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  • Reporting an Unsafe Pram or Pushchair: Who to Contact in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

    A pushchair that folds unexpectedly, a brake that does not hold or a harness buckle that fails is a safety problem as well as a faulty product. Checking for a recall is one step, but a pram that is not the subject of any recall notice can still be unsafe, and reporting it is a separate step. This guide sets out what the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) says about reporting unsafe consumer products, and where to go in each UK nation. It is general information, not legal advice. Our guide to checking whether a pram or pushchair has been recalled covers the recall side.

    Who is responsible for product safety

    GOV.UK’s OPSS guidance says unsafe products are sometimes found in the UK even though businesses are legally responsible for all products they make, import, distribute or sell in the UK. The guidance, published on 29 July 2024, tells consumers who think a product is unsafe and could harm people to report their concerns (OPSS, “Consumer products: reporting product safety issues”).

    Where to report, by nation

    The OPSS names a different route depending on where the reporter lives:

    • England and Wales: contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
    • Scotland: contact the Advice Direct Scotland consumer helpline.
    • Northern Ireland: contact the local district council.

    The OPSS says a complaint may be referred to the relevant local Trading Standards Service or, in Northern Ireland, to the Environmental Health Service, and that the information helps decide whether action is needed. GOV.UK’s consumer rights page gives the helpline details by nation, including Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 for England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 for Northern Ireland, with their opening hours (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”). These numbers and hours are as published there and can change.

    Why a single report matters

    The OPSS explains that consumer reporting can help take unsafe products off the shelves. It says reports are used by local trading standards and the OPSS to:

    • identify unsafe products across the whole supply chain, including manufacturers;
    • support product safety investigations where needed;
    • aid educational campaigns that raise consumer awareness; and
    • form part of the wider evidence used to support regulatory or legislative change.

    It adds that trading standards use the Product Safety Database to formally notify the OPSS of unsafe and non-compliant products, and that local trading standards can escalate matters to the OPSS under its Incident Management Plan. A report on one pushchair model can therefore contribute to action affecting every buyer of that model.

    Reporting is separate from getting a remedy

    The OPSS says that where a product has a safety issue, the owner may be entitled to a refund, a replacement or a repair. That is a consumer-rights question, and our guide to faulty pushchair rights sets out the time limits and the order in which the remedies work. It is sensible to raise the remedy with the seller at the same time as making the report, and to keep the two separate in writing.

    If an unsafe product causes damage or injury

    The OPSS says that if an unsafe product causes injury to you or your family, or damage to your property, you may be able to claim compensation depending on the circumstances, and directs people to the consumer helplines above. Citizens Advice’s guidance for England, which covers damage to property, says photographs and a note of dates and times are good evidence, and that a claim is usually made first to the seller and, if the buyer did not purchase the item, to the manufacturer. It says a claim for injury is a personal injury claim (Citizens Advice, “Claim compensation if an item or product causes damage”). That page states that it applies to England, and advice for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is linked from it.

    Practical steps before reporting

    • Note the make, model and any batch or serial number, and keep proof of purchase.
    • Take dated photographs of the problem, keeping the original product and packaging where possible.
    • Check the OPSS list of Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls to see whether the model is already covered (OPSS, “Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls”).
    • Use the route for the nation where you live, and give the retailer and manufacturer details in the report.
    • Check the labels and standards on the product using our guide to reading a pram’s labels.

    Questions readers often ask

    Is reporting the same as a recall?

    No. Recalls are notices about specific products that the OPSS lists. A report is information from a consumer that trading standards and the OPSS can use to decide whether action is needed.

    Does a second-hand pushchair count?

    The OPSS’s guidance on second-hand goods says that used products sold commercially must be safe and advises checking whether a product is subject to a recall. If a used item causes a safety concern, the same reporting routes apply (OPSS, “Consumer products: buying second-hand goods”).

    The bottom line

    An unsafe pram or pushchair should be reported through the route the OPSS lists for the reporter’s nation: Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland, or the local district council in Northern Ireland. Reports feed trading standards and OPSS investigations, and they sit alongside, not instead of, a request to the seller for a refund, repair or replacement and a check for any recall notice.

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  • Extras at the Pram Checkout: Pre-Ticked Boxes, Card Fees and Helpline Charges Under UK Law

    A pram order can grow at the last step: an extended warranty ticked by default, a protection plan, a card fee, or a helpline that costs more to call than a normal number. UK regulations restrict each of these. This guide sets out what the legislation says. The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, as amended, are shown on legislation.gov.uk as extending across the UK. It is general information, not legal advice, and the regulations list some excluded contracts, so a particular purchase may be treated differently.

    Extras need express consent

    Regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations covers additional payments. It says that under a contract between a trader and a consumer, no payment is payable in addition to the remuneration agreed for the trader’s main obligation unless, before the consumer became bound by the contract, the trader obtained the consumer’s express consent. It adds that there is no express consent where consent is inferred from the consumer not changing a default option, and gives a pre-ticked box on a website as its example. Where a trader receives an additional payment that is not payable under this rule, the contract is treated as providing for the trader to reimburse it (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 40).

    In a pram checkout, the extras that typically raise this question are a warranty, a protection plan, priority delivery or an accessory bundle. A box for one of these that is already ticked when the page loads is the kind of default option the regulation describes. The choice to add such an extra should be an active step by the shopper. Our guide to pushchair guarantees and extended warranties explains what these products add to legal rights, and the total-price rules in our guide to advertised pram prices cover charges that are unavoidable.

