Dufresne Group Pays $3.25M CAD For Dark Patterns And Unsupported Pricing

In a recent investigation into dark patterns and unsupported pricing, the Canadian Competition Bureau (the "Bureau") concluded that The Dufresne Group Inc. ("TDG") promoted products at sale prices that were based on inflated regular prices and made false or misleading urgency claims about limited time offer deals on certain products. TDG has agreed to pay a $3.25 million administrative monetary penalty ("AMP") and $100,000 towards the Bureau's costs in a negotiated, 10-year consent agreement.

The Bureau found that TDG offered consumers products at inflated regular prices and then marketed the products at big discounts, giving the false or misleading impression that consumers were getting significant savings on those products. The Bureau also found that TDG advertised urgent, limited time offers to consumers, including using tactics like countdown timers. These "dark patterns" gave the impression that deals on certain products would no longer be available after a