Pensioner loses case over Hoover free flights offer

The prospect of a mass of compensation claims against Hoover over its free flights promotion faded yesterday after a pensioner failed in his attempt to prove that the electrical company had not honoured its offer contract, writes James Cusick.

Sandy Jack, 71, from Methil, Fife, had tried to take advantage of a promotion which ran last year offering two free return flights to America to anyone purchasing a Hoover product costing more than pounds 100. An estimated 200,000 people bought products under the offer.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday, Mr Jack learned of his defeat in a written judgment of the case heard last week. The court had been told that he bought a dishwasher last December for pounds 359 and applied for the flights. He claimed the pounds 380 cost of two flights to the US because Hoover had not sent him a travel voucher until 19 days after the date specified in the promotion's conditions. Mr Jack did not return the vouchers, claiming the delay meant he could not travel on his chosen dates.

Sheriff William Christie ruled that Hoover had 'not been in material breach of contract'. While criticising the company for slackness, he said that at no time had Hoover refused to honour its obligations and had Mr Jack returned the vouchers there was little doubt flights would have been made available, albeit not on the preferred dates.