CMA fines Wayfair, Appliances Direct, Gold's Gym

On 14 October 2026 the Competition and Markets Authority fined three businesses a combined £6 million for misleading sales tactics, and ordered about £440,000 back to customers. Wayfair got the biggest fine for deals that were never really ending. Appliances Direct ticked the boxes for customers. Gold's Gym left the joining fee out of the price. All three admitted breaking consumer law and settled. If you bought from any of them, or from a shop that does the same things, here is what that means for your money.

What the CMA found

• Wayfair - £4.8 million. "Daily Deals" and 24-hour "Flash Deals", with messages like "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" and countdown timers. The CMA found that many products stayed on sale at the same price or lower after the stated deadline, so the offers were not really time-limited. Wayfair has said it thinks the fine is excessive, but it settled.
• Appliances Direct - £1.2 million. Pop-up countdown banners offering £10 to £25 off "for a limited time", with the same discount codes coming back over many days. It also automatically opted customers into paid extras: "Remove & Recycle Your Old Appliance" and "Installation on Delivery". The company has to refund around £432,000, which works out at about £25 a customer.
• Gold's Gym - £45,000. The total membership price, including a mandatory joining fee, was not shown clearly from the start. It has to refund £9,220 to 726 members.

Each firm took a 40% discount on its fine for settling early. The fines are the headline, but the useful part for you is what the CMA treats as unlawful, because it is the same list of tactics in shops you use every week.

Are you owed a refund?

Appliances Direct or Gold's Gym. The CMA orders redress as part of its decisions, and the amounts above are what it has secured. Check the CMA's case pages for each company for who is covered and the refund deadline. Do not click a link in a text or email that offers a "CMA refund" and asks for card details - go to the company's own site, or type the address in yourself. Our guide to the CMA refund register explains how the real ones work.

Wayfair. The CMA's announcement did not mention a redress scheme for Wayfair customers. That does not mean you have no claim. If you bought because of a deadline that was not real, you can ask the retailer for redress in writing - see below.

Your own rights, whatever the CMA does

1. Pre-ticked extras are refundable. A trader needs your express consent before charging for an extra, and a pre-ticked box is not consent. If you were charged for installation, recycling, insurance or a warranty you did not choose, ask for it back. The rule is regulation 40 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
2. A fake deadline is a misleading practice. If you bought because of it, UK consumer law gives you a right to redress against the business, which can include a refund. Say so in the letter and name what was misleading: the timer, the "today only" banner, the price that did not change.
3. Hidden mandatory fees count as drip pricing. Any fee you cannot avoid must be in the headline price. Our drip pricing guide has the detail. For gyms specifically, see how to get out of a gym contract and use the gym contract escape tool.
4. The 14-day cancel right still applies. Bought online? You can cancel within 14 days of the goods arriving, for any reason. The cooling-off checker tells you whether yours qualifies.
5. Pay-by-card routes. Over £100 on a credit card, Section 75 makes the card company jointly liable. Otherwise try a chargeback.

Evidence that helps

Screenshots with the date visible: the timer, the "was" price, the checkout page with the box already ticked, the final total against the headline price. Then your order confirmation and bank statement. Black Friday is on 27 November, and these are the tactics to watch for - we cover how to spot them in our Black Friday guide.

How to write the complaint

Write to the company, not the CMA. Say what you bought and when, what you were told, why it was misleading, what you want (a refund of the extra, or of the whole purchase if you only bought because of the false deadline), and give a deadline of 14 days. The CMA does not resolve individual cases, but it does use reports from the public, so tell Citizens Advice as well. For Wayfair specifically, see our Wayfair complaints page.

FAQs

Does the fine mean I get money back automatically?

No. The fine goes to the government, not to customers. Redress is separate, and the CMA's announcement reported it only for Appliances Direct and Gold's Gym customers.

Can I still complain if I bought months ago?

Yes, but act quickly on misleading-practice redress, which has its own time limits, and check any card-claim deadlines. The CMA's findings are useful evidence either way.

Does this apply to shops other than these three?

The law does. These decisions show how the CMA reads it, and other investigations are still open.

Bought on a deadline that turned out to be fake? Start a complaint and we will draft the letter, with the law named and a deadline for them to answer. "Ends tonight" should mean tonight.