Fake Portable Air Conditioners Claim to Cool Rooms in 90 Seconds
Online adverts for portable air conditioners claiming to be designed by former NASA engineers and capable of cooling a room in 90 seconds have been flagged by the UK's Advertising Standards Agency as often 'too good to be true'. The devices, sold for £70-£120, were found to be simple fans worth only a few pounds. The ASA warned of exaggerated claims and fake customer reviews.
Key points
- The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) warned that online adverts for portable air conditioners making exaggerated claims are 'too good to be true'.
- YouTuber Stuart Matthews found the devices, sold for £70-£120, to be simple fans worth only a few pounds.
- The ASA reported seeing adverts featuring fake customer reviews describing dramatic temperature drops or exceptional performance.
- The devices were often sold through websites and appeared to be AI-generated, featuring visuals such as copper coils and metallic boxes.
The UK's Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has issued a warning about online adverts for portable air conditioners claiming to be designed by former NASA engineers. These adverts, appearing on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, promise to cool a room in 90 seconds. However, YouTuber Stuart Matthews, a civil engineer and content creator, purchased several of these devices to test their performance. He found that instead of cooling his room quickly, he had bought simple fans worth only a few pounds. The ASA has reported seeing adverts with exaggerated claims, including that a small device can cool an entire home within minutes or use very little electricity. Many of these adverts also feature fake customer reviews describing dramatic temperature drops or exceptional performance. The devices are typically sold for between £70 and £120, and the ASA has warned consumers to be cautious of these claims.
Sources
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