Ad description
The website www.lockdown-securityservices.co.uk featured testimonials attributed to Wiltshire Guard Dogs, which stated "LDSS employees are more reliable than my own staff!" and "Thank you for all your hard work, hopefully one day our handlers and dogs will be as well trained as yours".
Issue
Wiltshire Guard Dogs objected that the testimonials were false.Response
Lockdown Security Services said they did not hold any written evidence that the testimonials were genuine but, because Wiltshire Guard Dogs were no longer operating, they did not feel they were in breach of the Code.
Assessment
Upheld
The ASA noted the Code stated that documentary evidence must be held to show all testimonials were genuine, unless they were obviously fictitious. Because that was not the case, we concluded that the ad breached the Code.
The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so. (Misleading advertising) and 3.45 3.45 Marketers must hold documentary evidence that a testimonial or endorsement used in a marketing communication is genuine, unless it is obviously fictitious, and hold contact details for the person who, or organisation that, gives it. (Endorsements and testimonials).
Action
The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Lockdown to ensure they held documentary evidence that testimonials were genuine.
