CAVEAT EMPTOR

There are so many misleading facts and statements being thrust upon an unsuspecting buyer, that the ‘buyer beware’ maxim has never been more important. Not only are companies attempting to substitute thin and low grade material for prime products, advertising is now open ground for fooling customers.

Recently, and purely by accident, we discovered a well known, and until this episode, respected, competitor using a web address to direct traffic to their own web site. They had set up a web address similar but not identical to ours, but it was not. This is an unlawful exploitation of the power of the web to trick customers, and it is a practice which we, at Ash & Lacy, take very seriously. As Managing Director of one of the most prominent and respected names in the roofing and cladding industry, I would never allow any of my team to place misleading or knowingly incorrect advertisements, literature or statements into the market. We pride ourselves on being a producer of quality products, and that will never be compromised.

Caveat emptor says it all – BUYER BEWARE! Make sure that you are buying what you have specified, from whom you want to buy it from.

I have purposely omitted the name of the company who used the misleading web address, as it is shameful that such an act was even considered, let alone actually used. Surely, companies should sell on their own benefits and quality, rather than using the name of a competitor. This shows, in my view that they are concerned about their own position in the market, and feel that they need to mislead customers who have an interest in Ash & Lacy to gain business, by whatever means they can.

The market remains tight and very competitive, but there are still certain business ethics and protocols which should not be abused. In this instance, a competitor has chosen not only to 'cross the line', they have totally ignored it!

Ray Harriman