Thousands of customers due refunds after £6m fines to Wayfair, Gold's Gym and Appliances Direct

Wayfair, Appliances Direct and Gold’s Gym have been fined more than £6 million for misleading customers over prices and offers. Thousands of shoppers are also due refunds. Here’s what happened, how to check whether you’re owed money and how to avoid being caught out by sales tactics.

What’s happened?

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined three businesses for using misleading sales tactics that could leave you paying more than expected or feeling pressured into buying.

The watchdog found that:

Wayfair used countdown timers and supposedly time-limited deals that didn’t always end when advertised. It’s been fined £4.8 million.
Appliances Direct used misleading limited-time discounts and automatically added paid extras to some customers’ orders. It’s been fined £1.2 million and ordered to refund around £432,000.
Gold’s Gym failed to make mandatory joining fees clear when advertising memberships. It’s been fined £45,000 and ordered to refund more than £9,000.

All three businesses admitted breaking consumer law and settled their cases early.

Bought from Appliances Direct or joined Gold’s Gym? You could be owed a refund

If you bought an appliance from Appliances Direct between 6 April and 17 November 2025, you could be due a refund if you were automatically charged for additional services, such as installation or recycling.

Affected customers will receive around £25 each on average. You could also be owed money if you joined Gold’s Gym online between 6 April 2025 and 7 May 2026 and weren’t clearly shown the full membership price, including joining fees. A total of 726 customers will receive refunds. You don’t need to apply. Both companies will contact eligible customers directly. Appliances Direct must process refunds by 11 March 2027.

There’s no equivalent refund scheme announced for Wayfair customers, despite the company’s £4.8 million fine.

You can check the latest information on the CMA’s official refunds page.

How to spot misleading sales tactics

These tactics aren’t limited to the three companies fined. You might see similar techniques when shopping for clothes, furniture, electrical goods, holidays or subscriptions.

1. Countdown timers that pressure you to buy

Ever spotted a deal with a clock counting down to midnight, warning you that the price is about to go up?

Wayfair advertised products using phrases such as ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’, alongside countdown timers. But the CMA found many products remained available at the same price or even cheaper after the deadline.

What you can do: Don’t let a countdown rush you into buying. Compare prices elsewhere, check the product’s price history where possible and give yourself time to decide whether you really need it.

2. Extras you didn’t agree to

You might find installation, recycling, insurance or other services added to your basket without actively choosing them. Appliances Direct automatically opted some customers into paid installation and recycling services.

What you can do: Check your basket before paying. Retailers must get your express agreement before charging you for optional extras. They can’t rely on pre-ticked boxes or automatic opt-ins.

3. Hidden fees that appear at checkout

A gym membership, ticket or booking might look affordable until you reach the final payment page and discover additional charges. Gold’s Gym failed to make mandatory joining fees sufficiently clear when advertising memberships.

What you can do: Look at the total price, not just the headline offer. Businesses must clearly show you unavoidable charges upfront, rather than adding them later.

What are your rights if you’ve been misled?

Under UK consumer law, businesses can’t mislead you about prices, discounts or the availability of offers. They must also make mandatory charges clear and get your agreement before adding optional extras. The CMA now has stronger powers to take direct action against businesses that break these rules, including imposing substantial fines and ordering refunds.

But a misleading offer doesn’t automatically mean you’re entitled to compensation. If you believe a retailer has misled you, start by contacting the business. Explain what happened, provide screenshots or order confirmations where possible, and say what outcome you want.

You could ask for a refund of an unauthorised extra charge, or for the retailer to put things right if a misleading offer influenced your purchase. If the business refuses to help, you can seek advice from Citizens Advice Consumer Service, which can also pass information to Trading Standards.

How to avoid getting caught out

With Black Friday approaching, you’re likely to see more countdown timers, flash sales and ‘limited availability’ warnings.

Before you buy, take a moment to ask yourself:

Is it really cheaper? Compare the price with other retailers rather than relying on the advertised discount.
Does the deal genuinely end today? Don’t assume a countdown timer means the price will increase.
Have any extras been added? Check your basket and remove services you don’t want.
What’s the full cost? Include delivery, joining fees and any other unavoidable charges.
Would you buy it without the discount? A bargain isn’t saving you money if you didn’t need the product in the first place.

The simplest way to avoid spending more than you intended is to shop on your own terms, not the retailer’s deadline.

Need help making a complaint?

If you’ve been charged for something you didn’t agree to, or believe you’ve been misled by a retailer, don’t ignore it.

You can use Resolver to check your consumer rights, find guidance on making a complaint and keep track of your correspondence.

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk

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