    Card and payment fees

    The 2012 Regulations deal with fees for paying by particular methods. Regulation 6A, inserted with effect from 13 January 2018, says a payee must not charge a payer any fee for payment by a card-based payment instrument, as defined in the interchange fee regulation the section refers to, that is not a commercial card. It applies the same ban to certain other payment instruments and services described in the provision, and provides that a payee receiving payment by a payment instrument must not charge a fee that exceeds the costs the payee bears for using that instrument (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulation 6A).

    Regulation 4 sets a cost-based limit for other means of payment: a trader must not charge consumers, in respect of the use of a given means of payment, fees that exceed the cost borne by the trader for the use of that means (regulation 4). For a shopper, the effect is that a “card handling” fee on an ordinary consumer debit or credit card payment is what regulation 6A prohibits, and a fee for a different payment method may not exceed the trader’s cost of that method. Regulation 5 lists excluded contracts, so the rules do not extend to every kind of contract. Our guide to paying for a pram by card covers the separate protections that come with card payments.

    Calling the seller

    Regulation 41 covers helplines. Where a trader operates a telephone line for consumers to contact it about contracts entered into with it, a consumer contacting the trader must not be bound to pay more than the basic rate. If a consumer is bound to pay more, the contract is treated as providing for the trader to pay the consumer the difference between the charge paid and the basic rate (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 41). The rule applies to a line used to contact the trader about a contract already made, which includes calls about a delayed pram, a faulty wheel or a return.

    A checkout checklist

    • Look for pre-ticked boxes and untick anything not wanted before paying.
    • Check the final total against the price advertised, including any payment method fee.
    • Note the seller’s customer service number and how it is charged before an order goes wrong.
    • If an unwanted extra was charged, ask the seller in writing to refund it, citing regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations.
    • For help with a dispute, GOV.UK lists Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”).

    Questions readers often ask

    Can a retailer add insurance to the basket for me?

    Regulation 40 says an additional payment needs the consumer’s express consent before the contract is made, and consent inferred from an untouched default option does not count.

    Is a delivery charge an additional payment?

    Unavoidable charges are dealt with under the total-price rules covered in our advertised pram prices guide, rather than as optional extras.

    The bottom line

    Three UK rules protect a pram buyer at checkout. An extra charge needs express consent, and a pre-ticked box does not provide it (regulation 40 of the 2013 Regulations). Fees for paying by ordinary consumer cards are prohibited, and other payment fees are capped at the trader’s cost (the 2012 Regulations). A helpline for existing contracts must not cost more than the basic rate (regulation 41). A shopper who spots an unwanted extra can ask for a refund and seek help from the consumer advice service for their nation.

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  • Countdown Timers and “Only a Few Left” Banners on Pram Sites: What CMA Guidance Says About False Urgency (UK)

    “Ends in 02:14:09”, “Only 2 left” and “12 people are viewing this” are common on baby-gear sites, especially around sales events. A shopper deciding on a pram often has a genuine deadline, such as a due date, which makes pressure messages more effective. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published guidance on the law that governs them, in force across the UK since 6 April 2025. This guide summarises what that guidance says. It is general information, not legal advice, and it describes how the CMA reads the law rather than deciding whether any particular website has broken it.

    The law and where the guidance sits

    The CMA’s “Unfair commercial practices” guidance (CMA207), dated 18 November 2025, explains the unfair trading provisions in Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. They replace the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and apply to commercial practices that take place from 6 April 2025. The CMA says traders can generally expect the same or similar requirements as before, and that the guidance is not a substitute for the law itself (CMA, “Unfair commercial practices: CMA207”, chapter 1). The guidance covers practices that are banned outright, and others that are unlawful when they are misleading or aggressive and are likely to change a shopper’s decision.

    False limited-time offers and countdown clocks

    Banned practice 7 in the guidance is falsely stating that a product will only be available for a limited time, or on particular terms for a limited time, in order to prompt an immediate decision and deprive consumers of enough time to make an informed choice. One of the CMA’s examples is a countdown clock that runs out while the offer carries on and the clock restarts. It adds that if a statement that an offer will end is true, and is not otherwise misleading, for example because a substantially similar offer appears within a short period, it is unlikely to be a problem (CMA207, chapter 3, banned practice 7).

    For a pram listing, the practical question is whether “ends tonight” is true. A price that returns to the same promotional level the next morning fits the pattern the CMA describes.

    Bait advertising

    Two banned practices concern advertised prices that are not real:

    • Banned practice 5 is inviting purchases at a specified price when the trader has reasonable grounds to believe it will not be able to supply the products, or equivalent ones, at that price in reasonable quantities for a reasonable period, and does not disclose this. The CMA’s example is a firm advertising “wireless headphones for £9” nationally after planning to make only 10 available. What is reasonable depends on the nature of the product, the extent of the advertising and the price.
    • Banned practice 6 is inviting purchases at a specified price and then refusing to show the item, refusing to take orders or deliver within a reasonable time, or demonstrating a defective sample, with the intention of promoting a different product.

    Both are in the guidance’s list of banned practices, which the CMA says are unfair in all circumstances, with no need to consider their likely effect on shoppers.

    Stock and demand messages

    Messages that are literally true can still mislead. The CMA’s example of “overall deceptive presentation” includes a pop-up saying “Be quick! We’ve sold 10 in the last 5 mins”, where the statement is accurate but stock levels are high and there is no need to hurry. Its other example is a “substantial discount” advert with the limitations, such as very few items, a very short period and only one shop, put in a footnote in very small print. The test is whether the average consumer would take a different decision if they had noticed the information (CMA207, chapter 5).

