How do I fix “Countdown restarts for every new visitor”?

Remove session-based or “evergreen” countdowns. Only count down to a real deadline that is the same for every visitor, and end the offer when it runs out. Re-scan: a second visitor should see the same end time.

Fake countdown timers: are resetting timers legal?

Countdown restarts for every new visitor

Short answer: No. In the EU, falsely claiming an offer is available only for a very limited time is banned outright (Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Annex I point 7), and a timer that restarts for each new visitor is proof the deadline isn’t real. When EU authorities screened 399 online shops in 2023, 42 used fake countdown timers.

Pressure tactics · High riskLast reviewed 27 September 2026Automated checks and general information, not legal advice.

Is a countdown timer that resets for each visitor legal?

We loaded the page twice as two different first-time visitors. The countdown started again, so the deadline it shows isn’t real.

Claiming an offer is only available for a very limited time when it isn’t is banned outright in the EU. A timer that restarts for each new visitor is clear evidence the deadline is invented.

Check it yourself in two minutes

Open the page with the timer in a private window and note the time left.
Wait a minute, then open the same page in a new private window.
If the second window shows more time left than the first, the timer restarts per visitor.

How to fix it

Remove session-based or “evergreen” countdowns.
Only count down to a real deadline that is the same for every visitor, and end the offer when it runs out.
Re-scan: a second visitor should see the same end time.

How untick detects it

We read a live countdown as one first-time visitor, then again as a second first-time visitor at least 20 seconds later. If the end time moved later instead of staying put, the timer restarts per visitor, and the report shows both readings.

Every finding comes with screenshots, the evidence we collected and a fix for your setup. How a scan works.

Questions people ask

Are countdown timers always illegal?

No. A timer counting down to a real deadline that is the same for everyone, after which the offer really ends, is fine.

What about “evergreen” funnels that give each lead a personal deadline?

If each person really gets a deadline that is enforced, and the offer doesn’t come back for them, the claim can be true. If the offer is always available, the deadline is false.

Can untick be wrong about a timer?

If a page shows a genuinely personal deadline that is enforced, a restart for a new visitor is expected; the evidence shows both readings so you can explain it. Timers we can’t read, like “Ends Friday”, are never judged.