Preselection and defaults
Annual plan active by default
A fictional streaming service opens with the annual plan selected and highlights a monthly-equivalent figure while the payable annual total is smaller.
Individual HTML example · Interface interference
Paid protection preselected in basket
A fictional retailer preselects a €12 protection plan and includes it in the total before the shopper has made a distinct choice.
This is an original fictional comparison. It depicts no real company and is not a legal finding or safe harbour.
Paid protection preselected in basket
A fictional retailer preselects a €12 protection plan and includes it in the total before the shopper has made a distinct choice.
Order total · €211. A €12 protection plan is already active in the basket.. Protection included. Add protection for €12
Order total · €199. Protection is optional, unselected and priced beside its control.. Amount affected: €12: Add protection for €12. Add protection for €12. Protection included. Payable total and selected items, expanded: The summary shows the line items and total before “Add protection for €12” is activated.
Why the first version can mislead: The presentation changes what the user can notice or predict at the checkout decision. The problematic state shows: “A €12 protection plan is already active in the basket.” Its influence should be tested by comparing the consequence and usability of “Protection included” with “Add protection for €12”. The shopper may pay for an add-on through inattention rather than active agreement.
What a fairer design does: Leave paid extras unselected, describe their price and require a deliberate choice before adding them.
Show annotated differences (2)
Potentially problematic version
- Add protection for €12In “Paid protection preselected in basket”, this element shows how preselection or bad default can shape the decision.
Neutral alternative
- Payable total and selected items, expanded: The summary shows the line items and total before “Add protection for €12” is activated.In “Paid protection preselected in basket”, this element keeps the clearer alternative visible at the same decision point.
Review questions (3)
- Do “Protection included” and “Add protection for €12” receive comparable prominence and explain their consequences before activation?
- Compare the basket before and after the action, including total and line items; does the mutation satisfy “The state is selected at first relevant presentation”?
- What neutral rendering or comprehension result would falsify the classification, particularly in light of “Consumer-protective or neutral default”?
Complete pattern context
How this example relates to Preselection and defaults
A business-favoured option with a plausible adverse consequence is active before a deliberate user choice. The label describes a recurring design mechanism; whether a particular implementation is harmful or unlawful depends on the complete journey, audience, evidence and rules within scope.
The full guide explains inclusion and exclusion criteria, harms, fair design principles, evidence questions and the relevant EU legal information layers. The example page isolates one scenario so it can be shared and discussed without reproducing the complete library on one page.
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Support and migration locked into one plan
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Sources and provenance for this example
Evidence base
Sources
- Dark commercial patternsOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development · Secondary · checked 2026-09-14 · OECD Digital Economy Papers No. 336
- Unfair Commercial Practices DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2005/29/EC; CELEX 02005L0029-20220528
- Consumer Rights DirectiveEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Directive 2011/83/EU; CELEX 02011L0083-20220528
- General Data Protection RegulationEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Regulation (EU) 2016/679; CELEX 32016R0679
- Digital Services ActEuropean Parliament and Council of the European Union · Primary · checked 2026-08-09 · Regulation (EU) 2022/2065; CELEX 32022R2065