Having had cigarettes brought over from Europe-which were clearly marked on the pack 20 I wonder how come they have a "full" pack??? Have just started buying in the UK-ONLY TO FIND-YET AGAIN-Sterling has reduced the number of ciggies down to 17-without so much as a by your leave-charging full price-AND-putting the number of cigarettes on the cellophane-which everybody knows you don't take notice of when opening-very clever sterling-I'll bet you had some high flying a.....e figuring that out! As far as I am concerned-as of tomorrow-I shall be changing my brand-and sincerely hope thousands follow suit-I cannot be doing with lying and thieving-because that's what you are..............liars and thieves! I hope you go bankrupt!

Having had cigarettes brought over from Europe-with-I might add-20 in a pack!!! have just gone back to buying in the UK-and noticed YET AGAIN-the reduced number of ciggies in the pack-with no warning-took ages to see the number written on the cellophane-which like most people just rip off and throw! I just thought I was smoking more in a day-turns out I'm not-I shall be changing to another brand as of tomorrow-and hopefully which ever brand I go with wont be as sneaky and under hand as you thieves!!!!!!!!! Because that's what you are! How come one can buy same brand in Europe with 20?????????????????

Disgusted when they changed to 19 from 20 then 6 months later changed to 18 & now another 3 to 4 months later only got 17 this is not fair they are expensive anyway & should not be allowed to con people this way I wont be buying any more of this brand they are the same price as 18 packs.

i have noticed that there are only 17 in a packet now , not 20 as they was normally packed , i noticed comments that they reduced the price to have 17 in the packet , i have paid the same price for 20 and now 17 , i but these weekly and they havent reduced the price its a just a con and i cannot see why they would have done this apart from making more money on the fags , big con .

17 cigarettes instead of 20 and no reduction in price what a rip off will not be buying them again and from what I have read I am not the only one

As I have just seen on a previous comment, I purchased what I thought was 20 fresh taste opened them to only find 17, very Miss leading, the shop assistant probably should of said there now boxes of 17, or it should be made more clearer on the box

It doesn't say 17 on the packet its on the cellophane wrap very misleading because once you remove the cellophane there is no other indication stating amount in packet! Lambert & butler bought abroad has 20 in pack & tells you on lid of the pack how many are in there. I didn't know until I bought some today about the reduction in amount but I won't be buying them again!!

Not a complaint as such just a message to other people who have put up complaints...
It does actually say on the side of packets that there are 17 not 20 in them so you are necessarily being misled
Secondly you aren't paying "full price" for 17 ciggerettes. if there were actually 20 in the packet like other brands such as Lambert & Butler or Regal you would be paying nearly £9/£10 for 20. so only buying 17 at a time actually works out cheaper in the long term.
it's not a trading standards issue at all because Sterling aren't hiding the fact it's not 20 in the packet.

Just disgusted actually. Just repeating what everyone has said - buying a 20 packet of cigarettes to only get 17 is totally disgusting with no warning or no note on the packet. We all need to change our brand as where is this gonna end? When we buy a 20 packet and it only has 11 in it? I am absolutely DISGUSTED!!

We are absolutely gob smacked about the sudden reduction from 19 down to 17!!! We are still paying full price but get far less for that money!!! Can you give us a valid and clear explanation for that reduction in cigarette's please!!! And why have you not marked the amount of cigarettes on the outside of the packet??? We have now changed Brands!!!

I have smoked sterling menthol superkings for years, and you are very sneakely reducing the contents, but not reducing the price!
PLEASE can you give me a good reason for doing this? smoking is addictive, and can result in cancer (I know this because, I AM ADDICTED! and I DO have cancer!) I have smoked for many years, and at my age it would not be easy to give up, and besides the damage has now been done, since there are now 17 in a pkt, I am seriusely thinking of changing to the e-cigarette.
But I would still like to know why you are deceiving your customers?

Why have you put the number of fags in a packet down to 17 with no notice or price reduction? You just 2 long time customers!!!!

