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UK PM Andy Burnham pledges ban on fake discounts and subscription traps

The measures are expected to benefit consumers by about £400 million a year and include new rules on misleading “was” prices and easier cancellation of unwanted subscriptions.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Trade & Tariffs

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he wants to make cost-of-living issues central to his premiership, promising a crackdown on “rip-off” business practices aimed at reducing consumer harm from misleading promotions.

Burnham, writing for the Guardian, said the government will ban misleading pricing used by retailers to make discounts look larger than they are, including fake “was” prices, invented reductions, and misleading recommended retail prices.

The proposal is expected to benefit consumers to the tune of £400 million a year. Ministers plan consultations in the autumn on which specific practices are covered and how the ban will work, with changes introduced through secondary legislation as quickly as possible.

Burnham also said the government is speeding up protections against subscription traps, moving the introduction from next spring to January, and said the rules will require clearer information for consumers when they sign up.

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