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SINGAPORE: Singapore\u2019s competition watchdog has taken action against three online retailers for using deceptive website tactics designed to pressure consumers into making purchases.<\/p>\n
Seager Inc, which operates Boarding Gate, along with Origin Sleep and Light In The Box, had used so-called \u201cdark patterns\u201d – misleading design features that create false urgency, demand or savings, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) said on Monday (May 18).<\/p>\n
These included displaying fake visitor counts, fabricated countdown timers, and false discount claims.<\/p>\n
On Boarding Gate’s website, messages such as \u201cXX people are looking at this product right now\u201d and \u201cXX people added this item to cart\u201d gave shoppers the impression of strong real-time demand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“However, when CCS examined the website’s source code, it discovered that these numbers were randomly generated,” the agency said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The mattress retailer’s checkout pages also featured countdown timers, implying purchases had to be completed before the time expired.<\/p>\n
“In reality, these messages and timers had no impact on product availability or shoppers’ ability to buy,” CCS said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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 \u201cFlash Sale\u201d to \u201cValentine\u2019s Day Sale\u201d and \u201c3.3 Mega Sale\u201d – undermining the impression of urgency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n