Purchased a pack of 20 sterling super kings or so I thought, on inspection I discover there are only 17 in the pack, I asked for 20 and I expected to receive 20, the staff of my local supermarket were horrified as they were unaware of the short number in the packs. There is nothing on the packet to advise the consumer that there are now only 17 in the pack. Surely this whole issue is a Trading Standards matter as they are deliberately misleading the smoking public.
They stated they were the UK's number 1 brand, I certainly will never buy them again, I think it sucks that they are allowed to mislead the public in this way. I won't be buy them anymore.

I am fuming, once again i have asked for 20 sterling only to yet again receive a pack of 17! there is no indication of this on the pack and i cannot believe they are allowed to do this, i will be changing brand immediately, where can i find is their actual UK based web site? , fuming!

I have just been to a local petrol station and asked and PAID for 20 sterling fresh taste cigarettes, upon opening the packet I find 17 cigarettes. No warning, no price reduction and no explanation as to why I'm paying the same money for less product. This is an outrage. Considering this is the most popular cigarette brand in this country I would expect a more professional approach to this in the form of some form of notification or at least a price reduction. I will no longer be buying this product and I would urge others to do the same. Ridiculous.

I Bought 100 cigarettes in Sainsbury's this week only to find there are only 17 in each packet. Is this legal?????????

Absolutely disgusted to find 17 ciggies in a pack there was no warning and this company insists to keep the price the same.
I was not happy when it went to 18 but this takes the mick.
It urges me to give up totally.no point in changing brand because you will all follow suit.
I think you will be losing so much business and you seriously need to rectify price if you are stay with 17 or going any lower in future.
I had a few packs last week which were all stained that kind of quality is unacceptable I wasted money there because I didn't want to smoke them with the unknown markings all over the cigarette.
Very unhappy sterling menthol superkings smoker

Went to bargain booze on Windsor Rd neath s wales asked for 20 Stirling fresh taste opened them only 17 in there absolutely tamping I asked for 20 I want 20 time to change brand rip off is an understatement

Purchased a pack of 20 sterling super kings or so I thought, on inspection I discover there are only 17 in the pack, I asked for 20 and I expected to receive 20, the staff of my local supermarket were horrified as they were unaware of the short number in the packs. There is nothing on the packet to advise the consumer that there are now only 17 in the pack. Surely this whole issue is a Trading Standards matter as they are deliberately misleading the smoking public.
They stated they were the UK's number 1 brand, I certainly will never buy them again, I think it sucks that they are allowed to mislead the public in this way

17 Fag's... really i think someone is taking the p**s for the money they are charging we want 20 in a packet, but no if you smoke regal at £9.50 you get a full 20 in the packet absolute bullsh** i only noticed as iv just open a new packet and thought i was running out far to quick so i counted and im shocked, sneaky thats what it is just as well i have decided to stop smoking soon

I have smoked Sterling Red Superkings for years. Okay, I accepted Packets of 19s ..... 18s was pushing it but 17s ... no way, enough of this rip off. Now changing brands. I'll pay the extra for 20 in a packet

I usually buy sovereign king size from my local asda in packs of 100 recently I have noticed several packets contain 16 cigarettes and some contain 17 cigarettes. Is this a scam by asda or the tabacoonists.

sent to trading standards -

Sterling cigarettes
Fresh taste

selling 20s with only 17 in the box

called them and they claim to have 'informed the retailers' and there should be a number '17' on the packaging.

I have photographic and original evidence of the whole box with original seal still on top and the receipt from Tesco extra.

there is no marking other than the word 'LIE' on the bottom of the packaging,

brought a box of 20 yesterday and only 17 in the box!!!
SCAM ARTISTS

how do we get our money back?????

This is the 2nd time I have brought a bar and new pack of sterling fresh burst to find only 17 in the packet! I have never experienced this with any other brand. The packet was sealed in the normal way. I'd like to make an official complaint. [email protected]