The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has forced Simba Sleep to change its online promotional and marketing practices after an investigation found it was misleading UK shoppers.
The online mattress retailer has agreed to a series of concrete changes as a result of the CMA’s investigation, ensuring all discount claims are 100% genuine and not manipulated and that any countdown clocks used are clearly labelled and not misleading.
The government body opened an investigation into Simba Sleep after complaints were made about price manipulations which were being used to trick customers into believing that discounts were genuine. Concerns were also raised over deliberately vague countdown clocks that artificially pressured customers into making unnecessarily rushed purchases.
These developments form part of an ongoing crackdown by the CMA on nefarious online marketing practices, with rival mattress firm Emma Group also threatened with court action unless it actions similar changes.
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“Companies that use potentially unfair tactics to sell products – including misleading countdown clocks and false pricing claims – risk pressuring customers into making purchases in haste and could be getting an unfair advantage over fair-dealing firms,” CMA interim senior director of consumer protection, Hayley Fletcher said.
“This agreement means a better shopping experience for Simba Sleep customers – but it’s now time for other traders in the mattress sector to take note and ensure their practices comply with consumer law.”
Fletcher continued: “To support the CMA’s ongoing work addressing potentially harmful online sales practices in the online mattress sector, the CMA has also published principles which are aimed at traders in the online mattress sector who use price reduction claims. Businesses should make sure they only use ‘was/now’ discount prices if a sufficient number of sales have been made at the higher ‘was’ price for a sufficient period of time.”
Simba Sleep will now have six months to comply with the new measures set out by the CMA, when it will need to report back to the body with proof that definitive action has been taken.
