Sunwing has followed through with a promise to change a newspaper ad deemed “confusing” by dozens of consumers.
Consumers complained because after reading the ad, they thought they were getting an additional $200 off until they read the fine print that stated the $200 was reflected in the advertised taxes – meaning consumers wouldn’t get an additional $200 off.
The Consumers’ Association of Canada received more than 50 complaints about the ad, which was brought to CTV’s attention after appearing in The Province on Jan.10.
Esther Mavric of Vancouver booked a trip with Sunwing hoping to get the additional savings but only realized the truth when she called the company and then got out her magnifying glass to read the fine print in the disclaimer.
After McLaughlin on Your Side got involved, the Better Business Bureau contacted Sunwing to review the ad and Sunwing issued a statement promising to make changes.
“Based on this feedback of how our print advertisement had been interpreted, we will ensure we make ‘prices reflect discount’ a more prominent part of the message should we have a similar campaign in the future,” stated Jacqueline Grossman, senior director of marketing for Sunwing Vacations.
A new Sunwing newspaper ad, published in The Province on Jan. 24, lived up to Sunwing’s promise. It does not rely on the disclaimer in the fine print to clarify the main message. Esther Mavric didn’t need her magnifying glass to see that she’d save $200 on taxes of the all-inclusive vacation packages and that the “advertised taxes included savings.”
“I think that’s excellent!” Mavric exclaimed and credited the change to having reached out to McLaughlin On Your Side.
Sunwing also reached out to Marvic and although she wouldn’t give us details about her conversation or resolution, she says she was happy with how the company responded.
