What are super-complaints?
Updated 26 February 2025
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What is a super-complaint?
A super-complaint, as defined by section 11(1) of the Enterprise Act 2002 (EA02), is a complaint submitted by a designated consumer body that ‘any feature, or combination of features, of a market in the UK for goods or services is or appears to be significantly harming the interests of consumers’. The features of a market may refer to:
- the structure of the market concerned or any aspect of such structure
- any conduct (whether or not in the market concerned) of one or more than one person who supplies or acquires goods or services in the market concerned
- any conduct relating to the market concerned of customers of any person who supplies or acquires goods or services
Who can make a super-complaint?
Only bodies designated by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills under section 11(5) EA02 can make a super-complaint. Section 11(6) requires that those designated will be bodies who appear to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of consumers.
View guidance for bodies seeking designation as consumer super-complainants.
What action can result from a super-complaint?
The possible outcomes of a super-complaint include:
- taking enforcement action under competition or consumer law
- agreeing voluntary changes with the industry
- launching a market study into the issue
- making a market investigation reference
- recommending action by the government, a regulatory body or other organisation
- finding the complaint requires no action
- finding the complaint to be unfounded