Britain18 November, 20252 min read
Competition and Markets Authority Investigates Eight Firms Including StubHub and Viagogo Over Drip Pricing and Pressure Selling
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CMA opened formal investigations into eight firms including StubHub and viagogo Investigations focus on drip pricing, undisclosed additional fees, and pressure-selling tactics
8 outlets told this the same way.
UK online pricing probes
Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened formal investigations into eight firms: StubHub, Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold's Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical. The probes focus on online pricing and sales practices, including tactics such as drip pricing and pressure-selling that may mislead shoppers. The action follows a cross-economy review that began in April and examined hundreds of businesses.
“The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened formal investigations into eight firms — StubHub, Viagogo, AA Driving School, BSM Driving School, Gold’s Gym, Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical — over online pricing practices such as ‘drip pricing’ (hidden fees revealed at checkout) and pressure-selling tactics (eg, countdown clocks).”
The CMA has also warned about a further 100 companies as part of wider scrutiny of online price transparency. The regulator says the probes are its first use of newly expanded consumer-protection powers. The named firms can respond while no findings have yet been made.
CMA enforcement powers
The CMA is using powers granted by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act to investigate and, if it finds breaches, determine violations itself, order compensation and impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover. The regulator says the probes stem from an April review covering more than 400 businesses across many sectors. It has sent advisory or warning letters to roughly 100 firms to flag concerns about extra fees and pressure selling, and it plans to publish guidance to improve compliance.
Deceptive sales tactics
The practices under scrutiny are described consistently across sources as "drip pricing", where a low headline price is advertised and unavoidable fees are added at checkout. The pressure-selling techniques highlighted include misleading countdown timers, time-limited sales and automatic opt-ins.
“The probes target practices such as mandatory extra charges, time-limited sales, automatic opt‑ins, pressure selling, drip pricing (hidden fees revealed at checkout) and misleading countdown clocks.”
Several outlets provide examples of these tactics, with Business Matters and Global Banking and Finance Awards both citing countdown clocks as a pressure tactic. The BBC's list of targeted practices is broader and explicitly includes automatic opt-ins and time-limited sales.
Named firms under probe
The eight named organisations cut across ticket resale, education, fitness and retail: ticket platforms StubHub and Viagogo; AA and BSM driving schools; Gold’s Gym; and retailers Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Marks Electrical. Local coverage adds contextual details, with This is the Coast noting that StubHub and Viagogo are now part of the same group after a 2021 merger and linking the probes to wider government moves on ticket resales. National outlets, meanwhile, focus on the list of firms and the spread across sectors.
CMA online pricing review
The CMA says the overall aim is to make online prices transparent and trustworthy. CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell stressed consumers must see 'genuine and complete' prices.
“CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said consumers must be able to trust that online prices are ‘genuine and complete.’”
Consumer groups and media outlets have broadly welcomed the move. Further enforcement and guidance are expected as the sector review continues, with the regulator writing to firms across sectors including holidays, travel, gyms, live events, homeware and delivery to warn about additional fees and sales tactics.
