The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld three complaints against Leicester-based Hammonds Furniture following a challenge by rival Sharps Furniture Group over allegedly misleading website advertisements.
The ASA’s investigation focused on a promotional banner displayed on Hammonds’ website, which stated: “Up to 40% off selected finishes + an extra 5% offer ends in […]” and featured a countdown timer.
The regulator rules that the banner gave the impression that both discounts would expire when the countdown reached zero. In reality, only the additional 5% offer was time-limited and main 40% discount continued for an additional week.
The ASA noted that the timer was likely to create a sense of urgency and pressure consumers into making quick purchasing decisions, potentially without proper consideration.
It concluded that the ad breached Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code rules on misleading advertising and on communicating significant conditions for promotions.
The ASA also reviewed a separate webpage entitled “Why choose Hammonds?” which included statements such as: “We won’t be beaten on quality and price” and “We can offer you better quality furniture at a price others can’t beat.”
Hammonds argued that these claims referred to its price match promise.
However, the ASA found that the page did not reference or link to any such policy, and most consumers would be unlikely to be aware of it.
The regulator also assessed whether the claims could be substantiated.
Hammonds provided records showing a limited number of price checks between June 2024 and August 2025, all conducted against a single competitor.
Due to the bespoke nature of its products, the company acknowledged that direct comparisons with other providers were difficult.
The ASA concluded that these statements were unsubstantiated and could not be independently verified by consumers, in breach of CAP Code rules on misleading advertising, substantiation, and comparisons with identifiable competitors.
All three issues investigated by the ASA were upheld.
The authority directed Hammonds Furniture to withdraw the ads in their current form.
ASA also instructed the company to ensure that future promotions do not misrepresent time-limited offers and that any comparative claims are supported by adequate evidence and verifiable by consumers.
