Bradford-based mail order giant Grattan has been forced to change an advertising campaign following a complaint that it misled customers.

The Advertising Standards Authority agreed that postcards delivered to 435,000 homes by the company were misleading, despite having received only one complaint.

The complainant had understood that the postcards referred to an unrequested home-shopping catalogue, but argued their wording implied a delivery firm had failed to drop off another package.

ASA spokesman Donna Mitchell said: "If something was misleading whether we receive one complaint or 100 it's down to the implication of the overall mailing.

"If it's misleading it's always going to be misleading."

But Grattan bosses argued that the claim on the mailing was correct because the company did want to deliver a package to the house and had provided a telephone number to call.

They maintained that the mailing bore the Grattan name, logo, strap-line and the main characteristics of the service. They said they were market leaders in home shopping and maintained their name would be easily recognised.

But the ASA considered the main characteristics of the service were not identified clearly and were concerned those who were not familiar with Grattan would not recognise it was for a catalogue.

Grattan was unavailable for comment about the complaint today.

In May last year the catalogue was asked to withdraw a prize draw which stated that nine out of ten names inside an envelope would receive £25,000. Inside it said that only nine names would receive the cash.

Grattan is not the only catalogue shopping firm to find itself in trouble with the advertising watchdog. Empire Stores was criticised three times in two years by the ASA for misleading customers with promotions offering prizes of £30,000.