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Original poster

Help - advert gone wrong.

9 replies

wangle99 · 13/07/2006 18:52

Like some advice please!

I teach baby signing in Cornwall and run a course per term of the year. Don't do a huge amount of paid advertising (as so bloomin' expensive!) but did place an advert and it's gone wrong..

There is a magazine that goes out to all primary school kids called 'Primary Times'. Never advertised in it as target age group generally wrong (unless they have younger siblings).

BUT our local Family Information Services contacted me and asked me if I'd like to list my summer classes for free in their Family Summer 2006 brochure so I said I'd email them over straight away and if they didn't arrive please let me know. Didn't hear anything from them.

Then got a phone call from Primary Times saying would I like to place an advert in the brochure as I was putting in class information. Said I would take credit card size ad which was £116 (inc VAT). Haven't done any other paid advertising this year so thought why not.

Guess what, brochure just came, advert in it but NO classes. Am livid. Advert is pointless has such little info (as presumed class info would be in there).

Now, I don't want to pay the advert fee although they are saying that it wasn't their fault it didn't go in (which I really don't care about lol). What do you reckon is a reasonable reduction in fee to ask for? I realise I'm going to have to pay something but how much can I ask for them to reduce it by?

Sorry this is soooo long :-(

OP posts:

karenj1980 · 13/07/2006 19:16

Did you get a proof copy so that you could authorise it? I have placed an advert in Primary Times and I definatley got a proof copy so I could check it.

Original poster

wangle99 · 13/07/2006 20:05

There is nothing wrong with the advert part, I did a pdf so I knew it was right.

The problem is the bit that the family information service was going to place ie all my summer class listings didn't go in. I placed the advert BECAUSE I had placed the listings.

Without the listings the advert is worthless to me.

OP posts:

karenj1980 · 13/07/2006 20:28

then if the advert was not what you supplied then i wouldnt pay a penny

hairymclary · 13/07/2006 20:37

is the FIS the people who do the primary times magazine?

tbh I don't think you can ask for any reduction. You wanted an advert, which you paid for, which presumably you wrote as well.

that is entirely separate from the class listings that they said they would print for free surely? I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if you didn't hear from them it would have been worth phoning to check they'd got it surely?

Original poster

wangle99 · 13/07/2006 20:57

The lady was so sure that she would phone if didn't receive it I just believed her - my fault probably but with everything going on it never crossed my mind that it wouldn't have got to her.

£116 is such a lot of money for me to pay for something useless.

sigh

OP posts:

bettythebuilder · 13/07/2006 21:10

Could you explain the problem to the people who publish primary times, say that it's a lot of money for you to pay for a worthless ad, and try to get a free advert in the next issue with, of course, full listings of your classes? Say what you've just said - that it's a lot of money to you.
At least people will be aware of your classes in the meantime.

Original poster

wangle99 · 14/07/2006 07:37

The have offered me a free advert in their next Primary Times issues but that isn't much use as their magazine is given out to Primary School children (my classes are for children up to the age of 2.5 really). This was an extra publication that is given to alot more people including parents with babies.

OP posts:

southeastastra · 14/07/2006 08:24

what a pain! but the primary times is a great magazine, all the children in every primary school get one and your ad will be seen by parents with younger children

hub2dee · 14/07/2006 09:24

tbh I wouldn't pay it I don't think. They have fulfilled their side of the deal in a way - printed your supplied ad correctly, but your business was solicited on the basis that the class info had been submitted to them (you say that's why they called you). You created an ad with limited information BECAUSE you thought punters would be able to refer to the class listings THEY said were going to be printed (which is why they called ).

Now having said all that, if they are being v. difficult, I would perhaps negotiate a similar ad / listings for next year, or else 2 X free ads as it is not your target group and you're going to have to produce new artwork etc.

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