Eircom Brochure handed to me

Canadian · 09-10-2002 7:31am #1

On my way into work today thru Connolly Station, I was handed an Eircom brochure about their new "news channel" on Eircom.net... and I quote:

"To get top breaking news stories absolutely free of charge, visit us at www.eircom.net/news 24 hours a day, 7 days a week..."

It goes on to describe a contest where the lucky winner could get cinema and music vouchers to the value of €30 euro. (thats about the same cost of 10 hours of prime time FREE internet access as I work it out)

My point being, I would like to avail of the "ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE" access....

There is no place on the brochure which indicates that I must pay for an internet connection.

I will post the reply to my query (if they respond).

===========================
FREE DONUTS*
*There is a charge to enter the shop

Canadian · 09-10-2002 8:11am

I'm not a lawyer, but this is what I sent them:

Good Day-

I was handed a brochure from Eircom.net at Connolly Station in Dublin on October 9/2002 at 8:10am entitled "News When it Happens".

The brochure says "To get top breaking news stories absolutey 'free of charge', visit us at www.eircom.net/news........"

I currently pay for all internet access thru Eircom.Net (1891 or regular local call) so I am unable to access this service "FREE OF CHARGE" as described in your Written Offer.

Please provide me with a FREEPHONE NUMBER or details on how to connect to the internet in Ireland for Free thru another mechanism in order for you to fufil your obligations as described on the brochure.

Thanks,

crawler · 09-10-2002 8:30am

One for the ASA maybe?

Mr E · 09-10-2002 8:35am

The 'free of charge' seems to refer to the news itself (in comparison to ireland.com where you have to pay €75 or whatever...). Thats how I interpret it, anyway. So their brochure/pamphlet is accurate and above board, methinks....

- Dave.

LoBo · 09-10-2002 9:06am

yeah, I think its understood that your own connectivity charges are extra.

Like if you got a flyer saying "one night ABSOLUTELY FREE in blabla hotel co. kerry", it would be understood that they wouldn't have to pay your petrol to drive down

spongebob · 09-10-2002 9:07am

ASA it is

it is misleading.

Canadian · 09-10-2002 9:18am

They use the word ABSOLUTELY when they say

"To get top breaking news stories absolutely free of charge..."

In my mind, they take away any error in intrepretation when they emphasize it in such a way.

How does one define 'ABSOLUTE' and isn't the introduction of conditions and exceptions contrary to the spirit of the term??

====================
Absolute Vodka*
*Actually it's Beer

De Rebel · 09-10-2002 9:37am

Originally posted by LoBo
yeah, I think its understood that your own connectivity charges are extra.

ASA would have a field day - nothing gets up their noses more than things like "understood" aka "hidden"

Especially when used in the context of strong words such as Absolutely Free of Charge

Canadian, don't even wait for a response. Bung it off to the ASA immediatly, together with an estimate for the cost of 20 minutes viewing using an Ericom "Free" connection. The ASA is mandated to deal with Advertising Standards, not how Eircom's customer service responds to your query.

rymus · 09-10-2002 9:50am

saw some eircom branded people walking down the middle of the road on Anglesea st yesterday on my way home giving out that tripe. Never in my life have I had such strong intention of running people down in my life *twitch*

Eircom brings out the best in me

Frank Grimes · 09-10-2002 9:51am

I'd read it as, if you go to this URL you can get news stories free of charge.
It's not misleading.

Canadian · 09-10-2002 10:09am

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please find enclosed a brochure given to me by a representative from Eircom.net in Connolly Station at 8:10am on October 9th, 2002.

I draw your attention to the statement in the first paragraph on the back of the brochure.

“To get top breaking news stories absolutely free of charge, visit us at www.eircom.net/news 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…”

My complaint is the following. For me to actually get this product, I must connect to the internet in Ireland. Using a dial-up ISP will cost me €0.05/minute to access the service during prime time. (available 24/7) [There are other connection options available such as ISDN and ADSL, but these are not free either]

Twenty minutes of reading the news will therefore cost approximately €1.00.

