Back to Shapps

Note for new readers: a summary of my dealings with the ASA and Shapps can be found here.

A final note with regard to Grant Shapps. Despite officially having nothing to do with HowToCorp, he seems to know an awful lot about the company's dealings with the Advertising Standards Authority.

That indefatigable reporter, Michael Crick, is still pursuing Mr Shapps, who is still insisting - despite my research and that of many others - that all the company's testimonials were genuine (despite his business selling material including 'How To Solicit Testimonials Easily, Quickly and on Autopilot'. He's telling all and sundry that the ASA has accepted that they are real too. This is a flat-out lie. According to my letter from the ASA, they agreed not to investigate my suspicions after HowToCorp promised not to run the offending material any more. This is, of course, a tacit acknowledgement of guilt.

Obviously I'd like to know why the ASA decided not to investigate, but for some reason it's exempt from Freedom of Information legislation. They won't show me the assurances HowToCorp sent them, nor any other material - despite the company seeing my complaint and personal details. It stinks, frankly. Mr Shapps could of course release all these documents, but he certainly won't.

So to be completely clear: Grant Shapps is a liar. HowToCorp's adverts have not been cleared: they've been withdrawn without investigation.