Report ‘sneaky’ websites that trick you into buying

You can now report online rip-offs on a new website as part of the Government’s campaign against businesses that use marketing tricks to pressure you into buying.

The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has urged customers to name websites that give a “false impression of the availability or popularity of a product or service”.

These popularity claims include how many people are currently viewing an item and how many have bought it in the past 24 hours.

The CMA also wants customers to report misleading “urgency claims”, such as time running out to buy an item at a reduced price, and messages showing that only a limited number of items are left.

Additionally, it has asked customers to report websites with hidden charges, fake reviews and subscription traps – which is when people are misled into “signing up for and paying for an unwanted subscription for a product or a service”.

It has written an open letter to businesses warning them to avoid such tactics, giving illustrated examples (www.snipca.com/45551, see screenshot).

The CMA acknowledges that claims are legitimate “when they alert consumers to genuine special offers”, but urges firms to keep evidence to back them up.

To report a company, visit www.snipca.com/45548, then click the yellow ‘Report It!’ button and choose the type of selling trick you want to report, or add your own. Next, enter the company’s name and where you saw the misleading claim. On the final page you can upload a file such as a screenshot showing the claim, before clicking Submit.

The campaign is being fronted by consumer champion and Martin Lewis

Money Show presenter Angellica Bell.