Compliance advice for trader recommendation sites

Share your feedback on the Competition and Markets Authority's draft advice for trader recommendation sites

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking input on new guidelines for trader recommendation platforms to help them comply with consumer protection laws.

These guidelines aim to clarify legal requirements and offer practical tips on how these websites can better protect consumers. They include six key principles:

1. representations to consumers
2. vetting practices
3. complaints process
4. monitoring activities
5. approach to investigations and sanctions
6. collection, moderation and publication of consumer reviews

Who should be interested?

This advice is relevant to businesses that:

• operate websites or apps where consumers can find traders for home improvement, maintenance, or repair work
• suggest or imply that the listed traders are of a particular quality

Who can provide feedback?

CMA welcomes feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including:

• businesses that operate websites or apps listing traders for UK consumers
• trade bodies and representative organisations in the home improvement, maintenance, or repair sectors
• standards bodies that set or monitor compliance with quality and consumer protection standards, including certification and registration schemes, and approved Consumer Codes
• consumer advisers, representative bodies, and charities
• enforcers of consumer protection law, including local authority Trading Standards Services, regulators, and government departments

How to contribute

You can email your response to trp@cma.gov.uk until 5pm, Friday 16 August 2024.

Further information

For more information, visit the trader recommendation sites consultation page.

First published 5 August 2024