Guidance

Consumer protection enforcement guidance: CMA58

How the CMA uses its consumer powers to address problems in markets, including its approach to compliance and enforcement of consumer law.

Documents

Consumer protection: enforcement guidance

Details

This guidance sets out how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) uses its consumer protection powers to address market-wide consumer problems. It also explains how it enforces consumer protection law and uses its investigatory enforcement powers.

The guidance replaces ‘Consumer protection – guidance on the CMA’s approach to use of its consumer powers (CMA7)’ and the Office of Fair Trading’s enforcement of consumer protection legislation guidance (OFT512).

Transparency in Consumer Enforcement Cases – Updated Supplementary Note was published on 4 November 2020 and provides information about the CMA’s approach to transparency in consumer enforcement cases, in particular the circumstances in which it may publicly name parties under investigation.

It is based on the CMA’s experience in conducting consumer enforcement work to date, and supplements the guidance on the CMA’s broader approach to transparency in CMA6 Transparency and Disclosure: Statement of the CMA’s Policy and Approach and CMA58 Consumer Protection: Enforcement Guidance. It replaces Transparency in Consumer Enforcement Cases – Supplementary Note¸ which had been published on 18 June 2018.

Published 17 August 2016
Last updated 4 November 2020 + show all updates
  1. Updated supplementary note for transparency in consumer cases published.

  2. First published.