Tesco has announced it is to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over Asda’s recently launched ‘Price Guarantee’ campaign, which it claims is “confusing and misleading”.
According to Tesco, Asda’s pledge to be 10 per cent cheaper than its rivals is “a cynical ploy to mislead customers using a flawed comparison that excludes about half of Tesco’s range, including lots of products that customers buy every day – such as fruit, veg and meat “.
It also argues that the campaign relies on customers to go through a complicated process to get their money back .
Richard Brasher, Tesco’s commercial director and incoming UK Chief Executive, said: “It is vitally important that the whole industry acts in a way that deserves the trust of customers.”
“We are calling on the ASA to act, and to act quickly, because in our view customers are being misled by false Asda claims.”
Under the Asda scheme, customers who find that the supermarket’s prices are not 10 per cent cheaper than its main rivals are offered a voucher for the difference.
Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, said it will now accept these refund vouchers at its stores.
In response, Asda said: “Clearly the truth on pricing hurts. But our customers aren’t complaining about our simple promise to be 10 per cent cheaper or give them the difference.”
