J385: Communication Law Home Page


Nissan Stanza Challenge

(A) Man: Okay, so I'm thinking about a new car. I'm reading the papers, I'm looking around. I finally decide on a Camry. Or maybe an Accord. That's nice, too. Okay, so either one. But then I hear about this thing that Nissan's doing. The Nissan Stanza Challenge, they call it. What is that? I don't know, but I like a challenge, so I go to a Nissan Dealer to check it out.

Now get this. They tell me that if I buy the Camry or the Accord, they're gonna give me a hundred dollars. Did you understand what I said just then? Nissan will give you a hundred dollars to buy a Toyota or a Honda! So what's the catch, I ask myself, because there has to be a catch. There's no catch! Just test-drive a Nissan Stanza first. No sweat, easiest hundred I ever made, right?

Wrong. See, Nissan knows once you drive a Stanza, with its powerful engine, roomy interior, great handling -- you're not gonna want a Camry. Or an Accord. That's the catch


Claim: Consumers who test drove a Nissan Stanza and subsequently purchased a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry during the period of the Nissan Stanza Challenge could readily obtain the $ 100 payment specified in the advertisement.

FACTS: Any consumers who test drove a Nissan Stanza and subsequently purchased a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry during the period of the Nissan Stanza Challenge could not readily obtain the $ 100 payment specified in the advertisement. In order to receive the $ 100, the consumer could not purchase the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry on the same day as the test drive, but had to purchase, take delivery, and submit documentary proof of the purchase within seven days after test driving the Nissan Stanza.

RESULT: The representation is false and misleading.

 

 

School of Journalism and Communication