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A pram can be a hard cost to meet in one go. GOV.UK describes two repayable schemes: the Budgeting Loan and, for people on Universal Credit, the Budgeting Advance. Both are borrowing, not grants. This guide compares them as described on GOV.UK pages read on 25 October 2026. For money that is not repaid, see the guide to help paying for a pram.

Will either scheme pay for a pram?

GOV.UK does not say so in either direction. Its Budgeting Loan page lists “maternity costs” among the things a loan can help pay for, alongside furniture or household items and clothes or footwear. Its Budgeting Advance page lists furniture, household items, clothes or footwear, and “essential items for your family such as mobility aids or child safety products”. Neither list names prams or pushchairs. The contacts the pages give are the Social Fund Enquiry Line for loans and the Universal Credit helpline for advances.

The two schemes side by side

	Budgeting Loan	Budgeting Advance
Who it is for	People who have received Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit for the past 6 months	People who get Universal Credit
Smallest amount	£100	£100
Largest amounts stated	£348 single, £464 with a partner, £812 if you or your partner claim Child Benefit	£348 single, £464 part of a couple, £812 if you have children
Repayment	Interest free, taken from benefits, normally within 2 years (104 weeks)	Taken from Universal Credit payments, usually over 24 months
How to apply	Online or paper form SF500	Universal Credit journal, work coach or helpline

Budgeting Loan: the rules that catch people out

The GOV.UK eligibility page says you cannot get a Budgeting Loan if you currently get Universal Credit, if you get New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance or New Style Employment and Support Allowance, if you are involved in industrial action, or if you owe more than £1,500 in total for Crisis Loans and Budgeting Loans. The amount offered depends on whether you can pay the loan back, whether you have savings of more than £1,000 (£2,000 if you or your partner are 63 or over), and whether you are repaying an existing loan.

After applying online, GOV.UK says the decision arrives within 7 days by text or email, or 21 days by letter, and the money follows within 7 days of accepting an online offer. The loan is paid into the account your benefit is paid into. GOV.UK says there is a different way to get a Budgeting Loan in Northern Ireland.

Budgeting Advance: the rules that catch people out

For a Budgeting Advance, GOV.UK says you need to have been getting Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit for 6 months or more, or need the money to help you start a new job or stay in work. You will not be eligible if you have earned more than £2,600 (£3,600 together for couples) in the past 6 months, or if you have not paid off a previous Budgeting Advance, because only one can be held at a time.

It cannot be used for ongoing costs such as food, household bills, rent or paying off debts. If repayments become hard to afford, GOV.UK says you can ask for them to be delayed for up to 6 months.

Worked example from GOV.UK

GOV.UK’s own example for an advance is £240, repaid over 24 months, with £10 taken off each monthly payment. It is an illustration of how repayments work, not a price for any pram.

Not the same as a first-payment advance

GOV.UK also describes a separate advance for people waiting for a first Universal Credit payment. The most available under that scheme is the amount of the first estimated payment, and it is usually repaid within 24 months. The Budgeting Advance in this guide is for people who already get Universal Credit and need help with a one-off cost.

If benefits stop before the money is repaid

For a Budgeting Loan, GOV.UK says a letter from DWP Debt Management explains how to repay once benefits stop, and the loan can be paid back in full or by regular monthly payments. For a Budgeting Advance, it says you still have to pay it back if you stop claiming Universal Credit, and that deductions will usually continue if you move to another benefit.

If you disagree with a loan decision

GOV.UK says a Budgeting Loan decision can be looked at again if an application was unsuccessful or the amount granted is disputed. The request must arrive within 28 days of the date on the decision letter.

Other schemes by nation

GOV.UK’s “other help” page lists the Discretionary Assistance Fund in Wales, a Crisis Grant or Community Care Grant in Scotland, and Discretionary Support or a Short-term Benefit Advance in Northern Ireland, as well as help from a local council and Jobcentre Plus.

The bottom line

Budgeting Loans and Budgeting Advances are repayable, and GOV.UK’s lists of what they cover do not name prams. Which one applies depends mainly on whether Universal Credit is being claimed. Amounts stated on GOV.UK start at £100 and reach £812, with repayment over about two years.

Sources

• Budgeting Loans: How they work (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: Eligibility (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: What you’ll get (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: How to apply (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: Paying back the loan (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: After you apply (gov.uk)
• Budgeting Loans: Other help you can get (gov.uk)
• Universal Credit advance or hardship payment: Get an advance for unexpected costs (gov.uk)
• Universal Credit advance or hardship payment: Get an advance on your first payment (gov.uk)

When a pram or pushchair turns out to be unsafe, responsibility does not sit only with the manufacturer. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) guidance on the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 sets duties for distributors, which includes ordinary retailers, as well as producers and importers. This guide summarises that GOV.UK guidance, dated December 2024, for pram retailers and their customers. It applies to Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) only. In Northern Ireland, the guidance says the 2005 Regulations were replaced on 13 December 2024 by the EU General Product Safety Regulation 2023/988, which is not covered here. For why prams carry no CE or UKCA mark see the GPSR explainer.

