Life News

Britain moves against fake 'was' prices and subscription traps: what changes for shoppers

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a crackdown on pricing tricks that make deals look better than they are. According to Retail Gazette, the government will consult this autumn on adding inflated "was" prices, invented discounts and misleading recommended retail prices to the practices banned under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. It estimates the first stage of the crackdown could save consumers about £400m a year.

Rules on subscriptions are being brought forward to January 2027. Businesses will have to give clearer information at sign-up, send renewal reminders, make cancelling easier and offer a 14-day cooling-off period after a free trial ends or a long contract renews. Retail Gazette cited about 155m active UK subscriptions and £1.6bn a year spent on ones people no longer want.

“Today is just the start.” — Andy Burnham, via The Canberra Times (AAP)

The Canberra Times, carrying the AAP report, presented the plan as part of Burnham's cost of living push and noted that the British Retail Consortium played down the scale of the problem. Retail Gazette quoted the consortium's view that major retailers already follow the promotion rules.

How each outlet framed it

• Retail Gazette — the trade view: the legal route, the numbers and what retailers must change.
• The Canberra Times (AAP) — the political view from abroad: a new prime minister's first consumer measures.

What we don't know yet: Neither report gives fines or the exact wording of any ban, which depends on the consultation. For now, the practical tip stays the same: check a product's price history before trusting a big discount.