Ad watchdog bites HP

THE UK ADVERTISING STANDARDS AUTHORITY has slapped maker of printer consumables HP for misleading claims following a complaint by Kyocera.

The offending ad appeared in a number of trade rags earlier this year and claimed that punters buying an HP Colour LaserJet CP3505 printer would only have to replace toner 'and nothing else' throughout the printer's life, before going on to say that no drum, maintenance, fuser, cleaning or transfer kits would be required either.

In July, spoilsports at rival printer maker Kyocera pointed out that HP toner cartridges also contain drums which are therefore also replaced regularly and that the ad was misleading. HP has now assured the ASA that it will remove references to replacement toner and 'no drum' from the ad.

Says Kyocera's General Manager, Ian Joslin: "People tend to believe the claims of blue-chip brands without question and there's already enough uncertainty around the ongoing costs of running laser printers; it's not helpful for HP to add to it by making claims which cannot be substantiated.

"We're firmly committed to making it easier for printer users to compare the relative costs of using different printers so we felt compelled to challenge the validity of HP's claims," he claimed. "To claim on the one hand that users need not replace multiple parts during the life of the printer, and then to state on its cartridge packaging that 70 per cent of the print engine is contained within the cartridges just doesn't add up." µ

See Also
HP accused of smoke and mirrors

L'Inq
Advertising Standards Authority