Who counts as a distributor

OPSS defines a distributor as any professional in the Great Britain supply chain whose activity does not affect the safety properties of a product. A high-street or online pram retailer that sells another company’s product is the typical example. The Regulations apply to products intended for, or likely to be used by, consumers, including those supplied to them in the course of a service.

The guidance says the other category, producer, covers a manufacturer established in the United Kingdom, an importer of products made outside the UK, someone presenting themselves as the manufacturer by affixing their name or trademark, and someone who reconditions the product. It also includes other supply chain professionals so far as their activities may affect safety properties. A shop that brings in its own-brand pram from overseas, or that reconditions used pushchairs for resale, therefore faces producer duties.

The retailer’s duties

The guidance lists these obligations for distributors:

• Due care. A distributor must help ensure only safe products are supplied and must not supply a product it knows, or as a professional ought to know, is dangerous.
• Recalled stock. OPSS gives the example that if a product has been recalled, distributors must not supply any they may still have in stock.
• Passing on information. Distributors should pass on information about the risks a product poses.
• Traceability. A distributor should be able to show traceability of what it supplies, keeping documents that show from whom the goods were purchased.
• Cooperation. Distributors must cooperate with enforcement authorities on request, including supplying information on the product, its supply and the risk, and joining corrective action or recalls.
• Notification. If a distributor knows that a product it has supplied is unsafe, it must notify an enforcement authority in writing about the risks and the action taken. In Great Britain this will normally be the local Trading Standards authority.

What producers and importers must do

OPSS says producers must make sure a product is safe before placing it on the market, give consumers the information needed to assess risks that are not obvious, and allow traceability by marking, where reasonable, the producer’s name and address and a product reference or batch on the product or its packaging. They must also monitor marketed products, which can include sample testing and keeping a register of safety complaints, and keep distributors informed of the results.

For a time-limited period, importers who cannot reasonably mark each product may instead make the importer’s address available through shipping documents, the invoice to the GB customer, or the outer packaging label. OPSS says this option may not be used after 31 December 2027.

Standards and the presumption of safety

The Regulations state that a product conforming to a voluntary national standard of the United Kingdom, as determined and published by the Secretary of State, is presumed safe as far as the risks and categories of risk covered by that standard are concerned. This is a presumption about the risks the standard covers. It does not mean a product cannot still be found unsafe in another respect.

Enforcement powers and penalties

Local Trading Standards authorities have a duty to enforce the Regulations for consumer goods, and the Secretary of State can also enforce them. OPSS lists suspension notices, which temporarily stop supply while tests are done, requirements to mark or warn, withdrawal notices to stop supply of a dangerous product, and recall notices where it is already with consumers. A recall notice can be served only where other corrective actions are insufficient.

A person committing an offence under the Regulations may face a penalty. According to the guidance, penalties can include a fine of up to £20,000, a prison sentence of up to 12 months or both for the most serious offences, and the court may order unsafe goods to be forfeited.

What this means for buyers

A shop selling a recalled pram that is still in its stock is a matter for Trading Standards. The site’s guides to checking pram recalls and reporting an unsafe pram explain how to check a model and who to contact. The guide to buying on an online marketplace covers checks when the seller is not a high-street shop.

FAQs

Does a shop need to keep purchase records?

The OPSS guidance says a distributor should be able to show traceability and keep documentation showing from whom goods were purchased.

Is a retailer allowed to sell up remaining recalled prams?

No. The guidance says that if a product has been recalled, distributors must not supply any they still hold.

Who enforces these rules in Great Britain?

Local Trading Standards authorities have the duty to enforce the Regulations for consumer goods, and the Secretary of State has enforcement powers.

The bottom line

In Great Britain a pram retailer must act with due care, keep records showing where stock came from, cooperate with Trading Standards, and never supply a product it knows or ought to know is dangerous, including recalled stock. Retailers who import, recondition or put their own name on a product take on the wider producer duties. Penalties for the most serious offences include fines of up to £20,000 and up to 12 months in prison. Northern Ireland follows different rules. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• General Product Safety Regulations 2005: Great Britain, December 2024 (gov.uk)

Bus operators in England write their own conditions of carriage, so the rules for a pushchair can differ from one company to the next. National Express West Midlands (NXWM) publishes numbers, while Reading Buses leaves more to the driver. This guide compares the NXWM Conditions of Carriage, last updated 10 March 2026, with the conditions published on the Reading Buses website, which carry no date. Both operators run in England, and the rules are those of the operator, not national law. Other operators are covered in the guides to Nottingham buses and trams and Stagecoach and Cardiff Bus. This is general information.

National Express West Midlands: numbers and priority

The NXWM conditions say its vehicles have a low entrance step, which can allow pushchairs, wheelchairs or mobility scooters to be wheeled straight on without being folded, subject to space. Condition 11.8 states that, if the space is not occupied by a wheelchair user, low-floor buses can carry up to two small unfolded pushchairs or one double pushchair within the designated area.

