The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered Mr Price Home to withdraw misleading advertising in its furniture pamphlets that depict the price payable and a higher price with the claim ‘Never pay R...’.

The Mercury says the ASA ordered the Mr Price Group to immediately withdraw the advertisement after the retailer failed to give evidence to substantiate the claimed savings. The authority had received a complaint from consumer Sydney Kaye against Mr Price's pamphlet promoting its Ranch Range furniture. Kaye submitted that the advertisement was misleading because it implied that the customer would save the difference between the ‘Never pay’ price and the actual price. However, he said, this was not true because the merchandise had never been sold at the ‘Never pay’ price.

Mr Price responded that the ‘Never pay’ price was the price a customer would pay for the same item at its competitors. The retailer also submitted that it had been using the pricing strategy for the past 15 years.