<update – I’ve changed the title of this entry from “Some, not all, Love calculator ads closed down by ASA” to the above. I had originally read the decision as hitting ads, but it was an ad (or claim) on the actual love calculator website that was deemed at fault.>
The ASA has reacted to a visitor’s complaint about Love Calculator, who were saying on their website that:
“This is your last chance to calculate the name of your Love Soulmate”
The complaint was upheld[rtf]. It’s a pity that the ASA wasn’t able to look at the product, which is appalling. It’s so bad that it seems that that linked post is consistently one of the highest trafficked on this blog.
Let me be clear – It’s a rip-off – a website cannot “calculate” the name of your love soulmate, and it asks for money to do so. It texts you a PIN number, and if you enter it into the website then you have just signed up to receive a bunch of paid texts. Of dubious quality. And you’ll be oit of pocket for $15 the first time you get texts ($5 to sign, $5 for a horoscope, $5 for the name of your perfect lover), and then $10 per week thereafter.
Just walk away.
Apparently owners “Cellular Dreams (NZ) pty” tried to convince the ASA that they really were about to close down,
Except they were “about to close down” for at least two months.
and they also claimed that they were almost not able to afford the hosting fees. Bollocks. Those fees should be trivial, and if not then their revenue would easily compensate. Nor would they have any other material costs – texts are paid as you go.
Scam people, scam.
P.S. If you really would like the name of your perfect Love Soulmate, and you happen to be female, then just click here. Males please click here. Married people looking about for good times please click here. Results may not be entirely to your satisfaction.
Wow. I’m stunned by this, because I spoke the Commerce Commission about the ads, and was told there was no reason to act on them. as they don’t breach the Fair Trading Act.
The deceptive nature of the offer is neither here nor there, because people are told what they sign up for on the last screen, in tiny type.
I know NZ is ideologically very much hands off and caveat emptor but as the Lovecalculator stuff is aimed at one thing only – fleecing people through deceptive marketing – I expected there were grounds to act, just like the ACCC in Australia had.
If NZ is going to be this lax, it’ll work as invite for internet scammers of all kinds… lucky we have such low population and bad broadband penetration making the country a less attractive proposition than many other places.
Oh oh… I see what the ASA upheld. It’s not the fact Cellular Dreams used deceptive marketing, but the notice that the site would be closed down.
I’ve been getting many text messages (spam) tonight, as is a bunch of other customers all hocking websites for the damn company. Is the parent company hosted in NZ?
Look at this thread:
http://nz.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080307202132AAqivot
The only link I can find is one of their websites links to http://www.romanceclass.com which is owned by a lady in Mass. USA. But I think they just ripped off the text of her website I don’t think she has any part of it. Lisa Shea?
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