{"id":17745,"date":"2023-02-08T11:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T11:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ccpc.ie\/consumers\/?p=17745"},"modified":"2023-02-07T14:44:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-07T14:44:49","slug":"dark-patterns-warning-signs-when-shopping-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccpc.inventise.ie\/consumers\/2023\/02\/08\/dark-patterns-warning-signs-when-shopping-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Dark patterns \u2013 warning signs when shopping online"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re all shopping online more and more, but recent sweeps across the EU<\/a> which the CCPC took part in found \u2018dark patterns\u2019 on some websites. These dark patterns push consumers to make choices that they otherwise wouldn\u2019t. This can sometimes influence our decisions to buy. To help you recognise the signs we have put together some tips on what to watch out for when browsing for a bargain.<\/p>\n

Countdown timers<\/h2>\n

Online shops may show you an offer alongside a countdown timer. As the timer is counting down you may feel pressured into buying before the offer expires. These countdowns may not be genuine. A good way to check is to see if reloading the page causes the timer to reset.<\/p>\n

You should always ask yourself if the product is worth the money and whether you really need the item when you’re looking at an offer. A coat reduced from \u20ac400 to \u20ac200 is not a saving of \u20ac200 if you aren\u2019t going to wear it, for example.<\/p>\n

False hierarchy<\/h2>\n

Many of us regularly search online, but when searching for items on a website some retailers may not show the results in an unbiased way. Design could be used to make the shop\u2019s preferred option appear more prominent. This could be by forcing it to the top of the results or presenting it larger or more colourful than other options.<\/p>\n

Always make sure to check out all the options before buying. Compare multiple options on the website, as well as comparing different websites. Make sure you\u2019re buying the best item for you at the best value for you.<\/p>\n

Hiding information<\/h2>\n

Under consumer law, businesses must give you certain information before you buy. During the sweeps carried out by the European Commission, some online shops were found to be hiding important information. If this happened to you, you may be entitled to a refund. Learn more about your right to information<\/a> when you shop online.<\/p>\n

Check where the business is based<\/h2>\n

As well as watching for dark patterns, you should always check the location of the business you are buying from. If you buy from outside the EU you won\u2019t have the same rights when you shop online<\/a>. You may also have to pay taxes and charges on any items you receive.<\/p>\n

Remember, a .ie domain name isn\u2019t a guarantee of an Irish based business. You should always read the terms and conditions to make sure you know where a website is based.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re all shopping online more and more, but recent sweeps across the EU which the CCPC took part in found \u2018dark patterns\u2019 on some websites. These dark patterns push consumers to make choices that they otherwise wouldn\u2019t. This can sometimes …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":17747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDark patterns \u2013 warning signs when shopping online - CCPC Consumers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is an independent statutory body that enforces competition and consumer protection law in Ireland\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dark patterns \u2013 warning signs when shopping online - 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