Consumer watchdog flags misleading website tactics by Courts and PRISM+

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) has taken action against Courts and PRISM+ for using website design features that misled consumers and pressured them into unintended purchases.

Courts was found to have automatically added unsolicited items into shoppers’ carts during certain promotional periods, a practice CCS described as an unfair trade practice. In one case, an Acer vacuum cleaner was added to a consumer’s cart after the shopper selected an Apple iPad for purchase.

CCS said the practice placed consumers at risk of unknowingly paying for items they did not intend to buy if they failed to notice or remove them before checkout. Despite receiving customer complaints as early as 2024, Courts only made changes after CCS intervened in June 2025.

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Courts has since given an undertaking to stop the practice with immediate effect, made changes to its website, and agreed to refund affected customers.

In a separate investigation, CCS found that PRISM+ used multiple website features that created “false urgency” to pressure consumers into hasty purchases. These included fake countdown timers that reset after reaching zero without any impact on checkout, misleading stock indicators that suggested low inventory even when substantial stock remained, and unsubstantiated claims of industry-wide shortages.

CCS also found instances of inflated discount claims such as “up to 67% off”, where the advertised maximum discounts were unattainable based on the actual prices offered. For one product, the discount amounted to 38% despite a 67% off claim. PRISM+ attributed the discrepancies to technical errors.

PRISM+ has rectified the issues and provided an undertaking to CCS that it will not engage in unfair trade practices.

Under Singapore’s fair trading laws, it is an unfair trade practice for businesses to charge for unsolicited products or make false or misleading claims to influence purchasing decisions. CCS said businesses must ensure consumers clearly consent to all purchases and that claims on pricing, stock availability and urgency are truthful and factually accurate.

CCS also advised consumers to review their shopping carts carefully, verify payment amounts before checkout, and remain cautious of urgency-driven messages when shopping online. Members of the public who wish to report unfair trade practices may contact CASE or submit a complaint online.

"These two interventions form part of a series of recent enforcement actions taken by CCS against businesses that employ dark patterns to mislead and pressure consumers into unintended purchases,” said Alvin Koh, chief executive of CCS.

He added, "CCS remains committed to ensuring fair, transparent and honest business practices in the digital space, enabling genuine competition amongst suppliers while empowering consumers to make informed decisions.”

The action against Courts and PRISM+ follows similar scrutiny by CCS earlier in June over Agoda’s website and mobile app in Singapore for potentially misleading design elements. The regulator found that Agoda’s “best match” label was influenced by commission earnings, not just user preferences, while its “Agoda preferred” badge did not clearly disclose that featured properties paid higher commissions.

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