Copywriters should’ve gone to Specsavers
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SPECSAVERS might want to take its own advice given in its famous slogan after claiming two north towns were islands.
The high street opticians, whose slogan "Should’ve gone to Specsavers" is used as an expression for missing the obvious, advertised its forthcoming events in Caithness and Sutherland by writing in its leaflet, "Specsavers opticians is coming soon to the isles of Brora and Wick".
It has left local residents infuriated and they have compared it to the ongoing issue of companies adding extra charges to delivering products to the area, wrongly believing Caithness is an island.
Disgruntled Drew Macleod (59), of Wick, received the leaflet on Wednesday morning.
He said customers who order items online and over the phone are already punished by having the (KW) Kirkwall postcode in their address and thought the leaflet was a careless mistake.
"There are many companies who already seem to think that Caithness is an island and add extra charges to deliver their products," he said.
"When I read the leaflet while having my breakfast, I found it very annoying and I thought that it needed to be brought to people’s attention.
"It is sloppy advertising, where the company have obviously not done their research or have no knowledge of geography – a bit of homework would have avoided this mistake.
"The fact that we have a Kirkwall postcode already complicates things. I have had leaflets in the past from companies which have stated that they offer free delivery anywhere in the UK except the Highlands.
"Customers based in the far north are being discriminated against due to our location and I have spoken to a lot of people who have been victims of surcharges."
Chairman of Specsavers Scotland Jim Quinn praised the eyesight of members of the public who spotted the mistake and invited those who didn’t to come along to its events next month.
"The sharp-eyed locals who spotted this error clearly won’t be needing an appointment with us any time soon," he said.
"For anyone else who didn’t spot the mistake, our doors are open.
"On this occasion our copywriters obviously should’ve gone to Specsavers."
As previously reported, consumers in the far north continue to claim they are being ripped off by unfair delivery prices.
Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau has been inundated with complaints and has backed calls from watchdog Consumer Focus Scotland for companies to offer the same delivery charge to rural locations, including the far north, as the rest of the country.
