The practical risk is the overall impression your marketing creates. Pricing claims, urgency claims, reviews, guarantees, product comparisons and omissions can create problems even where a single sentence is technically true.
Main laws
United Kingdom Regulation
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
These Regulations prohibit unfair, misleading and aggressive commercial practices in dealings with consumers.
In forceUnited KingdomPlain-English guide4 practical checks
Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.
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Quick read
- The practical risk is the overall impression your marketing creates.
- Pricing claims, urgency claims, reviews, guarantees, product comparisons and omissions can create problems even where a single sentence is technically true.
Likely relevant if
- Businesses advertising to consumers
- Ecommerce and marketplace sellers
- Franchise and multi-site retail operators
Check first
- Avoid misleading actions and misleading omissions
- Do not use aggressive selling tactics
- Substantiate price, performance and comparison claims
What this means in practice
Key points
- A headline can mislead even if the footnote is accurate.
- Marketing, product and legal teams should review risky campaigns together.
- Keep evidence for objective claims before the campaign goes live.
When this law usually matters
Most businesses do not need to memorise the whole law. The useful starting point is to know when it is likely to affect a contract, customer journey, employee process, data flow or company decision.
Key points
- Businesses advertising to consumers
- Ecommerce and marketplace sellers
- Franchise and multi-site retail operators
- Marketing teams using discounts, reviews or urgency language
What to check first
Sense check
- Avoid misleading actions and misleading omissions
- Do not use aggressive selling tactics
- Substantiate price, performance and comparison claims
- Keep review, testimonial and limited-offer practices honest
Documents and workflows to review
Key points
- Advertising approval process
- Product pages
- Discount campaigns
- Review collection process
- Sales scripts