The space is allocated for one wheelchair user, which the conditions say by law takes absolute priority. Condition 11.9 requires all passengers, including pushchair users, to co-operate by vacating the designated wheelchair space if a wheelchair or mobility scooter user needs it. The wheelchair space is described as suitable for a wheelchair up to 700mm wide and 1200mm long, so a long pushchair is likely to be an awkward fit there.

Folded pushchairs and luggage rules at NXWM

Folded pushchairs are carried subject to space being available (condition 12.4). Luggage is carried at the driver’s discretion and at the passenger’s own risk, and the conditions state that an individual item, or total weight of items, over 23kg will not be carried. A pushchair loaded with shopping is therefore sensible to unload if it is heavy.

Under condition 5.4, a passenger travelling with a pushchair, luggage or shopping must use the designated spaces where possible, with items stored at their own risk. Where the designated spaces cannot be used, items must not obstruct the gangway or seating areas. A child in a pushchair must be strapped in and secured at all times while boarding, alighting and travelling.

Reading Buses: space and discretion

The Reading Buses conditions say that, subject to space being available and at the discretion of the driver, small prams and unfolded buggies are carried within the designated area. They must never block the aisle. Use of the space is first come, first served, and no priority is given.

The same conditions state that the space reserved for wheelchair users may be occupied by an unfolded buggy or pram if no wheelchair user needs it, but it must be vacated on request. The wording does not give a number of buggies and does not define a small pram, so the driver’s view of the space decides in practice. The conditions are not specific about folded pushchairs; for luggage generally, they say the passenger remains responsible for items brought on board and that the operator may refuse luggage that blocks gangways or access to emergency exits.

Who bears the risk if a pushchair is damaged

The NXWM conditions contain a separate liability clause for wheelchairs and other mobility equipment, which pays the cost of repair or replacement where the damage is caused by the operator’s negligence. A pushchair is not described in that clause. NXWM’s general rule for personal property in condition 7.3 is that it is liable only for direct loss that results from its own negligence, and condition 7.4 limits that liability to £300 in aggregate. Condition 7.2 adds that nothing in the conditions limits liability where that would be unlawful, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

Reading Buses’ conditions say the company does not take responsibility for customers’ property on board and will not be responsible for damage to fragile items however caused. Whether any such term can be relied on in a particular dispute is a legal question the conditions do not answer. The site’s guide to complaint deadlock and alternative dispute resolution sets out where to go if a claim is refused.

Children and fares

NXWM lets children under 5 travel free with a responsible fare-paying passenger, with a maximum of three children per fare-paying passenger. Reading Buses allows up to two children under 5 to travel free with a responsible fare-paying passenger, provided they do not occupy a seat to the exclusion of a fare-paying passenger or are seated in a buggy in an appropriate space. Additional children are charged as if aged five or over.

FAQs

Can a double pushchair go on a National Express West Midlands bus?

The conditions say low-floor buses can carry one double pushchair within the designated area, if no wheelchair user needs the space.

Do I have to fold a pushchair on a Reading bus?

The conditions say small prams and unfolded buggies are carried in the designated area at the driver’s discretion, but must not block the aisle and must be moved if a wheelchair user needs the space.

Who has priority for the wheelchair space?

NXWM says a wheelchair user takes absolute priority by law. Reading Buses says an unfolded buggy may use the space only if it is not required by a wheelchair user.

The bottom line

NXWM sets out clear numbers: up to two small unfolded pushchairs or one double pushchair in the designated area, always subject to the wheelchair user’s priority, with folded pushchairs carried if space allows. Reading Buses leaves space to the driver and applies first come, first served, with the wheelchair space free for a buggy only until it is needed. Items are carried at the passenger’s own risk under both sets of conditions, with NXWM capping liability for personal property at £300 in aggregate. Checking the current conditions before travelling remains sensible. This is general information.

Sources

• Conditions of Carriage, last updated 10 March 2026 (nxbus.co.uk)
• Conditions of Carriage (reading-buses.co.uk)

“Free raincover”, “free car seat” and “free footmuff” banners are common on pram websites. Advertising rules in the United Kingdom limit when “free” can be used. This guide summarises the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) guidance on “free” claims, which explains how the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) expects the CAP Code to be read, and applies it to pram offers. The guidance dates from September 2010 and is still published on the ASA and CAP website. It does not bind the ASA, and the pram examples here are illustrations, not findings about any retailer. For related rules see the guides to reference prices and checkout extras.

What the Code says about “free”

The guidance quotes the CAP Code. Marketing must not describe a product as “free”, “gratis” or “without charge” if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable cost of responding and collecting or paying for delivery of the item. Marketers must make clear the extent of the commitment needed to take up a free offer. An item cannot be called free if there are packing, handling or administration charges, if the cost of response, including the price of a product the consumer must buy, has been increased (unless the increase is unrelated to the promotion), or if the quality of the product the consumer must buy has been reduced.

Conditional purchase: a free item that is genuinely separate

The Code allows “free” on a conditional-purchase promotion, such as a free raincover with a pram, provided costs are clear and the item described as free is genuinely separate from and additional to what the customer pays for. The guidance gives two ways of showing this. First, the paid-for item can be bought without the free item and has a genuine stand-alone price, so that the shopper can see the price is the same either way. Second, the paid-for item is normally sold for the same price without the free item, so the usual price of the pram is established.

