Bed & Breakfast News Issue #45 Summer 2017 | Page 13

Below: a screenshot of default search results on Booking.com for a room in Bath on the 12th September 2017 for one night [Search made on 25th July 2017, at 09.39.] Visit our website: | bandbnews.co.uk | 13 Default ranking is NOT by price or quality or closeness to citycentre – it is to maximize revenue for Booking.com; other accommodation is available but is NOT listed here because Booking.com would not earn commission on it. Fake discount * Fake discount* Urgency Fake discount* Fake discount: refers to price in a 30 day window* False: there are actually five rooms left Promoting free cancellation * FAKE DISCOUNTS: Encouraging later cancellation The above discounts are fake, as Booking.com admits in this block of smallprint that only appears if you ‘hover’ your cursor over the tiny ‘?’ next to the prominent ‘-41% TODAY’ flash. The higher price applies at some other day within a 30 day period - eg Booking.com would show the price for Sunday 8th January as a ‘discount’ based on the hotel’s New Year’s Eve or Christmas Day price.