*Susan Hudd (part 2) - magical handwriting analyst

My last complaint about Susan Hudd failed, but I'm probably on firmer ground with this one.

UPDATE, 4 Aug: ASA write to confirm the advertiser has agreed to amend future adverts, removing the claim that Ms Hudd "can read people's past, present and future from their signatures".

(Image credit)

In her flyer, Sue claims she "has a unique gift of being able to read your past, present and future from your signature".

That sounds like a claim capable of objective substantiation to me - so it's off to the ASA I go!

"I write to complain about a flyer I picked up at the "Mind, Body & Spirit" festival, in London, in May this year.

The flyer, for Susan Hudd, promotes her handwriting analysis service.

I suspect that the flyer may be in breach of one section of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code. I can provide the original flyer by post, if necessary.

1. The flyer claims that Susan Hudd "has a very unique gift of being able to read your past, present and future from your signature".

2. According to the British Institute of Graphologists, "Graphology is the study of 'personality' or 'character' from handwriting" [1]. Very little reliable scientific evidence attests to its efficacy[2][3].

3. Under Section 3.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertiser holds documentary evidence to prove her claim that she can "read your past, present and future from your signature".

4. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser.

Footnotes:
[1] http://www.britishgraphology.org/
[2] Driver, Russel H.; M. Ronald Buckley and Dwight D. Frink (April 1996), "Should We Write Off Graphology?", International Journal of Selection and Assessment 4 (2): 78–86, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2389.1996.tb00062
[3] Furnham, Adrian; Barrie Gunter (1987), "Graphology and Personality: Another Failure to Validate Graphological Analysis.", Personality and Individual Differences 8: 433–435, doi:10.1016/0191-8869(87)90045-6
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