In September 2020, Goldsmiths became the subject of a complaint in relation to a pair of “Mappin & Webb Fortune White Gold and Diamond Hoop Earrings” which it offered for sale. The individual who submitted the complaint purchased the earrings for £3,375 in December 2019, when they were promoted as being reduced from £7,500. However, the complainant had never seen the product advertised at the “original price” of £7,500 and therefore contended that the “discount” was misleading.
In its investigation, the ASA found that the listing price for the earrings had varied across the period from July 2013 to December 2019. Goldsmiths argued that the product was advertised and sold at £7,500 for three years prior to December 2019 and therefore, £7,500 was the normal selling price for the item. However, when the advertisement was seen in September 2020, the earrings had been advertised at £3,375 for a consecutive ten month period. The ASA ruled that this was an adequate amount for time for the “normal price” of the product to have changed. For this reason, the savings claim was held to be misleading.
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