--- title: "Never fake urgency or scarcity ยท Agent Wranglers" url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design/fake-urgency id: UXD-1 level: Required applies: eu-users region: EU risk: law updated: 2026-10-27 build: a2a6bdfed830 tokens: 923 licence: "CC BY 4.0" licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ --- # Never fake urgency or scarcity For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Deceptive design](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design.md). By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-27. - ID: UXD-1 - Level: Required - Chapter: [Deceptive design](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design.md) - Rule: Never show a countdown, a deadline or a stock warning that is not true. Every "ends in" timer counts down to the stored end of the offer, and every "only 3 left" comes from the stock count. - Check: A browser test loads a product page with a timer, clears cookies and loads it again. Both timers end at the promotion's stored end time. After that time, the price is back to normal. A test sets stock to 10, and the page shows no "only a few left" text. - Risk: A law broken - Applies when: The project has users in the EU. - Region: European Union (EU). The duty comes from the law there. The rule applies only when the project serves people there, and its Applies when also holds. - How: Annex I point 7 of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive bans falsely saying an offer lasts only a very short time to rush the buyer. That ban applies in every EU country, whatever the circumstances. A timer that restarts on each visit, or a deal that "ends tonight" every night, breaks it. The US FTC treats false scarcity and fake countdowns as deceptive design too. Render the timer from the promotion's end time on the server and end the promotion then. Take low-stock text from the count in [Keep one writer for each stock count](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ecommerce/stock-and-reservations/one-stock-writer.md). Fake reviews are covered by [Never fake, buy or hide reviews](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ecommerce/promotions-and-claims/no-fake-reviews.md). ## Sources - [Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC, Annex I point 7](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2005/29/oj) - [FTC, Bringing Dark Patterns to Light](https://www.ftc.gov/reports/bringing-dark-patterns-light) ## Related rules - ECM-49 [Never make green claims you cannot prove](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ecommerce/promotions-and-claims/unproven-green-claims.md) in E-commerce and fulfilment - ECM-6 [Keep one writer for each stock count](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ecommerce/stock-and-reservations/one-stock-writer.md) in E-commerce and fulfilment - ECM-51 [Never fake, buy or hide reviews](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ecommerce/promotions-and-claims/no-fake-reviews.md) in E-commerce and fulfilment - UXD-4 [Never design a platform interface that deceives or manipulates](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design/no-manipulative-platform-design.md) in UX and deceptive design - UXD-8 [Track the EU Digital Fairness Act](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design/digital-fairness-act.md) in UX and deceptive design **For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `Agent Wranglers UX and deceptive design playbook`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link. - Next: [Never design a platform interface that deceives or manipulates](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design/no-manipulative-platform-design.md) - [Deceptive design](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ux-design/deceptive-design.md)