Is this allowed?

Reamer Fanny

I am working on a site at the moment and what I want to do is mention the leading market competitors prices and compare mine and show the customer the saving, is it legal to this?

TouchingVirus

I'd think it legal as long as you state accurate competitors prices, and have proof those are the prices they are offering and the products are exactly comparable. You will also have to include the date you obtained the prices, sort of like Tesco does on their shelf-edge labels when comparing to Dunnes, Lidl etc.

Reamer Fanny

Thanks for clearing that up the market is polluted as it is with people charging through the nose, I will have to go find the competitors and make some calls...

BrianD

Be careful of using trademarked logos of your competitors and this article is worth a read:

http://www.mop.ie/dynamic/files/IP%20Group%20Misleading%20and%20comparative%20advertising%20regulations%20implemented%20Jan%202008.pdf

It gives some legal guidance on the matter.

Reamer Fanny

I woudn't be including their logo just their name and perhaps a link to their site along with the price at which they offer the service. I am thinking along the lines of "You save €x with us" then showing a table underneath with the competitors prices

MOH

justryan wrote: »

I woudn't be including their logo just their name and perhaps a link to their site along with the price at which they offer the service. I am thinking along the lines of "You save €x with us" then showing a table underneath with the competitors prices

Not sure the link to their site is a great idea. I know you probably want it for transparency to prove you're accurately quoting their price, but you're giving them a free link, and risk losing customers to them.

was.deevey

Not sure the link to their site is a great idea. I know you probably want it for transparency to prove you're accurately quoting their price, but you're giving them a free link, and risk losing customers to them.

Have to agree there, why give your competitors free backlinks (and SEO edge)

Not to mention your competitors can analyze their analytics, see where their visitors come from and as a result lower their prices and/or place a big pop up 50% off on the page in question in retaliation. I know thats what I'd do

Reamer Fanny

Yea I won't be including links to their sites, many valid points here on why I shouldn't so I think I'll leave that bit out I will just include their name, service and price

TitoPuente

Aside from being unprofessional and, well, a bit desperate, you're also leaving yourself wide open to scrutiny. I'm sure many bedroom web designers can claim that 'their leading competitors' are ripping customers off but there's a difference between an amateur who thinks they know it all working out of their bedroom and a mutil-disciplinary studio of highly skilled, highly qualified niche specialist professionals. Anyway - I think you know what I'm getting at.

Reamer Fanny

TitoPuente wrote: »

Aside from being unprofessional and, well, a bit desperate, you're also leaving yourself wide open to scrutiny. I'm sure many bedroom web designers can claim that 'their leading competitors' are ripping customers off but there's a difference between an amateur who thinks they know it all working out of their bedroom and a mutil-disciplinary studio of highly skilled, highly qualified niche specialist professionals. Anyway - I think you know what I'm getting at.

I never said it was a web design business

TitoPuente

No but you said you were 'working on a site' and you're posting in the Web Design forum. So I assumed you weren't talking about a building site?

Reamer Fanny

Yes designing a site for my business, I didn't say I was in the business of web design my query wasn't in relation to pricing of web design I'm not a bedroom designer and I don't work for a company I never claimed to 'know it all' if I did I wouldn't have created a thread