    What can happen to traders

    The guidance states that breaches of the banned practices can attract civil action by enforcement authorities, with compliance directions and monetary penalties of up to the higher of £300,000 or 10% of worldwide turnover. Most banned practices are also criminal offences. On conviction, the penalties include a fine in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and, on indictment, imprisonment of up to two years. Prosecutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are generally by the CMA, Trading Standards or Northern Ireland’s Department for the Economy, and in Scotland by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (CMA207, chapter 3 and chapter 10).

    Sensible habits for shoppers

    • Note the price and any timer, and check the listing again after the deadline, saving screenshots of both.
    • Read footnotes and stock terms. Our guide to advertised pram prices covers what the total price must include.
    • Treat reviews with the same care; see what UK law says about fake reviews.
    • To raise a concern, GOV.UK lists Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, “Consumer rights”).

    Questions readers often ask

    Is every “only 3 left” message a breach?

    No. The guidance treats a true statement about stock as unlikely to be a problem. The concern is a statement that is false or misleading in the way it is presented.

    Does the guidance apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

    The guidance sets out penalties and prosecuting bodies for Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as England and Wales.

    The bottom line

    Under the CMA’s guidance on the 2024 Act, a countdown that resets, a price the trader cannot supply in reasonable quantities, or a stock message that is true but misleading in context can all count as unfair practices. The first two are among the banned practices the CMA says are unfair in all circumstances. For a shopper buying a pram, the useful habit is to check whether a deadline is real before treating it as a reason to hurry.

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  • Buying a Pram From an Overseas Website: VAT, Customs Duty and the £135 Threshold (Great Britain and Northern Ireland)

    A pram listed on an overseas website can look cheaper than the UK price, but the price shown is not always what arrives at the door. Goods sent from abroad go through customs, and tax and duty can be added. This guide sets out what GOV.UK says about VAT and Customs Duty on goods sent from outside the UK, and what the UK Trade Tariff lists for baby carriages. The rules differ between Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) and Northern Ireland, so each is described separately. It is general information, not tax advice.

    Who is responsible for taking goods through customs

    GOV.UK says anything posted or couriered from another country goes through customs to check it is not banned or restricted and that the right tax and duty are paid. The parcel or courier company, such as Royal Mail or Parcelforce, is responsible for taking goods through UK customs, and it tells the recipient if VAT or duty is due. Goods may be seized if the rules are not followed, and the sender must declare goods correctly (GOV.UK, “Tax and customs for goods sent from abroad”).

    VAT: Great Britain

    For goods sent from outside the UK to Great Britain, GOV.UK says VAT is charged on all goods except gifts worth £39 or less. VAT is charged at the rate that applies to the goods. How it is collected depends on the value:

    • Goods worth £135 or less in total: if the buyer bought the goods and they are not excise goods, the seller will have included VAT in the total price paid.
    • Goods worth more than £135: the buyer must pay VAT to the delivery company, either before the goods are delivered or when collecting them.

    If VAT is paid to the delivery company, it is charged on the total package value, which includes the goods, postage, packaging and insurance, and any duty owed (GOV.UK, “Tax and duty”). Our guide to VAT on travel systems explains the rates that apply to car seats and pushchairs.

    Customs Duty: Great Britain

    GOV.UK says Customs Duty is charged on goods sent from outside the UK to Great Britain if they are excise goods or worth more than £135. Non-excise goods worth £135 or less attract no duty. For goods above £135, the rate depends on the type of goods and where they came from, and GOV.UK directs buyers to the Trade Tariff service. Duty is calculated on the price paid plus postage, packaging and insurance. The delivery company will send a bill saying which fees are due, and it will normally hold a parcel for about three weeks before returning it to the sender if the bill is unpaid.

    Northern Ireland

    For Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says VAT applies to goods sent from outside the UK and the EU. Customs Duty applies to goods that are excise goods, worth more than £135, or considered at risk of entering the EU, and the courier company will say if goods are considered at risk. For goods not at risk of entering the EU, non-excise goods worth £135 or less attract no duty, and above £135 the UK rate of duty applies. Buyers in Northern Ireland whose goods are at risk of entering the EU should follow the separate rules GOV.UK sets out for that situation.

    What the Trade Tariff lists for prams

    The UK Trade Tariff classifies “Baby carriages and parts thereof” under heading 8715. For commodity code 8715 00 10 00, “Baby carriages”, the tariff lists a third country duty of 2.00% and VAT of 20.00%. It also lists 0.00% preferential duty for goods from a long list of countries and trading areas, including the European Union, which depends on the goods qualifying under the relevant trade arrangement (UK Trade Tariff, commodity 8715 00 10 00, “Baby carriages”). The tariff showed these rates on 21 September 2026 and they can change, so a buyer should check the current tariff and confirm the right commodity code for the specific product with the seller or the delivery company.

    As an illustration only, a pram costing £300, with £30 for postage and packaging, ordered into Great Britain from a country without a preferential rate would total £330 for duty purposes. Duty at 2% would be £6.60. VAT at 20% on £336.60 would be £67.32, giving £73.92 in extra charges on top of the £330. This is a worked example of the GOV.UK method, not a quote.

    Practical points before ordering

    • Check whether the seller shows prices with UK VAT included, as GOV.UK says sellers will have done for goods worth £135 or less.
    • Ask what the total delivered cost will be if the order is above £135.
    • Check the seller’s return arrangements before ordering. Our guides to the 14-day cancellation right and faulty pushchairs describe the UK rights that apply when a trader supplies a pushchair.
    • GOV.UK says a refund of VAT or Customs Duty can be requested if goods are returned or the buyer thinks too much was charged, using form BOR 286 for Royal Mail or Parcelforce deliveries and form C285 for other couriers.

