£6 Million in Fines: A New Age for UK Consumers

Published 18 October 2026. Facts checked 17 October 2026 against the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announcement of 14 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

On 14 October 2026 the CMA, the UK's competition and consumer regulator, fined three businesses a combined £6 million for misleading sales tactics. All three admitted breaking consumer law. Here is what each business did, what it means for you, and what to do if something similar has happened to you.

Figures from the CMA's announcement. Each fine was reduced by 40% because the business admitted the breach and settled early.

What Each Business Did

Why This Is A New Age for Consumers

For years, many businesses treated fake countdowns and hidden fees as a normal part of selling. That is changing. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, the CMA now has its own powers to fine businesses that break consumer law. In the roughly 18 months since those powers began, the CMA says it has issued fines of more than £12 million and secured nearly £2.4 million in refunds for customers.

The fines can be large. The CMA can fine a business up to 10% of its global turnover, or £300,000 if that is higher. Businesses are no longer just being told to do better. They are being told off in public, made to pay customers back and fined.

What the Law Says

Were You A Customer? How the Refunds Work

If you bought from Appliances Direct or had a Gold's Gym (UK) membership and are owed money, you do not need to do anything. The CMA's guidance says the business will contact you about your refund. The refund is paid by the business, not by the CMA.

• Appliances Direct should process refunds by 11 March 2027.
• Gold's Gym should process refunds by 29 March 2027.
• If you have a question about your refund, contact the business directly.

Has Something Similar Happened to You?

You do not need to wait for the CMA. If a business pressured you with a fake deadline, added an extra you did not choose, or hid a compulsory fee until the end, you can complain yourself.

1. Keep the evidence. Take screenshots of the countdown, the price, the checkout page and your order confirmation, with the date showing.
2. Complain to the business in writing. Say what happened, what you want (for example a refund of the extra or the hidden fee) and give a date to reply by. Our free letter templates can help.
3. Ask your card provider. If you paid by card and the business will not help, you may be able to use Section 75 or a chargeback.
4. Report it. The Citizens Advice consumer service can pass reports on to Trading Standards. Reports help regulators spot patterns like the ones in these cases.

Useful guides: Pressure Selling and Fake Countdown Clocks, Hidden Fees and Drip Pricing, Bought in A Sale or on Black Friday, How to Complain to Appliances Direct.

A Message to Businesses

These cases show that getting consumer law wrong is now expensive. Now is the time for every business selling to UK customers to make sure everything is squeaky clean:

• Only use a deadline or countdown if the offer really ends when it says it does.
• Show the full price up front, including every compulsory fee.
• Never add a paid extra unless the customer actively chooses it.
• Fix problems fast and fairly when customers complain.

The CMA publishes guidance for businesses, including getting consent for additional charges when selling online. If CPUK contacts your business about a customer's complaint, see how we work with businesses.

Our View

Consumer law in the UK has had real teeth since April 2025, and these fines show the CMA is using them. For the first time, the businesses that rely on pressure and small print are being publicly named, fined and made to pay customers back. That is good news for anyone who has ever felt rushed into a purchase or caught out at the checkout. If something like this has happened to you, you have rights, and we are here to help you use them.

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