Additionally, the word ABSOLUTELY is used to emphasize the word FREE, which takes away any chance of a misinterpretation of the term FREE to describe access to this product.

My complaint is therefore that Eircom.net is not being truthful to me when they use the term “ABSOLUTELY FREE” and fail to inform the reader that 20 minutes of browsing is more expensive than purchasing a local newspaper.

This would be similar to the Irish Times advertising ABSOLUTLEY FREE NEWS and failing to inform the consumer that the physical paper must be purchased in order for the reader to be able to obtain the product.

I look forward to the results of your investigation.

spongebob · 09-10-2002 10:42am

Slightly more stress on the fact that Eircom wish to leave the customer with the impression that they can get to THIS particular Internet page 'Absolutely Free Of Charge' when the correct description is that they must pay a connection charge before they can access free content.

Of course the pages

http://www.online.ie/news/latest_irish/
http://www.rte.ie/
http://www.rte.ie/aertel/p103.htm
http://www.businessandfinance.ie/

are ALL better sources of breaking news that the Eircon pages and should be recommended to all as such

M

LoBo · 09-10-2002 10:43am

Ok, I stand corrected. Good posts as always, Canadian. Your letter is very good, especially the part about it being more than the price of a daily paper and the analogy to "absolutely free news inside this paper! *once you buy it". Let us know what response you get from the ASA.

Good stuff.

eth0_ · 09-10-2002 10:55am

Canadian and the rest of y'all, I think you all sound extremely pedantic tbh!!! Type in the small print, I can almost guarantee there's something there about connectivity charges!!!

LoBo · 09-10-2002 11:03am

Regardless of the above point about small print (and I think Canadian would have informed us if there was - I ignored the mouse-depicting leaflet myself

) - there is the excellent point that 20 mins browsing ANY of the above mentioned irish news sites costs as much as buying one of the major daily papers. All of the above irish companies should be lobbying for cheap access to enable irish consumers too!

Canadian · 09-10-2002 11:19am

There are terms and conditions, but they all relate to the contest and not access to the 'Free' product.

Nothing regarding access is mentioned anywhere on the brochure, nor is reference made to information elsewhere.

The complaint could very well be turned down, but the process itself is so enjoyable in itself that I'd be happy with any outcome!

==================

eth0_ · 09-10-2002 12:05pm

Ok, well if there's no small print then fire away, good luck with it

spongebob · 09-10-2002 1:00pm

and you have hard copy.

Kill that Rat

M

pertinax · 09-10-2002 3:27pm

I wish i was never persuaded to cut down my maple tree now.

exiztone · 09-10-2002 7:57pm

lmao, it's pretty funny, did Eircom reply to you yet mate?

bricks · 09-10-2002 10:27pm

And when an NTL/ESAT person comes to the door give it to them in exchange for their leaflet. I did this to the Fine Fail guy, I gave'em Fina Gail stuff. Confuses the hell out of them.

OHP · 09-10-2002 11:15pm

Typicall Eircon,

Just Ignore it / them.. Time and time again they have proven themselves to be a shower of (hang on ill edit this) B*ST*R*D*! I really feel sorry for the people working withen Eircon.We ring them up and they know nothing! Except the lies they are being told by their Employers! So we pick on them all the time. Now where is that Eircon RAT??? I want to kick his BUTT!

OHP

Originally posted by Canadian
On my way into work today thru Connolly Station, I was handed an Eircom brochure about their new "news channel" on Eircom.net... and I quote:

"To get top breaking news stories absolutely free of charge, visit us at www.eircom.net/news 24 hours a day, 7 days a week..."

It goes on to describe a contest where the lucky winner could get cinema and music vouchers to the value of €30 euro. (thats about the same cost of 10 hours of prime time FREE internet access as I work it out)

My point being, I would like to avail of the "ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE" access....

There is no place on the brochure which indicates that I must pay for an internet connection.

I will post the reply to my query (if they respond).

===========================
FREE DONUTS*
*There is a charge to enter the shop

Eircom Brochure handed to me

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