Since 6 April 2025, new rules under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) have placed clear legal obligations on businesses that publish or manage customer reviews, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is actively enforcing them.
For BHETA members trading in housewares, kitchenware, small electrical appliances and DIY products, this isn't a small print issue. It's a live compliance risk that touches marketing, e-commerce, customer service and any third party you use to collect or manage reviews.
What's actually changed?
The DMCC Act now treats certain review practices as automatically unfair, including:
- Submitting or commissioning fake reviews
- Publishing incentivised reviews without disclosing the incentive
- Presenting reviews or ratings in a misleading way
- Failing to take reasonable steps to prevent, detect and remove fake or misleading reviews
Crucially, the rules don't stop at the written review itself. They also cover "consumer review information" meaning star ratings, review summaries and anything else derived from reviews that shapes how a shopper perceives a product.
Why housewares and appliance brands should pay attention
Reviews carry real commercial weight in this sector. A shopper comparing five-star air fryers or comparing warranty-backed cookware ranges is relying on that information being genuine. If it isn't, even unintentionally, the business behind it is now exposed.
The CMA isn't just publishing guidance and moving on. In 2026 it opened investigations into five well-known businesses : Auto Trader, Dignity, Feefo, Just Eat and Pasta Evangelists, over potentially fake or misleading reviews. These are investigations, not findings of wrongdoing, but they send an unambiguous signal: the regulator is watching, across sectors, and enforcement powers under the DMCC Act include fines and formal directions.
Access the full briefing as a BHETA member
If you want a practical brief, BHETA members get access to a full, practical briefing covering exactly what to check in your review policy, how to handle incentivised reviews correctly, what "reasonable and proportionate steps" looks like in practice, and a step-by-step compliance checklist you can put in front of your marketing and e-commerce teams today.
If you're already a BHETA member, look out for the full briefing. If you're not yet a member, this is exactly the kind of regulatory support membership is designed to give you.
Want to become a member? Enquire at info@bheta.co.uk to become a member and get access to the full briefing.
Sources
- Competition and Markets Authority – Fake reviews guidance
- Competition and Markets Authority – Reviews: guidance for businesses and agencies
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 – Schedule 20
- Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 – Explanatory Notes
- CMA – Online consumer reviews and endorsements
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