Misleading Eircom advert on Boards

I.S.T.

Hi Guys,

There is an Eircom ad on boards that is blantant misleading advertising. In huge letters it says "Upload your photos faster with up to 7mb broadband". In small letters it says "7mb broadband makes uploading photos faster". When you click on the banner it takes you to the bundle details on eircom.net where buried in the links you will find the upload speed is actually 384kbs.

Thought you might be interested.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Sully

Plus its not Boards problem.

Steve

Boards provides a 'frame', google sends the ad, boards doesn't control what the ad is, it could be for catfood next time you click.

Red Sleeping Beauty

SteveC wrote: »

Boards provides a 'frame', google sends the ad, boards doesn't control what the ad is, it could be for catfood next time you click.

My cat won't eat the dogfood

AlmightyCushion

SteveC wrote: »

Boards provides a 'frame', google sends the ad, boards doesn't control what the ad is, it could be for catfood next time you click.

That's only if it's google adword thingey.

Adam

regardless, it's eircom's issue, boards is just the medium.

seamus

If you have an issue with an advertisement, please contact the ASAI

FWIW, I understand where you're coming from, but it's an academic issue. Most BB packages are rated by their download speed and as a consequence saying that a package is "7Mb broadband" says that the download speed is 7Mb but says nothing about the upload speed.
Since upload is usually somewhere between 10% and 5% of the maximum rated upload, one would assume that if you're on a package of less than 7Mb, upgrading to a 7Mb package will in fact "upload your photos faster".

Also you have to consider the target audience. I always get the impression that eircom BB ads are directed at dial-up users rather than people already on BB. So from that POV, you will "upload your photos faster" with BB, regardless of the speed.

The ad doesn't imply that you're getting a 7Mb upload. As I say above, it's an accepted standard that an XMb residential "package" refers to the maximum rated download speed and says nothing about upload. The contention in the ad is whether or not you can "upload your photos faster" with this package. If you examine the available broadband packages, you'll probably find that any package with a d/l speed less than 7Mb also has an upload speed less than 384kbps.
So the ad is correct in saying that if you upgrade to eircom's 7Mb package, you will be able to upload your photos faster.

But this isn't the place to debate an issue of semantics. If you really think the ad is misleading, you can lodge a complaint with the ASAI. It's dead easy.

parsi

Bit like the guy over on bargain alerts saying that his product was "less than half price" but in fact wasn't....

Oh hang on, that was the OP.

Sleipnir

seamus wrote: »

If you have an issue with an advertisement, please contact the ASAI

The ASAI don't cover online ads unfortunately. I contacted them recently regarding NTL's site saying "you can get broadband at your location" only to find after called them that it wasn't.

Also, the ASAI's decisions are not legally binding, i.e. the advertiser can simply ignore the ASAI. Ryanair are usually in their complaints bulletin every month and often it says "no response from advertiser"

They did say that it's due to include online ads this year.

alastair_doom

Theoretically, I'd imagine a 1mb line, and a 7mb line both with the same upload speed, the 7mb would actually be "faster for uploading your photos". The picture would be sent in pieces, and although you're uploading, you have to download acknowledgements that pieces were recieved etc.

I know its all just semantics, but I'd imagine there is no point in complaining.

yoshytoshy

The 7Mb line is faster for uploading ,uploading rate increases along with download rate.

If I remember correctly it's 384 for 7mb,256 for 1mb.

EDIT: 1MB is 128 ,which makes 7mb three times faster.

I.S.T.

All the tech savy guys know that you can upload your photos a little faster with the 384kbps upload speed but for the vast majority of people this ad makes it seem like you can upload your photos at 7mb.

Steve

Yeah, the upload vs download speed ratio is pretty standard across all providers.

Some examples:
Eircom:

UPC:

seamus

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

All the tech savy guys know that you can upload your photos a little faster with the 384kbps upload speed but for the vast majority of people this ad makes it seem like you can upload your photos at 7mb.

I would argue that if you know what "7Mb" actually means, you'll understand that this ad doesn't offer a 7Mb upload.
If you don't know what 7Mb means, then all you'll know is "7Mb is faster than 3Mb, the number is bigger, therefore faster". Which isn't wrong in the context of upload.

Overheal

Meh.




For Ireland, that eircom package pretty slick. I wouldnt be mad about that price though - I think mine costs $25/mo with no limit (though that will change before long)

If you can get your hands on that UPC though take it by the horns and fcuk it up the ass.

AlmightyCushion

Overheal wrote: »

If you can get your hands on that UPC though take it by the horns and fcuk it up the ass.

I'd rather hook up my laptop and download a few files but if you insist.

stevenmu

What the ad means is:
"You can upload your pictures faster with broadband. Broadband packages are available up to 7Mb". There might be some ambiguity in the phrasing but I wouldn't say it's misleading.

DeVore

We're not the ASAI, sorry its not possible to rule on each ad because someone would have some problem with most of them. Personally I find most ads and "marketing" to be of questionable honesty.

DeV.