Online retailers under scrutiny for deceptive website features

Seager Inc. (which operates Boarding Gate), Origin Sleep and Light In The Box have been found using misleading website tactics known as “dark patterns” to pressure consumers into making quicker purchase decisions, according to the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS).

The regulator said the three online retailers deployed fabricated urgency cues, including fake visitor counts, artificial countdown timers and false discount claims, to simulate demand and limited availability. At Boarding Gate’s website, messages such as “XX people are looking at this product right now” and “XX people added this item to cart” were displayed to suggest real-time demand. However, CCS found these figures were randomly generated and not based on actual user activity. 

Similarly, Origin Sleep used tactics such as prompts stating “Other people want this. XX people have this in their carts now”, alongside countdown timers which said “Hurry! Your order is reserved for xxxx minutes”. CCS said these timers had no impact on product availability or the ability to complete purchases.

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In addition, the mattress retailer also ran promotions marketed as time-limited offers such as “Up to 40% off”, which investigators found had continued for nearly two years under rotating campaign names, shifting from a “Flash sale” to themed promotions including Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year and “3.3 Mega Sale” campaigns.

Light In The Box came under scrutiny following a referral from a European regulator, with CCS finding the retailer used “Almost sold out” labels despite operating largely on a made-to-order model with minimal inventory constraints. It was also found to have displayed discounted prices against higher “original” prices that were never actually offered, creating a misleading impression of savings.

Investigations revealed that one retailer reportedly claimed its website was built using a third-party template, but CCS stressed that businesses remain responsible for compliance regardless of whether design systems are sourced externally or developed in-house.

At the point of writing, checks by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE revealed that such tactics are no longer available on Boarding Gate and Light In The Box's websites.

In a statement on 18 May, CCS chief executive Alvin Koh said dark patterns are “insidious” as they are difficult to detect and erode consumer trust in digital markets. He added that the regulator will continue to take firm action against unfair practices.

All three companies have provided undertakings to CCS, ceased the practices and committed to avoiding similar conduct in future, with Light In The Box also removing the misleading claims from its Singapore and European-facing platforms.

The enforcement action signals tighter scrutiny of eCommerce practices that rely on manufactured urgency, scarcity and popularity signals, highlighting how such tactics are increasingly embedded in global online retail design. Consumers who encounter unfair trade practices can report them to the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Boarding Gate, Origin Sleep and Light In The Box for more. 

The enforcement action comes against a backdrop of similar cases last year, when CCS took action against Courts and PRISM+ for comparable website practices that misled consumers. Courts was found to have automatically added unsolicited items into shoppers’ carts during promotional periods, while PRISM+ was flagged for using fake countdown timers, misleading stock indicators and inflated discount claims to create false urgency and influence purchasing decisions. Both companies have since provided undertakings to CCS, ceased the practices and rectified their websites.

CCS said these earlier cases underscore that under Singapore’s fair-trading laws, businesses must ensure consumers clearly consent to all purchases and that claims relating to pricing, stock availability and urgency are truthful and not misleading. It added that enforcement actions against such “dark patterns” form part of its broader push to curb online practices that distort consumer decision-making.

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