Ad description
A direct mailing from Homeserve was headed "Information about protection in the event of a water supply pipe problem at your home". Text stated "The fresh water you use every day is supplied to [recipient's address] through an underground supply pipe. If you're a homeowner, you're generally responsible for repairs to this pipe from your property boundary up to where it enters your home. In some cases, this responsibility may be shared with neighbouring properties. With the pipe being underground, over time gradual deterioration can lead to a burst or leak, which as you can imagine could be difficult to access and fix. With 1 in 14 homeowners having suffered a water supply pipe problem at some point*, wouldn't it be reassuring to know who to turn to if you experienced a problem?" The asterisk was linked to footnote text which stated "Based on an Independent survey commissioned by HomeServe of 991 respondents, January 2013".
Issue
A recipient challenged whether the claim "With 1 in 14 homeowners having suffered a water supply pipe problem at some point" was misleading and could be substantiated, because he believed the survey on which the claim was based was flawed.
Response
Homeserve said the claim had been subject to their own internal approval and control process and was based on the findings of independent research. They supplied the results of research which had been conducted by Ipsos MORI, which Homeserve said were in line with the experience of their own customers.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA noted that the research was dated January 2013 and had asked house or bungalow owners across the UK and aged 25 years and over whether they had had a burst or leak in the pipe that supplied water to their home. We noted that respondents had been asked how long ago the burst or leak had occurred and that approximately 67% reported the burst or leak occurring within the last five years, with the remainder reporting a longer period or being unable to remember. We noted that the claim referred to one in 14 homeowners experiencing the problem "at some point" and that the ad stated that the claim was based on a survey of 991 respondents in January 2013. We considered that the claim suggested that a representative survey of UK house (or bungalow) owners had been carried out recently and had shown that one in 14 had experienced a burst or leak in the pipe that supplied water to their home. Because we considered the evidence Homeserve had supplied substantiated the claim, we concluded that it was not misleading.
We investigated the claim under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 3.1 3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so. (Misleading advertising) and 3.7 3.7 Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that are capable of objective substantiation. The ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation. (Substantiation) but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
