{
  "id": 415448,
  "title": "UK’s Burnham vows crackdown on misleading discounts and subscription traps",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/uks-burnham-vows-crackdown-on-misleading-discounts-and-subscription",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T22:09:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
    "slug": "the-business-times-companies-markets",
    "url": "https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/uks-burnham-vows-crackdown-misleading-discounts-and-subscription-traps"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "British Prime Minister Andy Burnham vowed on Sunday to tackle misleading product discounts and subscription traps as part of his efforts to ease the strain on household finances. Since assuming power on July 20, Burnham has already taken steps to ease financial pressure, including removing a tax from domestic electricity bills, capping bus fares, and reducing business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues. The British Retail Consortium, which represents major retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer, downplayed the severity of the issue, stating that its members comply with all rules and regulations regarding promotions. Burnham plans to consult on banning retailers from making misleading claims about discounts, such as those claiming previous prices, invented discounts, and misleading recommended retail prices. Additionally, new rules effective from January 2027 will require businesses to provide clearer upfront information, regular reminders, and an easier exit process for contracts, along with a 14-day cooling-off period for consumers to cancel subscriptions.",
  "summary": "The British Retail Consortium played down the extent of the problem",
  "key_points": [
    "Andy Burnham vows to crack down on misleading discounts.",
    "New rules from Jan 2027 require clearer upfront info.",
    "14-day cooling-off period for subscription cancellations."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}