The competition watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Wowcher placed “unfair pressure” on customers through countdown timers and other practices. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Friday it was examining whether the deals platform business “misled consumers by using countdown timers and other urgency claims”.
It comes two days after the watchdog announced a crackdown on online pressure-selling tactics used by retailers to potentially speed up decision-making by shoppers. The probe will look into the use of timers telling shoppers that deals will soon disappear, as well as other online selling practices used by the business, including how it enrols consumers in its membership scheme. Last year, the CMA launched a probe into the possible use of pressure selling tactics by bed-in-a-box brand Emma Sleep.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “People who buy online should not be pressurised by practices implying that they must act quickly to avoid missing out, when this is not the case. We’ll be scrutinising these claims from Wowcher and if we find the company is using misleading online selling tactics, we won’t hesitate to take enforcement action, through the courts if necessary.
“This is the second investigation we have opened into urgency claims, which can be a type of pressure selling, and all companies should take note and review their own practices. We’ve published advice to help with this, which sets out clearly those online urgency and price reduction claims that are likely to mislead or put unfair pressure on consumers.”
A Wowcher spokesman said: “Wowcher’s mission has always been to help save our customers money with the best, exclusive offers from thousands of our merchants across the UK. This has never been more important than in this challenging economic environment. We support the aims of the CMA’s investigation and will work with them to ensure that our customers have the best possible experience when they shop with us.”
