OFT clears DFS over 'misleading price cuts' The Office of Fair Trading has cleared furniture retailer DFS over claims it exaggerated price cuts. The OFT said that DFS, which is owned by private equity group Advent, had committed to advertising the same price across its website and stores, and ensuring that "promotional" prices are not offered for a longer period than the standard price. However, the OFT is still investigating five other carpet and furniture retailers over their pricing practices, including Dreams, Carpetright, SCS Upholstery, Furniture Village, and Harveys and Benson Beds owner Steinhoff. The OFT has claimed stores regularly inflate prices and use deals such as "Was £800, Now Half Price" or "Now £400, After Event Price £800" to trick customers into thinking they are getting a bigger bargain than they actually are. It said that when monitoring the retailers, only 5pc of sales were ever made at the higher price referenced in adverts. Keith Baker, director of sales at DFS, said: "The announcement by the OFT confirms that the OFT is completely satisfied that DFS is in full compliance in relation to the issues that it was investigating, and has therefore closed its investigation into DFS. "We are pleased the OFT has publically welcomed DFS" existing and continual commitment to open and transparent pricing. To make our commitment to transparent pricing even more visible to our customers, we are publishing our current existing pricing practices both on our website and within our formal terms and conditions. So when a customer visits DFS they can be confident that all our prices will always be the same whether they are in any of our stores or online. In addition, we assure customers that no product will ever be on sale for longer than it is available at its normal price. At DFS a time limited offer, has always been just that.