Released by Computing Which?:
The Camera Often Lies… As Does The PC… Printer…
Are computing ads misleading consumers?
Advertising exists to sell, says Computing Which? (published today, Tuesday 4 November 2003). But, while most women don’t expect to meet a tall handsome stranger if they pig out on a certain brand of chocolate, they do expect the chocolate to taste, well… chocolatey.
Sadly, argues Computing Which? the same distinctions aren’t as easy to make in the world of computers, where consumers’ unfamiliarity with technical jargon, specifications and different standards mean a product’s capabilities are often ambiguous.
In an investigation into whether computing ads are selling impossible dreams, Computing Which? found companies advertising products unable to live up to the claims made in their ads and on their packaging.
Take Intel and its newest product, the Centrino ‘wireless-ready’ processor. The company’s recent advertising campaign shows an idyllic image of a woman working on a laptop in a remote country setting. Consumers could be easily mislead into thinking that buying a laptop equipped with this chip would enable them to work anywhere and everywhere as easily as they do when plugged in at home. But what can the processor actually do? Read the small print and consumers will discover that they’ll need more than just the processor to realise their dream. To connect to the internet using a Centrino laptop, they’ll need to be within signal range of and subscribe to a Wi-Fi service, such as BT’s Openzone, which provides wireless web access within a 100 metre radius of 400-odd access points across the UK.
Unsuspecting consumers can also be misled by manufacturer-claimed speeds and resolutions which often wildly exaggerate the capabilities of peripheral devices.
For example, HP claims that its Photosmart 7550 can print 17 black and white pages a minute – but in practise it only achieved six when we tested it. And, consumers shouldn’t assume that the top of the range models are the best in every regard either. While speed does vary between cheap and expensive printers, Computing Which? tests show that the increase can be negligible. Scanners also come into question. On its website HP boasts that its scanners have ‘unlimited’ resolution. However, the word ‘unlimited’ refers to the interpolated or enhanced resolution which produces images that look fine from a distance but lack detail close up.
None of this can be deemed to be mis-selling, however, as manufacturers are telling the truth in a technical sense. However, providing consumers with the correct technical specifications isn’t meaningful if you don’t also give them the information necessary to make sense of them. Omissions and ambiguities can be just as misleading as outright inaccuracies. It’s little wonder the computer and telecommunications sector was the second most complained about industry in both 2001 and 2002, according to the ASA.
Jessica Ross, Editor Computing Which? said:
“Until we reach a consensus on how technical terms are defined and used so that they reflect the reality of what a product can actually do, rather than what’s merely possible, manufacturers will continue to promote their products in a way that is misleading.
“We advise consumers to pay particular attention to the small print and ask as many questions as possible before buying new hardware and software.”
www.computingwhich.co.uk
