A consumer accused Dunnes Stores of false advertising after she was prevented from availing of a promotion.

The offer stated that customers would receive vouchers worth €5 after spending €25. The woman spent €100 on her goods and expected to receive €20 back in vouchers to redeem against her next shop.

However, she was informed that the shop had stopped giving out the vouchers the previous Thursday. This had not been referenced in the advertising and the woman said she was misled.

She subsequently lodged a complaint, but Dunnes Stores did not respond. Under ASAI rules, companies can be found in breach of the advertising code for not dealing with complaints in a timely manner.

The Complaints Committee expressed their concerns at Dunne Stores’ failure to respond and ruled that the advertisement must not run in its current form again.