why do people feel the need to buy expensive cable

folkfreak

The BBB comparison is not quite fair as the ASA is a statutory body (ie a government agency), more like the FDA ruling on a drug claim

Sorry, but ASA is not a "statutory body" or government agency at all, but a self-regulatory agency very much like the BBB. According to its own website, it was first  established  by the advertising industry as the Committee of Advertising Practice, which then created the ASA in 1962.

Thanks for the information supporting my original contention that there was no court case. Besides, the whole thing was resolved in favor of the cable company. So willemj’s contention of a court case was a perfect example of fake news. Also known as a nothing burger. 🍔

See here for a more recent case: https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/the-chord-company-ltd-a14-274211.html
The snake oil sellers keep trying.
See here for a US example, though not about cables: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2014/11/sony-computer-entertainment-america-provide-c...

Uh, neither one of your new “evidence” are court cases, either. More fake news. What’s next, natural food? 🍔 The Teleportation Tweak? UFOs? Ghosts? 👻

Not court cases, but effectively with the power of a court. Typically, in Europe the state tries to leave such things to the self regulation of an industry (in this case the advertising industry). If the industry fails to clean up a sector from misleading and deceptive practices, the state will step in. Here in the Netherlands, that has led to very expensive court cases for banks, for example.
So, aside from the technicalities that I had not remembered quite correctly, society has acted against these crooks.