Lionel Ritchie
27/07/2007, 12:56 PM
Listening to the newest Eircom Phonewatch radio advert which claims 70% of burglaries happen while the occupants are in the house (no source quoted for their statistics) I got a bit annoyed at what strikes me as blatant scaremongering.
These stats from the CSO (http://www.cso.ie/statistics/burglaries.htm) would seem to confirm that none of us have ever been less likely to be burgled much less be a victim of an aggrivated attack in our home by a burglar. I know that's of scant comfort to those dwindling numbers who undergo the trauma involved but I really think eircom should be made back it up or pack it up.
It strikes me that this ad and eircoms phonewatch ads in general are about creating a market-base through fear and then satiating that fear with their monitored alarm -which incidently retails at approximately €1200 p.a. for the basic package exclusive of call out charges. For myself -frankly I think it'd be cheaper to get burgled ever couple of years. For an auld doll living on her own who maybe has little chance of coming up with that sort of cash it's tantamount to harrasment with menace.
I'm seriously considering a complaint to the Advertising Standards watchdog and any help with stats etc would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking to cherry pick stats the way eircom appear to either. An informed overview is all I'm trying to assemble.
These stats from the CSO (http://www.cso.ie/statistics/burglaries.htm) would seem to confirm that none of us have ever been less likely to be burgled much less be a victim of an aggrivated attack in our home by a burglar. I know that's of scant comfort to those dwindling numbers who undergo the trauma involved but I really think eircom should be made back it up or pack it up.
It strikes me that this ad and eircoms phonewatch ads in general are about creating a market-base through fear and then satiating that fear with their monitored alarm -which incidently retails at approximately €1200 p.a. for the basic package exclusive of call out charges. For myself -frankly I think it'd be cheaper to get burgled ever couple of years. For an auld doll living on her own who maybe has little chance of coming up with that sort of cash it's tantamount to harrasment with menace.
I'm seriously considering a complaint to the Advertising Standards watchdog and any help with stats etc would be greatly appreciated. I'm not looking to cherry pick stats the way eircom appear to either. An informed overview is all I'm trying to assemble.