Boarding Gate, Origin Sleep andyLight In The Box, caught using misleading website features such as fake visitor counts, countdown timers

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3 retailers caught using misleading website features such as fake visitor counts, countdown timers​

SINGAPORE – Three online retailers have been caught using misleading features to influence shoppers by Singapore’s consumer and competition regulator.

The companies were found to have used misleading features such as displaying fake visitor counts, fabricated countdown timers and false discount claims to create fake urgency and demand around their products, said the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) in a statement on May 18.

All three - Shieager (wch operates lifestyle travel store Boarding Gate), mattress store Origin Sleep and clothing company Light In The Box - have stopped these practices and provided formal undertakings to CCS.

Fake numbers, countdown timers create illusion of urgency​

On Boarding Gate’s website, a message stating the number of people looking at a certain product gave shoppers the illusion of real-time visitor activity and high demand, said CCS.

Upon examination of the website’s source code, the regulator found that the numbers were randomly generated.

The site also had a message showing the number of people who had added an item to their carts, without any evidence to support these assertions.

Origin Sleep’s website also featured similar statements claiming to show real-time visitor activity.

Additionally, its checkout pages featured countdown timers urging consumers to hurry, saying that their orders were reserved only for a period of time.

CCS said this implied that purchases had to be completed before the timer expired, but in reality the messages and timers had no impact on product availability or the customer’s ability to buy the items.

Origin Sleep also ran what appeared to be time-limited sales, but investigations found that these flash sales continued for nearly two years under rotating names.

“What started as a ‘Flash Sale’ in January that was supposed to last for only a week seamlessly became a ‘Valentine’s Day Sale’ in February, then a ‘CNY Sale’, followed by a ‘3.3. Mega Sale’, and so on,” said CCS.

In the case of clothing retailer Light In The Box, its website featured warnings that products were almost sold out to suggest scarcity, said CCS.

However, the company operated on a made-to-order procurement model and maintained minimal or no standing inventory.

“In reality, these scarcity labels were applied randomly for promotional effect,” said CCS.

Light In The Box also showed discounted prices against higher “original” prices that were never actually offered, creating false impressions of savings, it added.

Businesses cannot disclaim responsibility for obligations to consumers, said CCS​

One retailer said its website design was based on a template purchased from an overseas vendor, investigations found.

CCS, however, stressed that businesses cannot disclaim responsibility for their obligations to consumers regardless of whether they purchased third-party templates or designed the websites themselves.

Aside from providing formal undertakings to CCS, the three retailers have also stopped using misleading practices and committed to avoid unfair trade practices in the future.

Light In The Box also removed the misleading claims from its Singapore-facing and European-facing website and mobile app, said CCS.

CCS chief executive Alvin Koh said: “Dark patterns are insidious as they are difficult to detect and erode consumer trust in the digital marketplace.

“CCS will continue taking firm action to protect consumer trust and honest businesses from those who choose to compete unfairly.”

Those who encounter unfair trade practices may report them to the Consumers Association of Singapore on 6277-5100 or through its online complaints portal at complaints.case.org.sg