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Thursday 12 August 2010
Russell Grant's fat (pay cheque)
Even my younger readers might know who the portly chap below is.
Russell Grant (for it is he) was something of an eighties TV icon, breathlessly delivering horoscopes to the nation from his popular slot on morning television.
Russell's star has faded somewhat (Geddit?!??), although he still appears on TV from time to time. His newspaper and magazine adverts, needless to say, are everywhere.
With all those business affairs to run, you'd think Russell had a knack for getting things done. It must be a rare oversight, then, that caused his website to be improperly registered to a non-trading individual!
An advert in this month's Soul & Spirit magazine promotes his telephone psychic reading service.
Several of the employees are claimed to be "accurate". The ASA aren't going to like that!
"I write to complain about an advert appearing in "Soul and Spirit" magazine (Issue 31, Aug 2010, p54).
The advert, for RGA Ltd/Russell Grant, promotes a telephone psychic reading service.
I suspect that the advert may be in breach of three sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code. I can provide an original copy of the advert by post, if required.
1. The advert's claims consist of a series of profiles on the psychic readers employed by the service, and a set of testimonials from apparently satisfied customers.
2. The ASA Council has recently ruled (comlaint ref. 122556 and 122562) against adverts for psychics whose readings are claimed to be "accurate".
3. Under Sections 3.1, 50.1 of the CAP Code, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims:
(i) Tanya's readings are "accurate"
(ii) Aristos's readings are accurate, and specifically he is "renowned for his accuracy"
(iii) Pooja "offers intuitive, accurate and precise readings"
(iv) Theos's readings consist of "accurate, pinpointed clear information"
4. Under Sections 3.1, 14.3 and 50.1, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following testimonials:
(i) "Jo...has proven to me she's the real deal...very accurate"
(ii) "Aristos...you were 100% accurate"
5. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
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Companies with big names, pay readers next to nothing, the big name or face profits of the psychics back and then continue bombard you with there junk mail or crappy videos to make sure your caught in the net of purchasing more products and rubbish. Russell Grant is not a director of Russell Grant LTD check it. All the psychics from every single one of these big faces and other mentioned obese names you have in your blog have readers with no pictures, meaning when all the readers are busy, none of them are vetted or tested, the no face reader is provided by the IVR service company, they are not tested by the gaining pounds in my account and on my fat belly so called accurate Gurus.
ReplyDeleteRussell Grant don’t answer his text services, it’s all done by computer IVR service provider, and he would charge you big bucks (or big mac’s) for a reading that would be about your Uranus if he did answer it. These companies are the biggest cause of tax evasion which is worse than stating accuracy, they are in further breach because with self employment LAW you invoice the company you are technically consulting for, if any of these big bellys were raided, none one of them would be able to provide one invoice from the psychic self employed “consultants” and not one reader would have PAYE or operate as a sole trading or ltd company!
Hi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to have sympathy for any of these readers.
After all, if any of them actually do possess paranormal abilities, they could easily walk away with the JREF Million Dollar Challenge - a prize awarded for anyone who can demonstrate their abilities under controlled conditions.
I wonder why they all allow themselves to be exploited in this way, when a life of riches awaits any one of them?