Singapore — Retailer COURTS has confirmed it was contacted by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCS) over website design features that may have misled consumers, saying the issue has since been fully rectified and affected customers refunded.
“COURTS confirms that it had been contacted by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCS”) regarding design features on its website that may have misled consumers,” the company said in a statement.
Courts said the issue stemmed from “legacy marketing practices,” which mirrored its physical store promotions whereb customers were offered the option to purchase an additional item at a discounted rate after buying another product.
“After being made aware of the issue, COURTS had given an undertaking to CCS to cease this practice immediately. Following which, we have made changes to our website to rectify the issue and processed refunds to all affected customers,” the retailer said.
According to COURTS, it had been working closely with CCS since June 2025 to resolve the matter. “Since September 2025, the issue has been fully rectified, and we have not received any recent customer complaints,” it added.
The company said it had also conducted a full review of its website to ensure information is accurately displayed, with the aim of delivering a transparent shopping experience and minimising consumer confusion.
“We regret the impact this incident may have had on our customers and are fully committed to enhancing our consumer protection policies to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” a COURTS’ spokesperson asserted.
CCS has recently taken enforcement action against retailers using misleading online design features, commonly known as dark patterns, reiterating that businesses must not charge for unsolicited products or pressure consumers into unintended purchases.
