The Polish competition authority, known as UOKiK, has taken action against Azagroup, the owner of online clothing and footwear stores Renee and Born2Be, for misleading promotional practices. The authority imposed a fine of almost 15 million PLN due to the company's continuous use of discount codes and promotional banners that falsely suggested limited-time offers.

UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny emphasized that genuine promotions should be time-limited and provide real price benefits to consumers. However, the promotions on Renee and Born2Be's websites were found to be misleading, as they created an illusion of urgency while the discounts were available indefinitely. This practice was deemed a manipulation of consumer behavior, violating legal standards.

The authority's investigation revealed that the online stores employed marketing tactics such as countdown timers and special event promotions, which misled consumers into believing they were encountering unique sales opportunities. In reality, these promotions were merely a rebranding of ongoing discounts, lacking any genuine time constraints.

Chróstny described these perpetual promotions as 'dark patterns,' which exploit consumer psychology to create artificial pressure and influence purchasing decisions. The authority's findings also indicated that the promotional prices might not reflect any actual discounts from regular prices, raising further concerns about compliance with consumer protection laws.

In addition to the fine, UOKiK has ordered Azagroup to cease these unfair practices. The company has the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Competition and Consumer Protection. Once the decision is finalized, Azagroup is required to inform consumers about the ruling through its websites and social media channels.