The UK's competition regulator has initiated a major crackdown on potentially misleading online pricing, launching investigations into eight prominent companies across various sectors.
Firms Under Scrutiny
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on 18 November 2025 that it has opened cases against StubHub, Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical. These represent the first investigations launched using the CMA's new consumer protection powers following an extensive review of online pricing and sales practices across the economy.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell emphasised the importance of this action, 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."
Specific Concerns Under Investigation
The watchdog revealed it had "reason to suspect" these companies may have breached consumer law. The specific concerns vary between firms:
Secondary ticketing sites StubHub and Viagogo are being examined regarding mandatory additional charges applied during ticket purchases, specifically whether these fees were displayed clearly upfront.
AA Driving School and BSM Driving School face investigation over how they present mandatory fees on their websites, particularly whether these costs were included in the total price shown at the beginning of the purchase process.
Gold's Gym is under scrutiny concerning its presentation of a one-off joining fee for annual membership, specifically whether introducing this fee partway through the sign-up process without including it in advertised membership costs breaks consumer law.
The CMA is investigating Wayfair in relation to time-limited sales, Marks Electrical regarding default opt-ins for optional charges, and Appliances Direct for both time-limited sales and default opt-ins.
Wider Industry Warning
Alongside these specific investigations, the CMA is taking broader action by writing to 100 businesses across 14 different sectors to outline concerns about their use of additional fees and potentially misleading sales tactics.
Sarah Cardell added: "It's our job to protect consumers from misleading prices and illegal pressure selling and today marks an important milestone as we take action across the economy to make sure businesses do the right thing by their customers."
The CMA stressed that it has reached no conclusions about whether consumer law has actually been broken in these investigations, but made clear that this action represents "just the start of our work" in this area.
