Dozens of online stores must stop using misleading countdown timers. Following an automated check of thousands of online stores, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has confronted these online stores with their practices. Online stores display right next to a special deal a clock that counts down, which is called a countdown timer. When the timer reaches zero, the special deal should no longer be valid. However, this is not the case with these online stores. They simply continue displaying these special deals. Timers put pressure on consumers to make a purchase decision faster than they probably want to. If the special deal is not temporary, these practices mislead consumers, and are therefore prohibited.
Edwin van Houten, Director of ACM’s Consumer Department, explains: “Online consumers are stimulated in various ways to make purchases. Recently, we have been able to conduct automated checks to see whether online stores comply with the rules. This allows us to discover quickly whether online stores use misleading techniques, and to take effective enforcement action. Online stores are allowed to persuade consumers into buying their products, but they cannot mislead them.”