Competition and Markets Authority

Start with the outcome you need

A regulator, enforcement body and redress scheme may look at the same conduct for different reasons. This profile separates the wider public-interest role from the route that can deal with your own loss.

Role and remit

What the CMA does

The Competition and Markets Authority is a UK non-ministerial government department. It promotes competition and protects consumers through market studies, investigations, guidance and enforcement.

01Market-wide focus

The CMA acts on problems that affect competition or groups of consumers.

02Direct powers

Its consumer enforcement powers can address breaches and wider market conduct.

03No casework service

It is not the normal body for deciding one consumer's refund dispute.

Powers and limits

What it can and cannot do

The correct route depends on whether you want wider enforcement, an individual remedy, or both.

It can	It usually cannot
Investigate systemic consumer-law and competition concerns. Publish guidance and market studies that help explain expected business conduct. Use statutory enforcement powers and coordinate with other consumer bodies.	Provide ordinary individual consumer advice or case management. Guarantee action because one report was submitted. Replace ADR, an ombudsman, card protection or court proceedings for individual redress.

Individual route

Separate market intelligence from your remedy

Evidence of a pattern may be valuable to the CMA even while your own dispute follows a different path.

Complain to the trader and specify the legal and practical remedy sought.
Use the Citizens Advice consumer service for individual consumer guidance and suitable enforcement referrals.
Send market-wide intelligence through the CMA route where the conduct appears widespread or structural.
Preserve evidence of the wider pattern, including standard terms, repeated adverts and consistent responses.
Do not let a CMA report delay any ADR, chargeback, Section 75 or court deadline.

Consumer protection is not the same as consumer casework

The CMA can protect consumers at market level without becoming the decision-maker in your private dispute. Treat regulatory reporting and personal redress as connected but separate tracks.

Prepare the report

What to keep and send

Give the body enough information to identify the conduct and understand why it matters. Keep the material needed for your separate claim as well.

The trader, group or market involved and the scale of the apparent practice.
Standard terms, checkout flows, cancellation journeys, pricing displays or repeated representations.
Examples showing that the issue is not limited to one isolated service failure.
Dates and any material showing when a practice changed.
Your separate correspondence and loss calculation for the personal claim.

Primary material

Official sources

Check the current remit, procedure and rules before submitting anything.

CMA organisation pageCMA consumer protectionReport a business behaving unfairlyConsumer protection from unfair trading