Tesco has slammed Asda’s 10 per cent cheaper price guarantee as “misleading” and a “gimmick” and has vowed that as well as accepting Asda refund vouchers, it is launching a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Competing supermarket Asda started the new year promising to be 10 per cent cheaper than its competitors or refund the difference, but Tesco commercial director Richard Brasher said the retailer’s rival’s actions are a “cynical ploy” and that have been designed to “mislead” consumers particularly as he claims the guarantee excludes about half of Tesco's range including some of its fresh produce lines. “It is vitally important that the whole industry acts in a way that deserves the trust of customers,” said Brasher. “We are calling on the ASA to act, and to act quickly, because in our view customers are being misled by false Asda claims….Customers should not have to shop again at a store that we believe has misled them. That’s why we are Asda refund vouchers at our tills.”
