R.M. of Connecticut wrote to us last week complaining about a Lowe’s TV commercial that featured quite a deal on a Weber grill during their first ever SpringFest event.
This was exactly the three-burner Weber grill she was looking for, and she knew they were normally over $500. However, R.M. discovered that $379 was not the actual sale price for this model but only by freeze-framing the commercial on her 60-inch HDTV so she could read the fine print.
*MOUSE PRINT:
The real price of this unit was more than double the price shown on the screen, and that was only disclosed in tiniest of print for less than four seconds. The big print $379 price was actually for a lower-end unit and only for a two-burner model at that.
Under state consumer law, such as the one in Massachusetts, pictorial misrepresentations are just as deceptive as verbal ones.
No advertisement shall be used which would mislead or tend to mislead buyers or prospective buyers, through pictorial representations or in any other manner, as to the product being offered for sale.
We wrote to Lowe’s three times asking why they would run such a misleading ad, and how it might avoid similar issues in the future. The company did not respond and that says a lot.
I have successfully ordered online from Lowe’s many times, but 3 different times I have ordered a particular grill from Lowe’s to give as presents and have wound up canceling each order due to broken promises about delivery dates. The online ‘customer assistant’ is a joke, basically parroting what the website states. A live person customer service phone call usually has ‘no further information’ when, after changed delivery dates the grill is no longer in stock.
I was able to get 2 out of the 3 grills elsewhere online – no names but the website rhymes with ‘fare’.
Let’s all be honest with each other, we know EXACTLY why Lowes would choose to do that. They were just expecting no one would call them out for it, or that it would fly under the radar.
I truly have to believe that it’s not intentional at this point. With more companies doing things like this I have to feel it’s ignorance on a large scale in the marketing industry. No on treats marketing like a “real” job. No one studies that laws required for advertising in the same way a tax accountant or human resources representative might need to because they don’t treat it like a real job.
If there were real consequences for false advertising like this maybe the legal department would rein in the marketing department.
Well if they showed off the $379 model in the ad they would have showed off a not so impressive looking model which would not grab my attention at all.
Show off the $799 in large text and you would not grab my attention at all either.
Lowes blew it based on the rules for sure though…
It’s the oldest trick in the book, but why they still get away with it is ridiculous. I just saw the commercial again on Saturday.