    Questions readers often ask

    Is the £135 figure a limit on what can be bought?

    No. It is the value at which the way VAT is collected changes, and the point above which Customs Duty can apply.

    Who sends the bill for tax and duty?

    According to GOV.UK, the parcel or courier company, such as Royal Mail or Parcelforce, which will say exactly which fees are due.

    The bottom line

    For a pram ordered from outside the UK, VAT and duty can add to the price. In Great Britain, goods worth £135 or less should have VAT included by the seller and attract no duty, while goods above £135 attract VAT paid to the delivery company plus duty at the tariff rate, which the UK Trade Tariff lists as 2% for baby carriages unless a preference applies. Northern Ireland follows similar thresholds with extra rules for goods at risk of entering the EU. A total delivered price should be confirmed before ordering.

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  • VAT on Travel Systems: Why the Car Seat Is Charged at 5% and the Pushchair at 20% (UK)

    A travel system’s price tag looks like one number, but for VAT purposes it can be several. HMRC’s guidance treats the car seat and the pushchair differently, which is why a bundle can contain parts charged at different rates. This guide explains what HMRC’s VAT Notice 701/23 says about children’s car seats and travel systems. VAT is a UK-wide tax, so the position described applies across the UK. It is general information rather than tax advice, and it describes the rules as HMRC’s notice states them, on a page last updated on 4 November 2022.

    The three headline rates

    GOV.UK lists three main VAT rates for goods and services: a standard rate of 20% for most goods and services, a reduced rate of 5% for some, with children’s car seats given as an example, and a zero rate, with most children’s clothes given as an example (GOV.UK, “VAT rates”). HMRC’s notice, covered next, deals with prams and pushchairs directly.

    What HMRC counts as a reduced-rate car seat

    HMRC’s notice, titled “Protective equipment”, says children’s car seats and travel systems are reduced-rated at 5% VAT. Under section 5.1 the reduced rate applies to safety seats (seats designed for an infant or small child in a road vehicle, secured to the vehicle by a seat belt or anchorage points), booster seats, booster cushions and car seat bases, and it applies to both ISOFIX and non-ISOFIX bases. Under section 5.2 it also applies to protective travel systems such as “lie-flat” car seat products that let a baby lie flat in a car and are secured with a three-point safety harness, and which can also be used with compatible pushchairs to form a pram system (HMRC, “Protective equipment (VAT Notice 701/23)”, section 5).

    How a travel system is split

    Section 5.3 of the notice sets out how VAT applies to travel systems, depending on what is supplied together:

    • A pram or pushchair plus a safety seat that can be fitted together and each used independently: the safety seat is reduced-rated and the pram or pushchair element is standard-rated.
    • A safety seat plus a bare wheeled framework: where the supply consists of just those two, the whole supply is reduced-rated.
    • Safety seat, wheeled framework and pushchair or pram seat, all three together: the pram seat is standard-rated and the other two elements are reduced-rated.
    • Pram seat plus wheeled framework only: the whole supply is standard-rated.
    • Items supplied separately: the safety seat is reduced-rated, while the wheeled framework and the pram seat are standard-rated.

    The notice explains that the framework is only of use when one of the other two elements is attached, and that any combination of the three may be supplied together. It does not say how a seller should divide a single bundle price between elements, so the split shown on an invoice is a matter for the retailer.

    What this means for a budget

    The rate difference is large. As an illustration only, VAT on £200 of goods before tax comes to £10 at 5% and £40 at 20%. A car seat sold separately therefore carries much less VAT than the same value of pushchair. That does not mean a bundle is cheaper or dearer than buying the parts separately, because retailers set their own prices and the notice governs only the VAT treatment. A useful check is whether the advertised price is the full price payable, which our guide to advertised pram prices and the total price explains. It is also worth knowing that a “car seat” in a pram listing may be a lie-flat carrycot with restraint straps, which the notice treats as a reduced-rate product.

    For the practical side of matching seats and frames, see our guides to travel system adapters and to budget and premium travel systems.

    Questions readers often ask

    Is a pushchair ever charged at 5%?

    Under section 5.3 of the notice, the pram or pushchair element is standard-rated at 20%. A framework supplied only with a safety seat is treated together with it at 5%, but a framework supplied with only a pram seat is standard-rated.

    Does the reduced rate cover a car seat bought on its own?

    Yes. In section 5.3 of the notice, when supplied separately the safety seat is reduced-rated, while the wheeled framework and the pram seat are standard-rated.

    What is the standard rate?

    GOV.UK gives the standard rate as 20% and says it rose to 20% on 4 January 2011, from 17.5%.

    The bottom line

    HMRC’s VAT Notice 701/23 puts children’s car seats, booster seats, car seat bases and lie-flat carrycots with restraint straps at 5% VAT, while the pram or pushchair element of a travel system is standard-rated at 20%. In a bundle, the mix of rates depends on which of the three elements are included: safety seat, wheeled framework and pram seat. The notice covers VAT treatment only, so it says nothing about whether one price is better value than another.

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  • Pushchair Guarantees and Extended Warranties: What They Add to Your Legal Rights (UK)

    At the till or checkout, a pram purchase often comes with a manufacturer’s guarantee, and sometimes with an offer of an extended warranty for an extra fee. For a budget buyer, the question is whether that paperwork is worth anything on top of the rights the law already gives. This guide summarises what GOV.UK and Citizens Advice say. It is general information, not legal advice, and the Citizens Advice page it draws on is written for England, with separate versions for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    Guarantees and warranties add to legal rights

    Citizens Advice says warranties and guarantees add to a buyer’s legal rights, each one is different, and they tend to be useful in three situations: something has gone wrong after the first six months and a repair or replacement is wanted; an item was bought abroad and the manufacturer is based in the UK; or the trader has gone out of business and there is a problem with the goods they supplied. It suggests considering legal rights instead, because getting money back, a repair or a replacement may be easier that way, usually within the first six months, with legal rights for up to six years (five years in Scotland) if there is a fault (Citizens Advice, “Claim using a warranty or guarantee”). The statutory steps for a faulty pushchair are set out in our guide to faulty pushchair rights.

