Tag: CMA
Fake reviews make consumers choose poor-quality products, Which? reveals
Consumers could be more than twice as likely to choose poor-quality products when shopping online if they have been boosted by fake reviews, a behavioural experiment from Which? has revealed. The consumer watchdog simulated fake reviews and endorsement labels and found they were hugely effective at manipulating consumers into picking Don’t Buy products - items…
Coronavirus: eBay and Amazon failing to prevent profiteering, claims Which?
eBay and Amazon Marketplace are failing to crack down on a spate of coronavirus-profiteering by sellers after a Which? investigation uncovered a wide range of products for sale on marketplaces with inflated, and often ridiculous, prices. At the start of this month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) warned that traders should not be exploiting…
8 out of 10 UK hotel rooms cheaper booked directly rather than online
Holidaymakers can get a better deal if they book their hotel rooms directly rather than through an online travel agent like Booking.com or Expedia, a new Which? travel investigation has revealed. Online travel agents (OTAs) are often thought to be the most convenient way to get the best price on a hotel room, with many…
Which? claims Amazon’s Choice badge is flawed
The latest findings from consumer watchdog Which? show that Amazon’s recommendation system is inherently flawed and easily gamed by unscrupulous sellers, despite many consumers trusting Amazon's Choice badge as a mark of quality. The Amazon’s Choice endorsement is being applied to potentially poor quality products that appear to have been artificially boosted by incentivised and…
Amazon deal with Deliveroo investigated by competition watchdog
Amazon has been asked explain why an attempt to buy a stake in Deliveroo will not reduce competition in the UK. If officials believe prices for customers could rise and competition would be reduced, an in-depth Phase Two inquiry will be launched in December. We’ve launched our investigation into Amazon’s deal with Deliveroo 🚴♀️ 🍕.…
PayPal fined £250,000 over iZettle deal
Online payments giant PayPal has been fined £250,000 by Britain’s competition watchdog for failing to keep it and iZettle separate in the UK while an investigation was carried out into their merger. US-based PayPal had already bought Sweden’s iZettle in September 2018 for $2.2 billion (£1.7 billion), but the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) put…
Facebook ‘fails to stop fake review sales’
Facebook has been accused of failing to stop the sale of fake reviews through its website more than a month after being urged to act on the issue by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Consumer group Which? claimed its own investigation had found a number of groups on the social network that were still…
Google suspends Viagogo as an advertiser
Google has suspended ticket re-seller Viagogo as an advertiser after finding the firm had breached its policies. Google said it would begin removing its ads on Wednesday. A spokesman said: “When people use our platform for help in purchasing tickets, we want to make sure that they have an experience they can trust. “This is…
Apple pledges to be ‘more upfront’ over iPhone battery life
Apple has formally committed to be “clearer and more upfront” with iPhone users about battery health and performance as part of a new agreement with the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The authority raised consumer law concerns with Apple last year after it said iPhone users were not being clearly warned that their phone’s…