View Full Version : unwanted scam and fraudulent advertising
I've just logged in and found the web pages strewn with advertising ...ok so I understand that this brings revenue in.
But and its a big but, advertising devices that you attach to your mains power supply that either fool or trick your electricity meter into giving the wrong values is illegal in the uk.
By promoting these you become complicit and liable to both prosecution or damage claims, as the site is promoting and promulgating them.
The particular advert is from motex "power saving "...if you google it you will see a great many posts suggesting that this is a scam [I've no idea if it is ?].
The second advert on the same page also from motex shows a uk three pin wall socket, where a pair of pliers appears to be inserting a nail into one of the receptacles.....need I say more ?
both these adds redirect you to google ad services if your daft enough to click on them.
hifinutt
07-01-2022, 10:45
yes i saw those ads for Motex on another forum . I have no idea if its a scam or what . highly likely . Many forums as you know gain income from these ads so as long as they are not too intrusive i can live with it . just because a site has ads i dont think it makes you complicit but recently amazon adjusted a device that told you to put pennys in a socket !!
I notice some newspapers carry ads for electric scooters to sell on the main road which is of course illegal
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59810383
walpurgis
07-01-2022, 10:49
Might be your browser. Mine has an ad-blocker, so I don't see any.
I too have an add blocker !
its not the add but the content !
just finished the report form for the ASA advertising standards agency and submitted!
walpurgis
07-01-2022, 11:15
Our admin/tech support have been advised of your concerns.
I've just logged in and found the web pages strewn with advertising ...ok so I understand that this brings revenue in.
But and its a big but, advertising devices that you attach to your mains power supply that either fool or trick your electricity meter into giving the wrong values is illegal in the uk.
By promoting these you become complicit and liable to both prosecution or damage claims, as the site is promoting and promulgating them. .
The device does not work by fooling or tricking your electricity meter. It is IMO a scam since it won't do anything, but then this is true of a lot of hi-fi products also.
This site is not complicit or promoting anything, the site has no control over what Google ads cares to show.
The ASA has no legal powers , it is an organization set up by advertisers in order to ostensibly self-regulate. I doubt they will do anything about this but I'll be interested in their response if you get one.
ive seen ads for those devices on nearly every page i look at on google tbh. not much you can do about it if likes of google are going to accept them.
often get loads of ads for fancy cheapish leather moccosin shoes too. i read somewhere they fall to bit upon putting them on and you get no refund.. from china
dave2010
07-01-2022, 11:48
Ads are the often the curse of the devil IMO. Now you even find them embedded in Youtube videos - complete pain. However, many of us don't want to pay much to site owners or content providers so put up with the irritation.
Some sites - including some worthwhile ones - do get extra revenue by embedding adverts - so presumably there is some financial sense to it, though I'd prefer it if generally that could be avoided.
I don't see them on this site, as I'm happy to pay a modest amount from time to time to avoid them.
Here's one I've just seen on another forum page!!
Reported to Google
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220107/877ad0128e77fe271b593aaeb01346c8.jpg
committing suicide by electrocuting yourself will reduce your power consumption to zero. So that ad does seem to be genuine.
committing suicide by electrocuting yourself will reduce your power consumption to zero. So that ad does seem to be genuine.
:D
prestonchipfryer
07-01-2022, 13:00
Complaining about ads of social media is like trying to feed the world. I.e.: Pointless to a degree of being pointless. Best to scroll by and hope no one is daft enough to plug themselves directly into a 13-amp mains socket. As sure as eggs is eggs though, some silly bugger will do it anyway without ever seeing ad advert.
committing suicide by electrocuting yourself will reduce your power consumption to zero. So that ad does seem to be genuine.I tried that with a screwdriver in the wall socket when I was three, I'm still here so the advert is misleading [emoji23]
I tried that with a screwdriver in the wall socket when I was three, I'm still here so the advert is misleading [emoji23]
Yes following the picture exactly won't work but it's pointing people in the right direction at least.
Yes following the picture exactly won't work but it's pointing people in the right direction at least.[emoji23]
Hmm, I wonder if Google have purchased and now trying to monetise the Darwin Awards.
☆
got this one on a motability site, so they are everywhere.
https://forum.whichmobilitycar.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/hm_bbpui/173732/88626qd2mk3b6cby7at7d424whcohhro.png
Occasionally I follow up a story, say from the BBC website, which has a link to a local newspaper and boy do those sites hit you with ad after ad. It becomes to painful to actually read the story I wanted to follow and results in me giving up. I expect they plant a thousand trackers and cookies on my PC from that visit.
walpurgis
08-01-2022, 10:33
Occasionally I follow up a story, say from the BBC website, which has a link to a local newspaper and boy do those sites hit you with ad after ad. It becomes to painful to actually read the story I wanted to follow and results in me giving up. I expect they plant a thousand trackers and cookies on my PC from that visit.
Yes, some of the news media sites are unusable without an ad-blocker. Revenue is one thing but crap overload quite another, don't they realise visitors won't return after encountering all that rubbish?
Yes, some of the news media sites are unusable without an ad-blocker. Revenue is one thing but crap overload quite another, don't they realise visitors won't return after encountering all that rubbish?
I wonder that too. But you have to think that they have crunched the numbers and decided it works as it is.
Lawrence001
08-01-2022, 11:55
It's not the forums fault anyway, no small forum could manage its own adverts these days, alI guess it's up to Google or whoever to vet the adverts.
Yes, some of the news media sites are unusable without an ad-blocker. Revenue is one thing but crap overload quite another, don't they realise visitors won't return after encountering all that rubbish?
In full agreement about not returning because of all the rubbish. It may not be fraudulent advertising but it certainly is off putting.
I wonder that too. But you have to think that they have crunched the numbers and decided it works as it is.
Good point. I know they have to get revenue and so it must be working, I guess.
moved to abstract...I would have thought Old Master would have been more appropriate for you [emoji6][emoji23]
Just call me Joshua Reynolds
Just call me Joshua Reynolds[emoji23]
As previously stated ....Ive both reported and complained to the ASA and yes I was not aware that this was two separate actions !
I'm told they will keep me updated as to any actions with the complaint ...we will wait and see !
I have been successful in the past removing unsubstantiated claims from RA website and also correcting claims made in a Hifi mag also by RA.
I've no problems with legitimate advertising even the intrusive sort. But wonder if you can limit it to say one advert per page or change of page rather than the whole page being overwhelmed. Strangely looking through the comments here no adverts appeared ?? So is the AI only slapping ads into popular threads ?
I don't know how that works but if you become a contributor then you won't see any ads on any thread.
walpurgis
09-01-2022, 10:26
I've no problems with legitimate advertising even the intrusive sort. But wonder if you can limit it to say one advert per page or change of page rather than the whole page being overwhelmed. Strangely looking through the comments here no adverts appeared ?? So is the AI only slapping ads into popular threads ?
You said you use an ad-blocker. Are you having other problems?
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