    A guarantee can be the simpler route in some cases. Citizens Advice gives the example of a buyer who bought an item seven months ago and holds a guarantee lasting a year.

    What GOV.UK says about extended warranties

    GOV.UK’s guidance on extended warranties describes them as extra protection for a new product on top of the standard, or manufacturer’s, warranty, which can cover repair or replacement after the standard warranty has expired. Its main messages are:

    • No obligation: nobody has to buy an extended warranty, and the standard manufacturer’s warranty might be enough.
    • Statutory rights continue: whether or not a warranty is bought, the buyer is still entitled to statutory rights, which may include a refund, repair or replacement if something is faulty.
    • No need to decide on the spot: a buyer can shop around, and a warranty need not be bought at the same time as the product.
    • Existing cover: home contents insurance, or some bank accounts, may already cover the item, so it is worth asking.
    • Value for money: the total cost of a warranty can be compared with the cost of buying a replacement.

    The guidance also says a business selling an extended warranty must not give false or misleading information, must not omit or hide important information, and should make clear what is not covered, with cosmetic damage given as an example (GOV.UK, “Extended warranties: what you need to know before you buy”).

    Electrical goods have extra rules, but a pushchair is not one

    GOV.UK says extra rights apply when a domestic electrical product and an extended warranty are bought from the same retailer, including a duty to display an example warranty price and duration and to say the purchase is optional. Citizens Advice lists a 45-day refund right for extended warranties on electrical goods bought at the same time as the goods. A pram or pushchair is not an electrical product, so buyers should not assume those specific extra protections apply to a warranty sold with one.

    Checking the small print

    Citizens Advice’s list of points to look at in a guarantee or warranty is a useful checklist for pram buyers:

    • Who can claim: only the person who bought the item can make a claim, unless the wording refers to “third party rights”. That matters if a pushchair was bought second-hand or received as a gift.
    • Time limit: note when the guarantee expires.
    • Return costs: check whether postage, packing and transport costs are payable if the item has to be sent back.
    • Registration: a manufacturer’s guarantee may require a registration card to be returned, and it may not be valid if that is not done.
    • Proof of purchase: a claim will usually need a receipt showing where and when the goods were bought, details of the problem and a copy of the warranty or guarantee.

    Citizens Advice adds that if a manufacturer’s guarantee applies and the trader has gone out of business, the guarantee should still be valid. A guarantee given by the seller should be checked to see whether it is insurance-backed, meaning an insurance policy protects it if the trader closes.

    Cancelling an extended warranty

    Citizens Advice says a buyer who signed up for an extended warranty by phone or online may get an automatic 14-day cooling-off period, allowing cancellation and a refund. Our guide to the 14-day cancellation right covers the separate right to cancel the pushchair itself.

    Where to complain

    GOV.UK advises that a buyer with concerns about a mis-sold extended warranty should first ask the business to look into the complaint. If that does not resolve it, help is available from Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Consumer Advice Scot in Scotland (0808 164 6000) and Consumerline in Northern Ireland (0300 123 6262).

    Questions readers often ask

    Is an extended warranty compulsory when buying a pram?

    No. GOV.UK states that no-one has to buy an extended warranty.

    Does a guarantee replace legal rights?

    No. Citizens Advice says warranties and guarantees add to legal rights.

    The bottom line

    A manufacturer’s guarantee or optional extended warranty on a pushchair adds to the legal right to a repair, replacement or refund for faulty goods, not replaces it. Citizens Advice says legal rights last up to six years (five in Scotland) and are often easier to use in the first six months, while a guarantee can be handy later on or if the seller has closed. GOV.UK says nobody has to buy an extended warranty and buyers can shop around, and the 45-day electrical-goods refund rule does not apply to a pram.

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  • Pram Delivered Late or Not at All? Your Delivery Rights Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (UK)

    A pushchair that arrives weeks late, or never, can leave a family without a pram when it is needed. The law sets default delivery deadlines, and it also decides who bears the loss if a parcel is damaged or goes missing on the way. This guide summarises sections 28 and 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which the legislation site shows as applying across the UK, using the wording of the Act. It is general information, not legal advice.

    The default delivery deadline

    Section 28 applies to any sales contract between a trader and a consumer. Unless the two have agreed otherwise, the contract is treated as including a term that the trader must deliver the goods. Where no time or period has been agreed, the term is that delivery must happen without undue delay and, in any event, not more than 30 days after the day on which the contract is entered into (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28(2) and (3)).

    The Act says an “agreed” time or period means one agreed by the trader and the consumer. Because an agreed date replaces the 30-day default, the delivery date shown at checkout is worth recording, and a pre-ordered pram may carry a later agreed date.

    What to do when delivery is late

    Section 28 gives two routes, depending on the circumstances.

    The consumer may treat the contract as at an end straight away if:

    • the trader has refused to deliver;
    • delivery at the agreed time or within the agreed period was essential, taking into account all the relevant circumstances when the contract was made; or
    • the consumer told the trader before the contract was made that delivery by the relevant time was essential.

