CMA fines Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Gold’s Gym for deceptive pricing practices

The Competition and Markets Authority has levied a total of £6 million in penalties on three retailers for breaching consumer-law rules on transparent pricing. Wayfair’s “Daily Deals” and “Flash Deals” used countdown timers that suggested urgency, yet many items remained available at the same or lower price after the advertised deadline, leading to a £4.8 million fine. Appliances Direct not only displayed misleading discount timers but also pre-selected optional services such as appliance removal and installation, resulting in a £1.2 million penalty and a commitment to refund affected customers.

Gold’s Gym, operating four London locations, omitted mandatory joining fees from the advertised total price of its memberships, attracting a £45,000 fine and a total refund of £9,220 to 726 members. All three firms cooperated with the regulator and received a 40 % reduction on their fines. Customers will be reimbursed automatically, with no further steps required.