To justify the claim, marketers must be able to show that the free item is genuinely additional or separable, that the item is not supplied free unless the customer meets the promotion terms, and that consumers know the stand-alone price of what they pay for, which stays the same with or without the free item. The guidance also says customers have the right to believe the marketer will not recover the cost of the free item by marking up the item that must be bought, or by substituting inferior goods.

Packages and travel systems

The Code prohibits describing an element of a package as free if its cost is included in the package price, unless consumers are likely to regard it as an additional benefit because it has recently been added to the package without increasing its price. The guidance defines a package as a pre-arranged combination of features offered for a long-term single, inclusive price where customers cannot choose how many elements they receive.

A travel system sold only as a complete set at one price resembles that definition. If the car seat cannot be dropped for a lower price, calling the seat “free” is difficult to justify unless it was newly added without any price rise. The guidance says marketers may describe included elements as “at no extra cost” or “inclusive”, but not “free”. A retailer that also sells the pram frame alone at the same price as the set, with a separate seat available to buy, would be in the conditional-purchase position instead. The guide to VAT on travel systems explains why the car seat attracts 5% VAT and the pushchair 20%.

How long can something stay “free”?

According to the guidance, an element added to an established package without raising the price or reducing quality can be described as free for a reasonable period. As a rule of thumb, marketers should avoid calling elements that have been part of a package for more than six months free. If the package price rises, or its quality is reduced, after the element is added, the new element may not be called free.

Checks before buying

The tests suggest practical checks. Look for a stand-alone price for the pram without the free item and for the free item on its own. Compare the price of the pram on the same site on other dates, and across retailers. Read the full terms for handling or other charges. A complaint about a misleading “free” claim can be raised with the retailer, and the ASA is the UK advertising regulator that applies the CAP Code.

FAQs

Does the CAP guidance apply across the UK?

The ASA is described by the CAP and ASA influencer guide as the UK advertising regulator, and the CAP Code covers non-broadcast marketing in the UK.

Can a pram retailer say “at no extra cost” instead of “free”?

Yes. The guidance says included elements of a package may be described as at no extra cost or inclusive, but not as free.

Is delivery allowed to be charged on a free item?

Yes. The Code allows the unavoidable cost of delivery or collection, but not packing, handling or administration charges.

The bottom line

A pram retailer may call an accessory free only when it is genuinely separate from, and additional to, a pram that sells at the same price with or without it, or where it was recently added to a package without a price rise. Elements of a fixed-price package, such as the car seat in a set sold only as a set, are better described as included. Shoppers can test an offer by finding the stand-alone price, comparing dates and checking for handling charges. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• Guidance on the use of “free” claims in advertising (asa.org.uk)
• Influencers’ guide to making clear that ads are ads (asa.org.uk)

Many parents now pick a pushchair after watching a creator unbox, test or rave about one. Under UK guidance, a pram post that follows a gift, a discount code, a commission or any other incentive is an advert and has to look like one. This guide summarises the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance for content creators, published on GOV.UK, and advice from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), whose rules the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces. It applies across the United Kingdom. It is general information, not legal advice. For reviews on shop websites, see the guide to fake and incentivised pram reviews.

When a pram post counts as an ad

The CMA says that if a creator has been incentivised in any way to promote a product, the content must be clearly identifiable as an ad and reflect genuine experience. The guidance covers photos, carousels, videos, reels, stories, podcasts and other posts. It lists sponsorships, giveaways, affiliated links, discount codes, own-brand promotions, reviews, and content about gifts received “for free”.

The CMA defines payment widely: money, commissions, discounts, leases or loans free of charge or on better terms than the public gets, and gifts of any products. The guidance covers informal or verbal arrangements, including products sent without asking for anything back, and applies “no matter how many followers” a creator has.

Which labels the CMA accepts

The CMA says a label must be clear, prominent and easy to understand. Labels it gives as examples are “ad”, “advert”, “advertising” and “advertisement”. Platform tools such as “paid partnership” may be used if they convey clearly that the content is an ad; if not, #Ad should be added upfront. Simply tagging a brand, using a discount code or including an affiliate link is not enough.

Terms the guidance says to avoid include #gift, #gifted, #aff, #affiliate, #collab, #spon, #sponsored, “in association with”, “thank you” and just naming the brand. The label should not be buried among hashtags or poorly contrasted, and the audience should not have to tap a link or visit a bio to find it.

Timing: the first interaction

According to the CMA, an ad must be obvious as soon as anyone engages with it. For podcasts and videos the disclosure must be given at the beginning. In carousels or sequences where followers can open individual posts, each item containing promotional messaging has to be labelled. A creator should not rely on a bio or earlier posts to reveal a relationship with a brand.

Misleading impressions

The CMA says hidden ads are illegal and harmful because they can persuade people to buy things they might not otherwise buy if they knew the content was not an unbiased opinion. A post may mislead if it suggests the creator bought something that was in fact a gift or loan, has used a product when they have not, or is a consumer when they are acting for a brand. Content must also avoid false or unsupported statements. A creator should not say a pushchair folds easily, rides well or suits a given terrain unless they have used it and can back the claim. The guide to pram advertising claims covers claims such as “lightest” and “tested to British Standards”.

