HOTEL booking websites are under investigation after fears they could be misleading customers when it comes to getting the best deal.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into some of the top hotel booking websites to see if they are breaking the law when it comes to their selling their products.
According to the gov.uk website, they are “concerned about the clarity, accuracy and presentation of information on sites, which could mislead people, stop them finding the best deal and potentially break consumer law.”
Many Britons could be forking out more money than if they were to go to the holiday firms themselves.
The CMA will investigate such incidents such as website claims stating “3 rooms left”, which could not only be false regarding room availability but also “rush customers” into booking.
They are also to look into hidden fees including taxes and booking charges to see if they are obvious to the consumer.
Even the search results could be affected, with some hotels coming up higher depending on the amount of commission paid.
If any hotel booking sites are found to fall foul of the issues, they could be breaking the law and the CMA will then take action against them.
Which? Travel previously investigated the problem, in a September 2016 investigation looking into the same issues.
Looking into three of the biggest sites, Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com, they found that many offered “discounts” that were inaccurately priced and confusing for consumers.
When contacted, Hotels.com offered no explanation to their sale prices, despite by law it having to be “a reduction from an original price that’s been displayed for a substantial period of time.”
Booking.com offered an explanation, stating that the higher price on the website could have been “an earlier, more popular date such as a weekend.”
However, the three websites did state they would look into changing it to make it more understandable when Which? contacted them with the claims in August 2016.
Alex Neil, Which? managing director of home products and services said: “When shopping around to book a hotel, it’s vital that consumers are confident that they can find the best deal for them.
“We found evidence of booking sites using pressure-selling tactics and making claims about discount deals that don’t add up.
“If the CMA finds breaches of consumer law, they should take enforcement action against those sites.”
It isn’t the only risk when booking a hotel through a discount website.
