United Parcel Service Inc. has stopped running a national television ad after rival FedEx Corp. accused UPS of falsely asserting that it has been "ranked the most reliable" package-shipping company. UPS has notified FedEx that it will no longer air the ad, UPS spokesman Norman Black said. "We obviously take any competitor claims of superior reliability very seriously," said FedEx spokesman Maury Lane. At issue is a television ad in which a UPS pitchman asserts that the company "was just ranked the most reliable."

 

The ad has aired more than 500 times, according to FedEx. The ad's assertion was based on a research note published by Morgan Stanley in November. Associated Press On March 31, FedEx sent UPS a letter demanding it stop airing the ad, saying the Morgan Stanley survey was unreliable and that the ad "does not meet the minimum standards for publication as required by the Federal Trade Commission." UPS, however, continued to run the ad. Then, on April 26, Morgan Stanley published its latest semi-annual shippers survey. In its latest survey, FedEx Express received the highest service marks, Morgan Stanley said. On Friday, FedEx sued UPS in federal court in Tennessee, demanding the ad be pulled off the air. Mr. Black, the UPS spokesman, said UPS decided Friday to stop airing the ad and notified FedEx of its decision. "Last week, the 2009 Morgan Stanley Parcel Return Survey was published, changing some of the previous year's rankings," Mr. Black stated in an email. "As a result, UPS has decided not to run that particular TV commercial in the future."