Appliances Direct: consumer protection enforcement case
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating suspected infringements of consumer law in relation to the use of time-limited offers and the addition of optional charges by Buy it Direct Ltd, trading as Appliances Direct (‘Appliances Direct’) in the UK.
Case timetable
| Date | Action |
| November 2025 to March 2026 | Initial investigation: information and evidence gathering (next case update March 2026) |
| 17 November 2025 | Investigation opened |
Case opening
17 November 2025: The CMA has opened an investigation into Appliances Direct’s compliance with consumer protection law.
The CMA is investigating whether Appliances Direct’s time-limited sales ended when they said they would and whether customers are being automatically opted in to purchasing additional services.
The CMA will now engage with Appliances Direct and gather evidence to consider whether the CMA thinks Appliances Direct has infringed consumer protection law.
At this initial stage, it should not be assumed that Appliances Direct has infringed consumer protection law, and no finding has been made.
- Press release: CMA launches major consumer protection drive focused on online pricing practices (18.11.25)
Contact
- ocaprogramme@cma.gov.uk
- Cecilia Parker Aranha, Director
- Hayley Fletcher, Senior Responsible Officer
Personal information
Your name and contact details are your personal data. The CMA may collect, use and share personal data for its consumer protection investigation under Part 8 the Enterprise Act 2002. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information about how the CMA handles personal information, please see our Personal Information Charter.