SINGAPORE: Singapore’s competition watchdog has taken action against three online retailers for using deceptive website tactics designed to pressure consumers into making purchases.
Seager Inc, which operates Boarding Gate, along with Origin Sleep and Light In The Box, had used so-called “dark patterns” - misleading design features that create false urgency, demand or savings, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said on Monday (May 18).
These included displaying fake visitor counts, fabricated countdown timers, and false discount claims.
On Boarding Gate's website, messages such as “XX people are looking at this product right now” and “XX people added this item to cart” gave shoppers the impression of strong real-time demand.
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"However, when CCS examined the website's source code, it discovered that these numbers were randomly generated," the agency said.
Origin Sleep was found to have used similar tactics, including claims that other shoppers had items in their carts without any real-time data to support these statements.
The mattress retailer's checkout pages also featured countdown timers, implying purchases had to be completed before the time expired.
"In reality, these messages and timers had no impact on product availability or shoppers' ability to buy," CCS said.
In addition, Origin Sleep ran what appeared to be time-limited promotions offering discounts of up to 40 per cent. In reality, investigators found that these sales continued for nearly two years under different names - from “Flash Sale” to “Valentine’s Day Sale” and “3.3 Mega Sale” - undermining the impression of urgency.
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Seager Inc, which operates Boarding Gate, along with Origin Sleep and Light In The Box, had used so-called “dark patterns” - misleading design features that create false urgency, demand or savings, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said on Monday (May 18).
These included displaying fake visitor counts, fabricated countdown timers, and false discount claims.
On Boarding Gate's website, messages such as “XX people are looking at this product right now” and “XX people added this item to cart” gave shoppers the impression of strong real-time demand.
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
"However, when CCS examined the website's source code, it discovered that these numbers were randomly generated," the agency said.
Origin Sleep was found to have used similar tactics, including claims that other shoppers had items in their carts without any real-time data to support these statements.
The mattress retailer's checkout pages also featured countdown timers, implying purchases had to be completed before the time expired.
"In reality, these messages and timers had no impact on product availability or shoppers' ability to buy," CCS said.
In addition, Origin Sleep ran what appeared to be time-limited promotions offering discounts of up to 40 per cent. In reality, investigators found that these sales continued for nearly two years under different names - from “Flash Sale” to “Valentine’s Day Sale” and “3.3 Mega Sale” - undermining the impression of urgency.
Continue reading...