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ARTICLE · 04 JUNE 2026

Misleading Sales Practices: Don't Sleep On The CMA's Recent Settlement

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The Competition and Markets Authority has secured a High Court-backed settlement against Emma Sleep for using misleading urgency tactics, including countdown timers that reset and false high demand claims.

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Zoe Pearman
Zoe Pearman
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has secured a High Court-backed settlement against Emma Sleep, confirming that its misleading urgency tactics, including countdown timers that re-set and false “high demand” claims, breached consumer law. This is another clear warning shot for online retailers, showcasing that pressure-selling through "dark patterns" is firmly in the regulator’s crosshairs.

What led to the investigation?

The CMA began its investigation into Emma Sleep in November 2022 as part of a wider review of online choice architecture and tactics that 'nudge' consumers into certain transactional decisions.

The CMA considered that Emma Sleep was using:

  • misleading countdown timers which would restart when the page was refreshed or when the time ran out; and

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