Consumer law | UK Regulatory Outlook July 2026

CMA fines business over drip pricing under the DMCCA 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined StubHub, an online marketplace for live event tickets in the UK, £889,200 for drip pricing, a practice prohibited under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA). The CMA has found that between April and December 2025, some consumers were required to pay mandatory delivery and service fees when purchasing tickets for concerts and sporting events, which were added at the final stage of the checkout process rather than being included in the total price from the outset.  

This forms part of the first round of fines imposed by the CMA pursuant to its new enforcement powers under the DMCCA. See more in this Insight. 

CMA targets private parking operators over consumer protection concerns 

Following the imposition of a penalty for not complying with an information notice (see this Insight), the CMA has launched an investigation into suspected infringements of consumer law by Euro Car Parks, a parking management company. In particular, the CMA is investigating whether: (i) it is fair for some drivers to incur parking charges while queuing for, or using, petrol pumps and other forecourt services such as car washes; and (ii) Euro Car Parks' appeals processes, in relation to both petrol stations and car parks, comply with consumer protection law. 

This forms part of a wider action by the CMA addressing practices by private parking operators to ensure that consumers are treated fairly when challenging parking charges. The CMA has particular concerns about potentially unfair practices by some operators, including the way they handle appeals and attempt to recover additional fees on top of the parking charge. 

The CMA has written to other private parking operators setting out actions they should take to ensure their practices comply with consumer law. It has also issued advisory letters to some operators regarding their appeals processes for motorists and their reliance on potentially unfair terms when seeking to recover unpaid parking charge notices. The CMA has further made recommendations to the government on requirements that it considers could be imposed on private parking operators and incorporated into the proposed private parking code of practice, on which the government has consulted.  

CMA updates guidance on unfair contract terms 

Following its consultation earlier this year on updates to its guidance on unfair contract terms provisions in Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the CMA has published revised guidance. 

The CMA primarily sought to restructure and simplify the guidance, as the underlying law has not changed. It has said that it did not generally revise its interpretation of the law, though it set out developments in case law. The changes include clearer navigation, separation of legal principles from practical considerations in key areas and additional examples and practical techniques, including for the digital environment. New examples and clarifications address issues of wider relevance across sectors, including price variation, cancellation and jurisdiction terms. 

In addition, the CMA has published a short guide for businesses as a practical starting point.