Posted: 21 March, 2014. Written by Ciaran
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have ruled on a complaint raised against performance claims by 'Magic Thermodynamic Box Ltd'.
A complainant challenged whether the claims that the device would:
were misleading and could be substantiated.
The first claim appeared in the context of other text which together stated "How does the Magic Heating Box improve your central heating system? ... Eliminates pump cavitation, which will increase the average flow of water passing through a radiator by 70%." This suggested that it was the use of the Magic Heating Box which would eliminate pump cavitation and which would in turn increase the average flow of water passing through a radiator by 70%. However, the ASA considered that cavitation was likely to be the result of failures in other aspects of the system such as poor design, a leak or a blockage, which should be rectified in their own right rather than by the installation of an additional device such as the Magic Heating Box.
In response to the second calim above the ASA considered Magic Thermodynamic Box Ltd needed to hold evidence that demonstrated that, because of more effective performance, a comparable amount of heat would be delivered from the radiators despite reducing the boiler temperature to 60°C. Because the evidence they had supplied did not demonstrate that, ASA concluded that the ad was misleading.
For more information on the ASA ruling, which included the opinion of an expert witness, please follow the link below.
http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/3/Magic-Thermodynamic-Box-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_231310.aspx