The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched investigations into eight companies, including ticket resellers and driving schools, as part of a probe into online pricing practices. This marks the first such actions taken under new consumer protection powers granted by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act.
Alongside these investigations, the CMA is reaching out to 100 businesses across 14 sectors to express concerns about their use of additional fees and sales tactics, which may include practices like pressure selling, drip pricing, and misleading countdown clocks.
CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell emphasized the importance of consumer confidence, stating: "At a time when household budgets are under constant pressure and we're all hunting for the best deal possible, it's crucial that people are able to shop online with confidence, knowing that the price they see is the price they'll pay, and any sales are genuine."
The ongoing review, which began in April, is scrutinizing over 400 businesses to ensure adherence to price transparency regulations. The CMA's enhanced authority allows it to directly decide if consumer laws have been violated and to impose measures such as ordering businesses to compensate affected customers or imposing fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
The 100 companies contacted by the CMA span various sectors, including holidays, homeware, rail travel, parking, bus and coach travel, cinemas, live event tickets, food delivery, letter and parcel services, gyms and fitness centers, fashion, and online vouchers.