    In any other circumstances, the consumer may set an appropriate period and require the trader to deliver before it ends. If the goods still do not arrive within that period, the consumer may then treat the contract as at an end. Where the contract is treated as at an end, the trader must, without undue delay, reimburse all payments made under it (section 28(5) to (9)).

    The last ground is the reason to state a deadline clearly when ordering. A buyer who needs the pushchair by a particular date should say so in writing before buying, because section 28(6)(c) refers to what the consumer told the trader before the contract was entered into.

    If the contract is not ended

    A buyer who does not treat the contract as ended is not prevented from cancelling the order for any of the goods, or rejecting goods that have been delivered. The trader must then reimburse without undue delay the payments made for those goods. Where goods form a “commercial unit”, a unit whose division would materially impair the value or character of the goods, the consumer cannot cancel or reject part without the rest. The Act also states that section 28 does not prevent the consumer from seeking other remedies where they are open (section 28(10) to (13)).

    Damage or loss in transit

    Section 29 deals with risk. A sales contract is treated as including a term that the goods remain at the trader’s risk until they come into the physical possession of the consumer, or of a person identified by the consumer to take possession of them. There is one exception: if the goods are handed to a carrier that the consumer commissioned, and that carrier is not one the trader named as an option for the consumer, the goods are at the consumer’s risk from delivery to the carrier. Even then, the Act says the consumer’s rights against the carrier are not affected (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29).

    In practice, for a pram bought from a retailer and sent by the retailer’s chosen courier, a parcel that never arrives, or arrives crushed, remains the trader’s responsibility. The buyer’s claim lies against the retailer. A pram collected by an arranged courier of the buyer’s own choosing is the exception described above.

    Practical steps

    • Note the promised date: screenshot the delivery estimate and order confirmation.
    • State any essential deadline before buying: in writing, and ask the seller to acknowledge it.
    • Set a clear final date: if delivery is late, a written request that sets an appropriate period to deliver starts the route in section 28(7) and (8).
    • Keep evidence: tracking pages, delivery notes and photos of packaging damage help if a dispute follows.
    • Use the payment route: if the seller does not refund, our guide to Section 75 and chargeback explains the card-based options.

    How this fits with other rights

    A pushchair that arrives on time but is defective is dealt with under other parts of the Act, covered in our guide to faulty pushchair rights. A buyer who simply changes their mind after delivery has a separate right, explained in our guide to the 14-day cancellation right.

    Questions readers often ask

    Who pays if the parcel is lost?

    Under section 29, the goods stay at the trader’s risk until they reach the consumer or a person the consumer identified, apart from the carrier exception above.

    The bottom line

    Under section 28 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must deliver a pram without undue delay and within 30 days of the contract unless another time was agreed. If delivery is refused, or was essential, the buyer can treat the contract as at an end at once and must be reimbursed without undue delay. Otherwise the buyer can set a reasonable final date and then end the contract. Under section 29, the goods stay at the trader’s risk until they reach the buyer, so loss or damage in transit is the retailer’s problem.

    Sources

  • Trusting Pram and Pushchair Reviews: What UK Law Says About Fake and Incentivised Reviews

    Star ratings are often the fastest way to compare budget pushchairs, and a high score can tip a buying decision. UK law now speaks directly to whether those ratings can be trusted. This guide sets out what the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says about fake reviews under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act), and what that means for a shopper comparing prams. The rules apply across the UK and concern the traders who publish reviews, not the shopper.

    What the law bans

    Schedule 20 to the DMCC Act lists commercial practices that are unfair in all circumstances. Paragraph 13 covers reviews and bans:

    • submitting, or commissioning someone else to submit, a fake consumer review or a review that conceals the fact it has been incentivised;
    • publishing consumer reviews, or consumer review information, in a misleading way;
    • publishing reviews or review information without taking reasonable and proportionate steps to prevent and remove fake, concealed incentivised or misleading content.

    The Schedule defines a fake review as one that purports to be, but is not, based on a person’s genuine experience, and “consumer review information” as information derived from or influenced by reviews (legislation.gov.uk, Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Schedule 20). The CMA says the provisions apply to commercial practices from 6 April 2025 (CMA, “Unfair commercial practices” (CMA207)).

    What counts as a review, and a fake one

    The CMA’s guidance treats reviews broadly. They can be text such as a comment under a product listing, speech such as a video opinion, or graphic representations such as a star rating. Aggregated ratings, review counts and rankings are “consumer review information”. A fake review can be positive, boosting sales or rankings against rivals, or negative, aimed at undermining a product or trader. A review is not fake just because the trader disagrees with it, as long as it reflects the reviewer’s genuine experience (CMA, “Fake reviews guidance” (CMA208), chapter 2).

    Incentivised reviews

    An incentivised review is not banned by itself. The CMA says the problem arises when the fact is concealed, and it lists examples of incentives that can count: money, commissions, discounts or vouchers, and free or cheaper loans. For pram shoppers, the practical point is that a glowing review from someone who received a free pushchair or a voucher should be clearly identifiable as incentivised. Where a platform permits incentivised reviews, the CMA says the review must be clearly identifiable as such, and usually labelled prominently (CMA208, chapters 2 and 3).

    Cherry-picking and suppressing reviews

    The guidance also addresses how retailers present reviews. A trader may infringe the law by suppressing genuine negative or positive reviews or by selectively promoting some. The CMA says traders should not, for example, interfere with reviewers’ ability or willingness to leave negative reviews through threats of harm or legal action, or make an offer of dispute resolution depend on a customer not leaving a negative review. Cherry-picking can also happen by encouraging only satisfied customers to leave reviews, or by highlighting positive reviews that do not reflect the overall experience reported (CMA208, chapter 4).

