Major UK electrical retailer Marks Electrical has been ordered to refund nearly 40,000 customers and pay a fine after automatically opting them into additional paid services without their consent. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the appliances retailer pre-selected and charged customers for extra services during online purchases.
Affected services and customers
Affected customers were automatically opted into one or both of the 'Recycle Old Appliance' service and the 'Unwrap & Recycle Packaging' service, each costing extra. This impacted customers buying essential household items such as washing machines, dishwashers, and cookers through the Marks Electrical website.
Fine and refunds
The competition regulator fined the company £720,000 and ordered it to refund approximately £600,000 in total to affected customers, who will each receive around £15. Marks Electrical will contact affected customers about their refund, which will be automatically refunded to the payment method used. If that is not possible, customers will receive a cheque.
Legal context
Under consumer law, consumers must have genuine choice over whether to pay for extra products or services. The CMA’s investigation covered conduct from April 2025, when its new consumer powers came into force, to November 2025.
Emma Cochrane, executive director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: "The law is absolutely clear that automatically opting customers into extra charges is never OK. Buying a new washing machine, dishwasher or cooker is expensive and people should have the right to decide if they want optional extras – not be landed with costs that they did not agree to. All businesses need to check their policy on automatic opt-ins – the bottom line is that they should not be used. If businesses break the law, we’ll continue to issue fines and secure refunds for people."
