This isn't really a criticism since many many people seem to do it, but it is one of my pet peeves...

I notice there is a new banner at the top of WebHostingTalk for Saburovo.com - in the banner / picture are shown 4 Compaq 1U servers stacked on top of eachother so I think to myself "interesting Saburovo is now offering Compaq server deals". I click the link and then find on the Savurovo.com site only 3 whitebox servers are listed - no Compaq's are available from them.

Is this deceptive advertising so a newbie who doesn't do his reasearch will buy the Whitebox Celeron from Saburovo thinking it's a Compaq 1U server from the picture?

Interesting point. And yeah there isn't anything anyone can do about it but is is indeed annoying...

Well when I see something like, to me it just means that they have something to do with servers. Not that the server in the picture is the one they are selling.
If, however, they had a picture of one server on their order page while selling a different server; then I would find that misleading indeed.

It's a bit of a fine line that could easily lead to a case for false advertising which could be difficult to defend.

It's a bit like the car manufacturers that show a particular model in their adverts, but when you get to the showroom, they don't actually have it available. Such tactics are often penalised.

hehe.

It's just like going into McDonalds and seeing a huge picture of a burger with scrumptious looking fillings, looks huge and filling on the ad picture - but when reality hits in - You get a tiny little thing that really doesn't look quite the same.. marketing I think it is called.

I don't see any harm in showing a different server picture in an ad, only if they say "These are the servers that you will get" would it be a problem I think. As long as you know what you are actually getting for the money is all that matters, you can't rely on a picture on an ad to guide you - Common sense must lead the way.

:D

Oh, I agree. But if a customer said "I only got it cos I believed that I was getting what I saw in your ad" then it might be a bit more tricky. In theory. Perhaps. Maybe not. IANAL :) But considering it's something one could easily avoid doing, it might be worth at least saying somewhere that this is a "representation" of what you would get.

But considering it's something one could easily avoid doing, it might be worth at least saying somewhere that this is a "representation" of what you would get.

Yeah i agree with you, it would have kept them 100% honest in their marketing, and would have saved them a bit of bad press here too. We're all entitled to our opinions :D

(Not saying they aren't 100% honest as they seem to be a very good and reliable host, with lots of positive comments, even from Headsurfer himself :D)

As long as you know what you are getting without any false information is the main. :D

If you are buying a dedicated server, that server should be pictured. If you are buying shared hosting, I don't think it matters what server might be shown.

I disagree, it doesn't matter what it looks like, unless the ad states that the server looks or represents the picture used in the ad, it's what is inside that matters, you can't see the processor and motherboard etc from an external picture, or should they be photographed too? :D

It doesnt really matter to me. It would be different if they had the server on the order page or something, but this is just a banner. I wouldn't worry about it.

Originally posted by IT Hosting
If you are buying a dedicated server, that server should be pictured. If you are buying shared hosting, I don't think it matters what server might be shown.

The picture on your hompage may lead people to think that the keyboard picture is your support staff typing on a keyboard.... is that the case? (If it IS then I don't have a point :D)

Marketing.. everyone does it.

From a design perspective I do not think it's misleading. If however the company had pictures of a server next to a deal - ie; a compaq pic next to a whitebox plan then yes I would say so

Kind of like how lots of businesses have all these fine women posing all over their pages when probably all of their employees are ogres :D




(no offense...) :stickout

Saburovo logo

I would like to clarify -- the picture of 1U servers in a rack with words 'Saburovo.com' is actually our new logo and has nothing to do with actual servers.

I apologise to anyone who was mislead by the picture of 1U servers. We do have some 1U servers (I think 10 or 12), but most of our servers are indeed white linux boxes.

This may be not the best logo in the world -- we came up with it pretty quickly -- so if you have better ideas for a logo of a company like ourselves, feel free to post your ideas to me, sales@saburovo.com

I am thinking in lines of providing 1 month free service to someone who comes with the best logo for Saburovo.com