In the wake of the almighty cock-up of PAYE by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs it has been revealed that the man ultimately responsible, the HMRC permanent secretary for tax, Mr David Hartnett, is something of a serial free-loader when it comes to enjoying corporate hospitality.

According to the Daily Telegraph Hartnett holds the Whitehall record in this regard and has supplemented the meagre £600,000 or so of taxpayer’s money he has trousered in salary over the last three years with 107 acceptances of free food and drink, at such budget venues as the Hilton on Park Lane and the Savoy in the Strand. Continue reading →

The reliability of the review websites for hotels and restaurants used by millions of consumers has been called into question.

According to their trade magazine Caterer and Hotelkeeper rumours abound that glowing reviews are often posted anonymously by the hotels and restaurants themselves, and damning reviews – and some have made accusations of food poisoning without proof – often posted anonymously by competitors. Review site TripAdvisor have confirmed that their anonymous reviewers don’t even have to prove that they stayed at a hotel or ate at a restaurant to post a review of it, so what real value are the reviews? Continue reading →

An EU- funded report has found that many of the fears stoked up by the fashion houses anxious to protect their profits against counterfeits are groundless.

The report rejects the popular myth that fake designer goods fund terrorism and organised crime, and the wild claims of losses to manufacturers which it says are based on the assumption that someone buying a very cheap counterfeit would have otherwise bought the real thing at the full price. It notes, in fact that fashion fakes can actually help promote the real thing. Continue reading →

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints against a number of misleading marketing practices, ones that readers will wish to avoid.

o The Daily Mail newspaper, published by Associated Newspapers, ran a Ryanair-style ad offering caravan holidays “from just £15 per person”, and only mentioning the additional and compulsory service charges in the small print. Also glossed over in the headline was the fact that extra charges were levied for passes allowing customers to use swimming pools, bars and restaurants.

o The National Express Group promoted its Stansted Express service as running from the airport to Central London in 35 minutes. In fact the company deemed Tottenham Hale as Central London for the purposes of shortening its journey time, which is likely to be nearer 60 minutes, via Liverpool Street and the notoriously poor London Underground system, timing not allowing for strike action.

o To sell Health and Safety posters supplier Seton sent out its mailing in a brown window envelope with the imprint “Legal Compliance – Action Required” to give some official flavour to their marketing communication, an aspect the ASA ruled was likely to cause fear or distress for no good reason.

More than 70% of TV viewers over 55 have indicated that they will not welcome the product placement due to be part of TV programmes by the end of this year.

This is one of the findings of a survey by YouGov and Deloitte which also reveals that 30% of 18-24 year-olds would be similarly against the practice. Those welcoming product placement, which is being allowed in the UK to boost flagging advertising revenues, say that they do so because they expect it to deliver free content, or cheaper premium TV.

Research by bank group Santander indicates that a record 1.2 million of us have recently opted to take a career break, at an average cost of £6,000.

Reasons given are a difficult job market and a lack of university places, aspects that are not likely to improve for a while.

The E Commerce Expo exhibition and conference takes place October 19 and 20 at Olympia, London. Entry to the exhibition and the conference sessions is free.

www.ecommerceextra.co.uk

Appalled we were to read that some nasty types had been visiting bookshops and moving Tony Blair’s superbly accurate memoirs, A Journey, under the fantasy or true crime sections and, according to a photograph published in Private Eye, The Third Man by Peter Mandelson was moved to the tragic life stories section.

Respect for top politicians just grows and grows…