What was the complaint?
Mr Hattingh said that this commercial is misleading,
as the product does not repair scratches on CD and DVD disks as advertised.
What parts of the Code of Advertising Practice may have been breached?
Section II, Clause 4.1 – Substantiation
Section II, Clause 4.2.1 – Misleading claims

Glomail’s response
Glomail’s lawyers, Adams & Adams, submitted documents to prove the claims made in the commercial:
A report by Steve’s Chemical Services CC
A report by Paramount Magnetics
A website printout about Isopropyl Alcohol, the active ingredient in this product

The ruling: Complaint was upheld
The commercial states that “CD Clinic can clean and repair damage and scratches on any type of CD or DVD in an instant.” Any reasonable consumer would understand that this product is capable of repairing damaged or scratched CDs and DVDs.
The ASA concluded that “there is nothing in the substantiation to indicate that the product can indeed repair CD’s or DVD’s or remove scratches as advertised. The claims go beyond cleaning properties.”

Glomail’s claims were therefore both unsubstantiated and misleading, and it was ordered to withdraw the advert immediately and not use it again.

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