyota could have just turned around, stuck two fingers up to ASA and continued to air it, without any fear of fines or court action?

[OlberJ]

CoolHands said:

i once complained to them about an over-sexualised young girls advert for opal fruits which they didnt uphold, so f#ck 'em

Well the advert clearly worked then. Don't think anyone would have taken it so literally though!