Affiliate links on pram blogs and videos

CAP advice states that an affiliate is rewarded by a business for each new customer attracted, usually as a commission, and gives networks such as Amazon Associates, Awin, Skimlinks and LTK as examples. Affiliates are described as a secondary advertiser, and both the business and the affiliate marketer are responsible under the CAP Code, even if the affiliate created the ad alone.

The advice says that on social media the ASA is less likely to accept that affiliate advertising can be separated from the rest of a post, so the CAP Code is likely to apply to the post in its entirety if a post depicts and refers to a brand the creator is an affiliate of. Posts should be obviously identifiable as advertising upfront, for example with “Ad” at the beginning. A disclaimer at the bottom is unlikely to be sufficient, and a generic statement that the author “may” receive a commission is described as unlikely to work; the advice cites an ASA ruling that found “may earn an affiliate commission” ambiguous and confusing.

Who enforces the rules

The CMA guidance says a creator could face enforcement from the CMA, local authority Trading Standards services, or, in Northern Ireland, the Department for the Economy, if content misleads consumers. It adds that non-compliant creators can be named by the ASA for breaking advertising rules. The ASA is the UK’s advertising regulator.

FAQs

Does a gifted pram need an ad label even if the creator was told nothing about the post?

The CMA says businesses sending products without asking for anything in return still count, and that content about gifts received for free must be labelled.

Is #gifted a suitable label?

No. The CMA lists #gift and #gifted among the terms to avoid, and recommends clear terms such as ad or advert.

Does the rule apply to small accounts?

Yes. The CMA says the guidance applies no matter how many followers a creator has.

The bottom line

A pram post prompted by a gift, discount code, commission or other incentive has to be labelled clearly, prominently and from the first moment a viewer engages. The CMA recommends terms such as “ad” or “advert” and warns against #gifted, #collab, #sponsored and similar wording, while CAP advice treats affiliate-linked posts as advertising with joint responsibility for the brand and the creator. Shoppers can use a visible label as a signal that the praise is paid or rewarded, and should look to independent testing for safety and performance. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• Social media endorsements: being transparent with your followers (gov.uk)
• Online Affiliate Marketing (asa.org.uk)
• Influencers’ guide to making clear that ads are ads (asa.org.uk)

A pram purchase usually comes with terms and conditions that few buyers read. Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 limits what those terms can say, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a new edition of its unfair contract terms guidance (CMA37) dated 22 July 2026. The guidance applies to contracts made on or after 1 October 2015 in any part of the United Kingdom. Its examples are general, not about prams, so this guide applies the CMA’s reasoning to terms a pram retailer might use. Whether a particular clause is unfair is for a court to decide, and this is general information, not legal advice.

Terms that cannot override your rights

The guidance says traders must not include terms that seek to override, or procedurally hinder, a consumer’s statutory rights and remedies. For goods those rights include satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose, matching the description, and the remedies of the short-term right to reject, repair or replacement, price reduction and final right to reject. Terms of that kind are described as both prohibited and potentially unfair, and the consumer-facing summary is in the guides to faulty pushchairs and shop returns policies. The guidance adds that simply including the words “your statutory rights are unaffected” cannot make an unfair exclusion fair.

Clauses the CMA treats as unlikely to be fair

The guidance lists several ways of excluding liability for faulty or misdescribed goods. Applied to a pram retailer, the following would be caught:

• “Sale items cannot be returned.” The CMA says terms disclaiming liability for sale goods, or saying sale goods cannot be returned, are a problem because consumers have the same statutory rights whether goods are reduced or not.
• Rights ending after 30 days. Terms ending redress 30 days after delivery are listed as a problem. Even after the short-term right to reject has been lost, the trader stays obliged to provide other redress if the goods were defective when sold.
• Signing for a perfect pram. Terms requiring goods to be accepted as satisfactory on delivery, or a declaration that the buyer has inspected the item and found it free from faults, can leave a consumer believing they have signed away their rights.
• Conditions on returns. The guidance says the right to cancel a distance contract must not be curtailed by unduly restricting inspection, or by requiring return in a way that may not be possible, for example in original packaging that is disposable and likely to be discarded.

Credit notes, guarantees and who pays

On redress for faults, the guidance says terms which allow only credit notes, not cash refunds, or give the trader the choice of redress when the law lets the consumer choose, are likely to be unfair. Terms limiting redress to what a guarantee offers are also described as likely to be unfair, and a pram brand’s warranty is fair only if it adds to, and does not replace, legal rights. The guidance gives as an example a statement that goods are supplied with the manufacturer’s warranty, which is in addition to, and does not substitute for, the customer’s legal rights. The site’s guide to pushchair guarantees and extended warranties covers this in more detail.

Charging the consumer for the cost of returning faulty goods is another example the guidance gives of passing on costs that fall to the trader when goods breach statutory standards.

