The OTA excluded tourist taxes and surcharges from its listed prices and misleadingly claimed that hotel rooms were almost sold out
May 28, 2024
Booking.com and Agoda.com are being investigated by the Dutch consumer watchdog ACM for allegedly misleading customers about costs and discounts. “These are deliberate tactics to make consumers believe they have found a good deal and need to decide quickly,” said Sandra Molenaar of the Consumentenbond.
Key takeaways
- Booking.com was previously reprimanded by the European Commission and national regulators, including the ACM, four years ago for using manipulative practices and fake discounts to attract customers;
- The ACM said it would investigate the Consumentenbond’s latest claims and could impose fines if it found Booking.com had broken the rules. “We see this as a serious indication and will look at it critically,” a spokesman said.
Source: DutchNews.nl
