DStv False Advertising

@BLIXEMPIE I have ADSL, but not everyone in the household is a geek. Besides, The Tonight Show SUCKS - what a lamer Jay Leno is. But Conan is good. Besides, you're not suggesting piracy, are you? :p
 
The Advertising Standards Authority has weighed in on the brochure. Bear in mind that they do not engage in electronic communication directly with consumers. A letter is written, printed, signed by the relevant person, scanned, then e-mailed by an assistant as a PDF. There are no direct contact details for the person who wrote the letter, but you can reply to the Administrator: Assistant via e-mail, or perhaps fax or snail mail your reply.

So, here's the reply:
attachment.php


My response to Administrator: Assistant, CCing Busi Msimango, Promotions/Marketing at Multichoice:

"Dear Puseletso Matene

You are missing the point. There is more than one product in question here. The decoder is obviously the product you are referring to. It is not the product I am referring to. I am referring to the bouquet in question, which I purchased after reading the brochure.

Your point is therefore moot.

Thank you."

p.s. I did not blank out my e-mail address - I received it this way.
 
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brian, I think it is still advertising.

Even after someone bought the decoder, they could still change their bouquet choice.
 
You did not buy the this product to sit and look at the decoder all night. You bought a decoder to look at what content is been shown i.e. the bouquet
 
What is really bad advertising is for the HD PVR... they say you get a PVR for only Rxxxx... and then you can record all your favorite shows, etc, etc.

They don't mention that you have to pay an additional Extra-view fee to be able to record - Extra R65 pm to be able to use your PVR! That is shocking... (Unless I am understanding it wrong?)
 
What is really bad advertising is for the HD PVR... they say you get a PVR for only Rxxxx... and then you can record all your favorite shows, etc, etc.

They don't mention that you have to pay an additional Extra-view fee to be able to record - Extra R65 pm to be able to use your PVR! That is shocking... (Unless I am understanding it wrong?)

I also dont understand why the Recording function price should increase when the annual price increase happens?
Surely to record should always be a standard flat rate.
 
Perhaps the Sony Entertainment offered in the Select packages is the new Sony channel that will be replacing Animax channel. It will only start airing on 1 February 2011. Don’t think ASA will do anything as they clearly state on the bottom right hand corner “(E & OE) Multichoice reserves the right to replace or remove channels from the DStv Bouquets as stipulated in this leaflet.”

Wrong. They can include or take away things, but they can't advertise something that's not actually included.
 
Still no response from either the ASA or the Multichoice person copied. I'm quite gatvol of being ignored by the proud old bastion of digital satellite television, and I want an acknowledgement. Their culture is far too proud for someone putting out buggy products to a market that now includes direct competition (TopTV) and indirect competition (Internet and DVD/Blu-ray). I have a new and undiscussed issue that arose in December that I'm fighting with them about, and, again, they want me to jump through hoops to accommodate their incompetence, with nary an acknowledgment that they did anything wrong. If they don't apologise or at least acknowledge that either, I'm turfing the whole DStv idea and their CEO will get a snail-mail letter. The guys just never do any wrong, even if it costs them thousands a year.

Anyway, /rant and now here's my updated mail to ASA / MC:

Dear Puseletso Matene

I have not received a response to my comment. Perhaps I should elaborate with more detail:

* The brochure does not incite one to buy a decoder - the decoder is already purchased.
* The brochure's call-to-action is to advertise what each bouquet offers
* Once one has perused the brochure, one decides on what bouquet to purchase
* Only once the bouquet has been activated, does one discover that what was advertised has not been delivered

Thus, as stated, the point about the decoder purchase is moot.

Multichoice has a history of sweeping their wrongdoings under the carpet, and all I am looking for is an acknowledgement of their error and an apology therefor. None has been forthcoming, or this would not even have reached the ASA. As you can tell, I am not willing to let it go - they advertised something; they didn't deliver on what was advertised, and they need to be taken to task by the consumer.

Thank you.
 
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