Risk during delivery

The guidance says goods remain at the trader’s risk until delivered to the consumer or someone the consumer nominates, and that where the trader arranged the carrier, it remains responsible. The exception is a carrier the consumer commissioned themselves that the trader did not offer as an option, where risk passes on delivery to that carrier. Terms that pass the risk earlier, for example from the moment the trader says the goods have been dispatched, are described as unfair, because consumers cannot be deprived of recourse for goods destroyed, stolen or damaged before they accept delivery. A clause stating that goods delivered to the customer’s premises are entirely at the purchaser’s risk is one of the CMA’s examples of a term unlikely to be fair. For pram delivery problems see the guide to late or undelivered prams.

What happens to an unfair term

According to the guidance, an unfair term is not binding on the consumer, although the consumer can choose to rely on it, and the rest of the contract stays in force where possible. An unfair term cannot be rewritten to become fair. Money paid under an unfair term should be repaid by the trader. Ambiguous wording must be read in the way most favourable to the consumer.

The CMA, Trading Standards and other enforcers can act against unlawful terms through the courts, and the CMA has direct enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Individual consumers can also rely on the Act. The guidance advises anyone in a dispute to seek independent legal or consumer advice. The route for unresolved complaints is covered in the guide to alternative dispute resolution.

FAQs

Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

The CMA guidance states that the unfair contract terms provisions apply to relevant contracts in any part of the United Kingdom.

Can a shop override my rights with a notice on the till?

The guidance says the Act also covers notices, including written or spoken announcements intended to be seen or heard by a consumer.

The bottom line

The CMA’s 22 July 2026 guidance treats terms that cut across consumers’ statutory rights as prohibited or unlikely to be fair. In a pram purchase that includes no-returns-on-sale clauses, redress ending after 30 days, credit-note-only remedies, guarantee-only remedies, delivery at the buyer’s risk and charging for the return of faulty goods. An unfair term does not bind the consumer, but only a court can finally decide whether a particular clause is unfair. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• Unfair contract terms: guidance on the unfair contract terms provisions in the Consumer Rights Act 2015, CMA37, 22 July 2026 (gov.uk)

Bus operators across Great Britain apply broadly similar rules to prams: they may be carried unfolded if there is room, but the wheelchair space has to be freed for a wheelchair user, and drivers decide. Stagecoach, which publishes one set of conditions for its bus companies, and Cardiff Bus in Wales each set this out in their own wording. This guide summarises Stagecoach’s Conditions of Carriage and two of its help pages, plus the Cardiff Bus Conditions of Carriage, as read in September 2026. The Stagecoach conditions are published for the group as a whole, so local practice can vary, and the Cardiff Bus rules apply to its services in and around Cardiff, Wales. This is general information.

What Stagecoach carries (Great Britain)

Section 5 of the Stagecoach conditions says wheelchairs, disabled buggies, approved mobility scooters, small prams and unfolded buggies may only be carried on suitable low-floor vehicles. It adds that all its buses are wheelchair accessible, but that some journeys on some services are run by coaches that may not be, and that these journeys are highlighted on timetables. The wording matters for a parent planning a longer route: a coach substitution can change the answer.

Subject to space and the driver’s discretion, Stagecoach says it will carry small prams and unfolded buggies on low-floor buses within the designated area, but only when the area is not needed by a passenger in a wheelchair or with an approved mobility scooter. Prams and buggies must not block the aisle at any time. Its help page on prams puts it more plainly: if a designated pram space is available, a pram or small buggy can be taken on a low-floor bus, priority goes to wheelchair and scooter users, and if there is no space the buggy or pram must be folded down.

Priority for wheelchair users (Great Britain)

The conditions state that passengers in wheelchairs have absolute priority by law. They say passengers must co-operate in allowing proper use of the wheelchair space by vacating it if a customer in a wheelchair wants to board or, if no wheelchair user is travelling, a disabled buggy or approved mobility scooter, including repositioning small prams, folding any buggies and storing them in the luggage space. Failure to comply is described as a breach of the conduct section of the conditions and may lead to further action under that section. The help page for people with no space for their pram or wheelchair repeats the same wording, and the position on the law is covered in the site’s guide to pushchairs and wheelchair spaces on buses.

Disabled buggies (Great Britain)

Stagecoach says it improves access for disabled buggies as well as wheelchairs and approved mobility scooters. The conditions treat a disabled buggy differently from an ordinary pram: where no wheelchair user is travelling, a disabled buggy or approved scooter can have the designated space in the same way as a wheelchair. Guidance on carrying a wheelchair, a disabled buggy or an approved scooter is available from the local operating company’s Disability Helpline, by local leaflet and online.

Cardiff Bus (Wales)

Cardiff Bus’s conditions say wheelchair and mobility scooter users are welcome on all services using the designated wheelchair space and have priority at all times. Other passengers may use the space but must vacate it when it is required. On the conditions’ wording, while travelling, buggies, prams and pushchairs must be securely positioned so that they are stable and do not obstruct the aisle. At the driver’s discretion, there may be times when a pushchair, buggy or foldable bike will not be allowed to board because of insufficient space, which the conditions say is for health and safety reasons.