    When reviews of a different product are merged

    The guidance describes “catalogue abuse”, sometimes called review hijacking or review merging, as presenting reviews of a different product as if they relate to the product a shopper is considering. It says consumers are most likely to be misled where reviews from different products are merged to boost one product’s rating and review count while there are material differences between them. Where the experience is likely to be materially the same across different specifications, sharing reviews is more likely to comply. For a pushchair sold in several frame or wheel configurations, that distinction matters, because a rating may relate to a different model from the one on screen (CMA208, chapter 4).

    Star ratings that are not updated

    Publishing review information in a misleading way includes displaying a star rating or review count based on aggregated reviews without addressing the effect of fake reviews, for example by failing promptly to update the rating and count after reviews have been identified and removed as fake. (CMA208, chapter 5).

    Practical checks when comparing pushchairs

    The law places obligations on the businesses that publish reviews, so no shopper is expected to detect fakes alone. Some sensible habits follow from the guidance, though:

    • Look for labels: reviews written in exchange for a free product or a discount should be identifiable as incentivised.
    • Check which product a review refers to: where a listing covers several versions, look at whether the review text describes the version being bought.
    • Read the negative reviews too: the CMA treats hiding or removing genuine negative reviews as a potential breach, so a listing with only glowing feedback deserves a second look.
    • Use safety information separately: a review is opinion, not a safety test. Our guide to reading a pram’s labels explains what the required markings say.

    Questions readers often ask

    Is a review fake if it is negative and the seller disagrees?

    No. The CMA says a review is not fake just because the trader does not like it, provided it reflects the reviewer’s genuine experience.

    Are reviews in exchange for a free pushchair illegal?

    Not in themselves. The ban applies to reviews that conceal the fact they were incentivised.

    The bottom line

    Since 6 April 2025, UK law bans submitting or commissioning fake reviews, concealing that a review was incentivised, publishing review information in a misleading way and failing to take reasonable steps against fake reviews. The CMA’s guidance covers cherry-picking, merging reviews of different products and outdated star ratings. Shoppers comparing budget prams can therefore expect incentivised reviews to be labelled and ratings to reflect genuine experience, but should still read negative reviews and check which model a review describes.

    Sources

  • Buy Now Pay Later for a Pram: What FCA Regulation Since 15 July 2026 Changes (UK)

    Retailers often offer to split the cost of a travel system or pushchair into instalments at checkout. Until recently, the interest-free kind of “Buy Now Pay Later” was largely unregulated. This guide explains what the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says changed on 15 July 2026, what still falls outside the rules and what to check at the checkout. It applies across the UK and is general information, not financial advice.

    What was regulated on 15 July 2026

    The FCA says it started regulating Deferred Payment Credit, often known as Buy Now Pay Later, on 15 July 2026. It describes two types of Buy Now Pay Later: one that charges interest, or charges interest if the customer does not repay within a set time, and Deferred Payment Credit (DPC), which is an interest-free form of credit repayable in 12 or fewer instalments over 12 months or less. Before 15 July 2026, DPC agreements were not regulated, so lenders did not need to be authorised by the FCA or follow its rules (FCA, “Buy Now Pay Later”).

    The FCA’s press release explains that “BNPL” is a broad term that can include credit agreements that were already regulated, and that the new final rules cover the previously unregulated agreements, which legislation calls deferred payment credit (FCA, “New protections confirmed for Buy Now Pay Later borrowers”).

    What lenders now have to do

    According to the FCA, lenders must follow its rules for DPC from 15 July 2026. The FCA lists these protections:

    • Affordability: lenders need to check whether the customer can afford to repay before an agreement is taken out. The press release describes the checks as proportionate.
    • Information: lenders must give key information beforehand, including the amount borrowed, when repayments are due, how much they will be, how much any late fee will be, and the rights and protections the customer has.
    • Support: lenders must provide support to customers who are struggling to repay, and where appropriate, direct them to free debt advice.
    • Complaints: a customer unhappy with a lender should first ask the lender to put things right, and can then complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

    The FCA’s press release adds that BNPL is subject to the Consumer Duty and that lenders need to be authorised by the FCA to provide it.

    What is not regulated

    The new protections have limits, and the FCA sets them out:

    • DPC is regulated where the lender and the supplier of the goods are different businesses. If a buyer uses DPC provided by the same business that sells the item, it is not regulated. The FCA’s press release describes this as the exemption for “merchant own credit”, a decision the Government made in 2024.
    • Any DPC agreement taken out before 15 July 2026 remains unregulated, and the new protections do not apply to it.

    For a pram buyer, this means that the same checkout button can lead to different legal positions. A pushchair paid for through a third-party lender is within the regime, whereas a retailer’s own instalment plan is not. Which applies depends on who the lender is.

    Checking the lender is authorised

    The FCA advises checking a DPC lender on its Firm Checker. The steps are to search for the firm by name, select the service “Borrowing money, including credit card lending and credit information”, and confirm the firm is “Authorised” with permission to “Lend you money on an unsecured basis”. If a lender is not yet authorised, it may still be able to offer DPC under the FCA’s temporary permissions regime, and the FCA publishes a register of those lenders. A lender in that regime must follow the FCA’s rules for agreements made from 15 July.

    Section 75 and refunds

    The FCA states that if something goes wrong with goods bought using DPC, the customer may be able to get a refund from the lender, because Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act is available, the same protection as when paying by credit card. Our guide to paying for a pram by card explains how Section 75 works and where its limits lie. A buyer with a faulty pushchair still has rights against the retailer as well, as set out in our guide to faulty pushchairs.

