UK CMA fines Wayfair £4.8 million over countdown clocks and orders £432,000 refund

The UK Competition and Markets Authority issued a Final Infringement Notice to Wayfair Stores Limited on 14 October 2026, imposing a financial penalty of £4.8 million (£4,800,000) for misleading countdown clocks and time-limited promotions ^[1].

The penalty reflects a 40% settlement discount from an £8,000,000 baseline penalty after Wayfair admitted infringing consumer protection rules under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 ^[1].

As part of the same enforcement package, the regulator ordered appliance retailer Buy It Direct to pay around £432,000 in refunds to consumers affected by pre-selected checkout opt-ins ^[1]. The payouts average £25 per affected customer across purchases between 6 April 2025 and 17 November 2025 ^[1].

What it covers

The enforcement action applies direct administrative penalties under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 to e-commerce checkout flows and urgency marketing patterns used by online retailers selling in the United Kingdom ^[1].

What it does not tell you

Because both retailers settled under streamlined administrative procedures, the notices do not state the total gross sales Wayfair generated while using misleading countdown timers ^[1].