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ARTICLE · 09 JUNE 2010

Office of Fair Trading Issues Interim Reports in its Pricing Market Study

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang
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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published a discussion paper on how the 2008 Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) might apply to common retail pricing practices.

United KingdomConsumer Protection
Susan Barty
Susan Barty
Stuart Helmer
Stuart Helmer
Caroline Hobson
Caroline Hobson

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has published a discussion paper on how the 2008 Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) might apply to common retail pricing practices.

The discussion paper, together with two research reports, have been published as part of the OFT's market study into the advertising of prices launched in October 2009. The OFT's study focuses on six pricing practices:

  • Drip pricing (where optional or compulsory price increments are added during the buying process)
  • Bait pricing (when discounted prices are used to attract consumers, but few units are available at the offer price)
  • Advertising using the term 'free' (for example, 'buy one, get one free')

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