UPDATE: |New UK law introduces major change that will affect anyone who shops online News

Shoppers will notice the new change when completing online checkout

A new UK law has recently come into effect which will ban hidden fees and fake reviews from misguiding online shoppers.

The new laws will aim to provide shoppers with a more transparent shopping experience by reducing the publication of fake reviews and the additional fees added to online purchases.

These new measures, which came into force on Sunday, will aim to give online shoppers greater control over their spending.

As part of the new law, shoppers will now see all admin, booking and delivery fees included in the headline price of their purchase, rather than these being dripped in throughout the checkout process.

The change aims to put an end to the shock that many online shoppers face when reaching checkout of being surprised by multiple additional fees being added to their overall cost.

Now when buying train, cinema or concert tickets, online shoppers will see all additional booking and admin fees included in the overall price of their purchase at the start of the checkout process.

Shoppers will also see the change when purchasing takeaways, with the new law stating that all delivery charges must be clear at the start of the checkout process.

The changes have come into place after the Department for Business and Trade estimated that consumers collectively spend £2.2bn annually on hidden fees when shopping online.

The new ban will also apply to the publication of fake reviews online, to provide shoppers with greater clarity over their purchases.

Justin Madders, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, said: “From today consumers can confidently make purchases knowing they are protected against fake reviews and dripped pricing.

“These changes will give consumers more power and control over their hard-earned cash, as well as help to establish a level playing field by deterring bad actors that undercut compliant businesses, helping to deliver economic stability as part of our Plan for Change.”

New laws will set a legal requirement for businesses and online platforms to take steps to prevent and remove the publication of fake reviews from their websites, including introducing detection and removal procedures.

Changes look to ensure that customers have greater control over what they can expect from a product they are purchasing.

Additionally new laws will also look to protect well-intentioned businesses from being overshadowed by those using fake reviews and additional charges to deceive customers.

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority, said: “ We will use these new provisions to safeguard people from harmful and unfair treatment, and to foster the level-playing field for the vast majority of businesses who want to do the right thing for their customers.”

She added: “We will be tackling the more egregious practices first and working hard to support businesses with compliance, conscious that – especially for small businesses – the burden of following the rules must be proportionate.