    What to look at before choosing instalments

    • The total price: compare the instalment total with the cash price, remembering that delivery must be included in the advertised price, as covered in our guide to advertised pram prices.
    • Late fees: the FCA says lenders must now state how much any late fee will be, so it is possible to see the cost of a missed instalment in advance.
    • Affordability: the FCA reminds consumers that BNPL is borrowing, and that they should make sure they can afford the repayments.
    • Help: anyone struggling with money can get guidance from MoneyHelper, and use its Debt Advice Locator tool to find free services.

    Questions readers often ask

    Is a pram bought on interest-free instalments now protected?

    If the lender is a different business from the seller and the agreement began on or after 15 July 2026, the FCA says it falls within the regulation.

    Can a buyer still cancel the order?

    The right to cancel an online order is a separate matter, covered in our guide to the 14-day cancellation right.

    The bottom line

    Since 15 July 2026, the FCA has regulated interest-free Buy Now Pay Later (deferred payment credit) when the lender and the seller are different businesses. Lenders must check affordability, give clear information, support customers in difficulty and accept complaints that can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and Section 75 refund protection is available. A retailer’s own instalment plan and any agreement made before that date remain outside the new rules, so checking who the lender is comes first.

    Sources

  • Changed Your Mind on a Pram Ordered Online? The 14-Day Cancellation Right and Returning a Pushchair (UK)

    Buying a pram online means buying without seeing the frame, folding it or lifting it into a boot. The law gives online shoppers a separate right to change their mind, which is different from the rights that apply when a pushchair turns out to be faulty. This guide explains that change-of-mind right using the wording of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, which the legislation site shows as applying across the UK. It is general information, not legal advice.

    Change of mind versus a faulty pushchair

    The two rights work differently. A fault is dealt with under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, as explained in our guide to faulty pushchair rights. The right discussed here is for a buyer who simply decides the pram is not what they want. Regulation 29 says the consumer may cancel a distance or off-premises contract at any time in the cancellation period, without giving any reason and without liability except in the limited cases the regulation lists (legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 29). Online and telephone orders are the typical distance contracts, so a pram bought in a shop is generally outside this right unless the shop has its own returns policy.

    When the 14 days start

    For a sales contract, the cancellation period ends 14 days after the day on which the goods come into the physical possession of the consumer, or of someone else named by the consumer to take them, other than the carrier. Where several items in one order arrive on different days, the period runs to 14 days after the last item arrives (legislation.gov.uk, regulation 30). GOV.UK’s business guidance says the customer can cancel up to 14 days after the order is delivered, and that if a seller has not told the customer about the right to cancel, the customer can cancel at any time in the following 12 months (GOV.UK, “Consumer contracts regulations”).

    How to cancel

    The buyer must inform the trader of the decision. Regulation 32 allows either a form following the model cancellation form or any other clear statement setting out the decision to cancel. A buyer who sends the notice before the period ends is treated as having cancelled in time, and in a dispute it is for the consumer to show the contract was cancelled within the period (legislation.gov.uk, regulation 32). Sending the message in writing and keeping a dated copy therefore makes practical sense.

    Sending the pushchair back

    Once a buyer has cancelled, regulation 35 sets out what happens to the goods:

    • the trader must collect the goods if it has offered to do so;
    • otherwise, the consumer must send the goods back or hand them over without undue delay, and no later than 14 days after telling the trader about the cancellation;
    • the consumer bears the direct cost of returning the goods, unless the trader has agreed to bear it or failed to give the required information about who pays;
    • the consumer is not required to bear any other cost of returning goods.

    Because a pushchair is bulky, who pays for the return is worth checking in the seller’s terms before ordering (legislation.gov.uk, regulation 35).

    Refunds and how quickly they are due

    Under regulation 34, the trader must reimburse all payments other than delivery payments, and must also refund the standard delivery charge unless the buyer chose a more expensive kind of delivery than the cheapest common and generally acceptable option. Reimbursement must be made without undue delay and, where the trader has not offered to collect the goods, no later than 14 days after the earlier of two dates: the day the trader receives the goods back, or the day the consumer supplies evidence of having sent them back. It must use the same means of payment as the original transaction unless the buyer agrees otherwise, with no fee for the refund (legislation.gov.uk, regulation 34).

    Proof of postage is worth keeping, because it can start the refund clock before the goods arrive back. For card purchases, our guide to Section 75 and chargeback covers what happens if a refund is not paid.

    Handling the pram before returning it

    The Regulations allow a trader to recover an amount if the value of the goods has been diminished by handling beyond what is necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning. The Regulations describe this as handling that goes beyond the sort of handling that might reasonably be allowed in a shop, and the deduction cannot exceed the contract price. A trader who failed to give the buyer the required information about the right to cancel cannot make this deduction (regulation 34).

    Exceptions

    Regulation 28 lists goods for which the right does not apply. The most relevant for baby gear is the supply of goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised (legislation.gov.uk, regulation 28). A buyer ordering something engraved or made to order should check the seller’s terms before relying on the 14 days.

    Questions readers often ask

    Can a seller keep the delivery charge?

    Not the standard delivery charge, under regulation 34, though it may retain the difference if the buyer chose a more expensive delivery option.

    The bottom line

    Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, a pram or pushchair bought online can be cancelled without giving a reason within 14 days after the goods arrive. The buyer must give clear notice, send the pushchair back within 14 days of that notice and normally pays the direct cost of return unless the trader agreed to bear it or failed to explain. The trader must refund the price and standard delivery within 14 days of the goods coming back, or of evidence of posting, and may deduct for handling beyond what a shop would allow.

    Sources