The conditions also say the designated spaces are designed around the reference wheelchair in the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations, which measures up to 1200mm long and 700mm wide. The Cardiff Bus text applies that reference size to wheelchairs, not prams.

How the operators compare

• Stagecoach: small prams and unfolded buggies allowed on low-floor buses in the designated area when it is free; fold if there is no space.
• Cardiff Bus: buggies and prams must be stable and clear of the aisle; boarding may be refused for lack of space at the driver’s discretion.
• Both: the wheelchair space is priority space, and prams must give way.

For Scottish operators with more detailed size rules, see the guides to Lothian Buses and First Glasgow.

Frequently asked questions

Can I take an unfolded pram on a Stagecoach bus? Small prams and unfolded buggies can be carried on low-floor buses in the designated area when it is not needed by a wheelchair or approved scooter user, and only if they do not block the aisle.

What if the space is taken? Stagecoach says the pram or buggy must be folded down if there is no space.

Can a driver refuse a pram in Cardiff? Yes, at the driver’s discretion, where space is insufficient.

The bottom line

Both operators allow prams and unfolded buggies where space permits, but wheelchair users take priority and a folded pram is the fallback. Check whether a journey is run by a low-floor bus rather than a coach, and choose a pram that can fold quickly.

Sources

• Stagecoach, "Conditions of Carriage" (stagecoachbus.com)
• Stagecoach, "Can I take a pram on the bus?" (stagecoachbus.com)
• Stagecoach, "What should I do if there’s no space on the bus for my pram or wheelchair?" (stagecoachbus.com)
• Cardiff Bus, "Conditions of Carriage" (cardiffbus.com)

First Glasgow’s bus conditions handle prams differently from most operators: they say up to two small prams or ordinary unfolded pushchairs can use the wheelchair space when no wheelchair or scooter user needs it, and they say empty pushchairs must be folded. They also include a clause on loss or damage that parents rarely notice until something goes wrong. This guide summarises the Greater Glasgow edition of the operator’s conditions of travel dated April 2024 and the operator’s help page on pushchairs, both read in September 2026. The rules are those of a single operator in the Glasgow area of Scotland, and other First Bus companies publish their own editions. This is general information.

How much space there is (Scotland)

Section 5.11 of the conditions says that when the wheelchair space is not occupied by a wheelchair or mobility scooter user, it can on most vehicles accommodate up to two small prams or normal-sized unfolded pushchairs. Some vehicles also have extra pushchair capacity in a dedicated buggy area. The conditions add that the driver will know where a pushchair or pram can be safely accommodated and that passengers should follow the driver’s instructions.

The conditions describe a second flexible space on some vehicles, designed for wheelchairs, pushchairs or scooters, available first come, first served, and not a designated wheelchair space unless it is specifically signed as one. The designated wheelchair space is sized for a wheelchair no longer than 1200mm and no wider than 700mm, which the conditions describe as the standard reference wheelchair set out in the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000. Anyone with a double or tandem pushchair should compare its length and width to those dimensions, since the conditions stress that the driver decides where it can safely go.

Empty pushchairs must be folded (Scotland)

Section 5.12 states that empty pushchairs, and pushchairs carrying animals or luggage, must be folded and accommodated in appropriate luggage areas where it is safe to do so and with consideration for other customers. A pushchair being used to carry shopping is therefore not treated the same as one carrying a child.

When a wheelchair user boards (Scotland)

Section 5.7 says wheelchair users have priority over everyone else for the designated wheelchair space. If a wheelchair user wants to board and there is space elsewhere on the vehicle, customers will be required by the driver to vacate the space where reasonable, including repositioning small prams or mobility scooters where possible and folding buggies and storing them in the luggage space where available. The same section adds that no one already travelling will be asked to get off the bus to accommodate a wheelchair user. That differs from Lothian Buses, whose parents may be offered the choice to leave with a ticket for onward travel, as covered in the site’s guide to prams on Lothian Buses.

The operator’s help page takes a softer tone, asking customers with a pushchair or buggy to consider the travel needs of vulnerable passengers and those in a wheelchair or with restricted mobility. It says this may mean leaving extra time or waiting to complete the journey.

The responsibility clause (Scotland)

Section 5.5 says it is the customer’s responsibility to make sure a wheelchair, mobility scooter, pram or pushchair is safely positioned within the designated area, that notices in that area are followed, and that the item does not obstruct any exit or gangway. Section 5.12 also states that the operator will not accept liability for loss of or damage to pushchairs and prams. The conditions treat wheelchairs and mobility equipment differently: section 5.6 says that if a wheelchair, other mobility equipment or an assistive device is damaged or lost through the operator’s negligence during the journey, compensation up to the cost of repair or replacement will be provided under the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. Prams are not listed there.

Whether a particular exclusion of liability could be relied on in a dispute is a legal question the conditions do not answer, so a parent whose pram was damaged on a bus may wish to seek advice from a consumer advice service.

