“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.