Thousands of Marks Electrical customers are set to receive a share of £600,000 in refunds after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found the retailer automatically added optional paid services to some online purchases without customers actively choosing them.
The watchdog has also fined Marks Electrical £720,000 after concluding the company breached consumer law by pre-selecting extra services during the online checkout process. The CMA said around 40,000 customers were affected when buying household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and cookers through the retailer's website.
Customers were automatically opted into one or both of two paid services - a recycling service to remove and dispose of an old appliance and a packaging removal service for newly delivered products.
Under consumer law, businesses must obtain a customer's express agreement before charging for optional extras. The use of pre-ticked boxes or automatic opt-ins for paid services is prohibited.
Marks Electrical has been ordered to refund affected customers around £600,000 in total. The amount each person receives will vary depending on what they paid, but the average refund is expected to be around £15.
Customers do not need to take any action to receive the money. Marks Electrical will contact affected customers directly and refunds will be made automatically to the payment method originally used for the purchase. Where this is not possible, customers will be sent a cheque.
Emma Cochrane, Executive Director of Consumer Protection at the CMA, said: "The law is absolutely clear that automatically opting customers into extra charges is never ok. Buying a new washing machine, dishwasher or cooker is expensive and people should have the right to decide if they want optional extras - not be landed with costs that they did not agree to."
"All businesses need to check their policy on automatic opt-ins - the bottom line is that they should not be used. If businesses break the law, we'll continue to issue fines and secure refunds for people."
The investigation examined conduct between April and November 2025, after the CMA gained stronger consumer enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Marks Electrical was one of eight businesses investigated as part of the watchdog's wider crackdown on online pricing practices, including hidden charges, automatic opt-ins and misleading sales tactics.
The retailer stopped the practice after the CMA launched its investigation and cooperated with the regulator. The company received a reduced penalty after agreeing to settle the case early.
The CMA said it has now secured more than £1.3 million in refunds for consumers and imposed almost £5 million in fines using its strengthened enforcement powers. The watchdog is continuing to investigate a number of other businesses as part of its campaign to tackle unlawful online pricing practices and ensure shoppers are given clear information about the true cost of products and services before making a purchase.