Practical points for parents

• Board with the pram positioned according to the notices in the space, and follow the driver’s instructions.
• Fold a pram that is empty or carrying shopping.
• Be ready to fold or reposition the pram if a wheelchair user or scooter user boards.

Frequently asked questions

Can two prams go in the wheelchair space? The conditions say the space can take up to two small prams or normal-sized unfolded pushchairs on most vehicles when no wheelchair or scooter user needs it.

Will I be asked to leave the bus for a wheelchair user? Section 5.7 says no one already travelling will be asked to get off, though prams may have to be repositioned or folded.

Is the operator liable for a damaged pram? Section 5.12 says it does not accept liability for loss of or damage to pushchairs and prams.

The bottom line

On First Glasgow buses, unfolded prams can use the wheelchair space when no wheelchair or scooter user needs it, empty pushchairs must be folded, and the operator’s conditions disclaim liability for damage to prams. Parents should expect to reposition or fold when a wheelchair user boards.

Sources

• First Glasgow, "Conditions of Travel" (April 2024) (firstbus.co.uk)
• First Bus, "Will I be able to get a pushchair on board?" (firstbus.co.uk)
• First Bus, "Conditions of travel" (firstbus.co.uk)

A pram listed at a fraction of its usual price is the kind of pricing slip that spreads quickly across parent groups and deal sites. Whether the retailer has to honour it depends on where and how the item was bought, and on one legal idea that Citizens Advice calls “fairly tricky”: whether a contract exists yet. This guide sets out what Citizens Advice’s consumer advice pages say about goods advertised at the wrong price, applied to prams and pushchairs. The advice is published in separate versions for England, Scotland and Wales, and this guide applies to those three nations only. This is general information, not legal advice.

In a shop (England, Scotland and Wales)

The three national versions of the advice agree on the basics. A shopper who takes an item to the till and is told the price on the tag or label was a mistake has no right to buy it at the lower price. The advice adds that the shopper can still ask the seller to honour it, and that the same applies to an item seen advertised anywhere at a lower price than the tag. So a pram in a store window with a wrong label is a request, not an entitlement.

Once the item has been paid for, the position changes. If a shop sold the item for less than intended, the advice says the buyer does not have to give it back. It says the shop is legally entitled to ask for more money only if the price had been discussed and the shop ended up charging far less, for example a £100 price discussed and £10 charged. If a shopper finds they have paid more than the advertised price at the time, they can return the item in its original condition and ask for a refund, which the shop must give. Alternatively they can keep it and ask for the difference back. The advice recommends keeping any evidence of the mistake, such as a photo of the advert in the shop window.

Online: everything depends on the contract (England, Scotland and Wales)

For online orders, the advice says the answer turns on whether the buyer has a contract yet. Depending on the company’s terms and conditions, the contract begins either when the buyer has paid or when the company has sent the item. Because that varies, the advice tells buyers to find the retailer’s terms and conditions to see where they stand, and says it may be too tricky to work out alone.

• If there is a contract: the company cannot usually cancel the order even if it realises it sold the item at the wrong price. It can cancel only if the pricing was a genuine and honest mistake that the buyer should have noticed.
• If there is no contract yet: a company that realises it quoted the wrong price can cancel the order.

The “should have noticed” test is a judgement about how obvious the error was, which is why the buyer’s screenshots of the listing matter.

Paying extra fees (UK)

The advice also notes that a buyer who orders from a business based outside the UK might have to pay VAT, customs duty or delivery fees, which the delivery company bills separately. A low advertised pram price from an overseas website can therefore end up higher on delivery. The site’s guide to buying a pram from an overseas website explains the VAT and duty position.

Steps if a price looks wrong (England, Scotland and Wales)

1. Take screenshots of the product page, basket and confirmation email, including the date and price.
2. Read the seller’s terms on when a contract forms.
3. If the business seems to be deliberately misleading shoppers, the advice says it can be reported to Trading Standards.
4. For unresolved disputes, the Citizens Advice consumer service (England and Wales) or Advice Direct Scotland’s consumer service (Scotland) can help, as the respective pages state.

Where a pram was paid for by card, the site’s guide to Section 75 and chargeback explains further protection if a retailer takes a payment and then does not supply the goods.

Frequently asked questions

Can a shop refuse to sell a pram at the tagged price? According to Citizens Advice, a shopper has no right to the lower price if the tag is a mistake, though they can ask.

Can an online retailer cancel after taking payment? It depends on whether a contract exists; where it does, cancellation is usually possible only for a genuine, honest mistake that the buyer should have noticed.

What if I was undercharged after buying? Citizens Advice says the buyer does not have to give the item back, subject to the price-discussion exception described above.

The bottom line

A wrong price tag does not oblige a shop to sell a pram cheaply, and an online retailer’s power to cancel depends on whether a contract exists. Keep screenshots, read the seller’s terms and act quickly if an order is cancelled.

Sources

• Citizens Advice (England), "If something is advertised at the wrong price" (citizensadvice.org.uk)
• Citizens Advice (Scotland), "If something is advertised at the wrong price" (citizensadvice.org.uk)
• Citizens Advice (Wales), "If something is advertised at the wrong price" (citizensadvice.org.uk)