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| Hospitality Today | Summer 2018
Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said:
“ Booking sites can make it so much easier to choose your holiday, but only if people are able to trust them. Holidaymakers must feel sure they’ re getting the deal they expected, whether that’ s securing the discount promised or receiving reliable information about availability of rooms. It’ s also important that no one feels pressured by misleading statements into making a booking.
“ That’ s why we’ re now demanding that sites think again about how they’ re presenting information to their customers and make sure they’ re complying with the law. Our next step is to take any necessary action – including through the courts if needed – to ensure people get a fair deal.”
The CMA’ s investigation was launched in October, and covers concerns raised by the Bed & Breakfast Association to the CMA last July and in a meeting with CMA officials in September. Those concerns were featured in Hospitality Today’ s Summer 2017 issue(“ OTAs: an‘ abusive relationship’, or‘ the hand that feeds’?”, p18-21).
A B & B Association spokesman commented:“ The Bed & Breakfast Association are absolutely delighted that the UK competition regulator, the CMA, has today announced‘ enforcement action’ against Online Travel Agencies( OTAs) that it believes are breaking consumer protection law. The areas covered are those we raised in our five formal complaints to the CMA last July- i. e. false‘ discounts’, false availability claims and
Above: how the Daily Mail covered the issue( 4 July’ 18)
other‘ pressure selling’ techniques, manipulated search rankings influenced by payments to the OTAs, and false‘ Best Price’ guarantees. The CMA’ s very welcome action will help move the balance of power a little from these global tech giants – who are after all only intermediaries- back towards the small businesses that actually own the accommodation booked, and provide the hospitality.”
Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UK Hospitality, which represents the major hotel groups, welcomed the CMA’ s announcement saying it would bring‘ reassurance’ for customers.“ The CMA clearly intends to ensure that online booking sites are transparent and accurate, and that customers have complete peace of mind when booking,” she told the BBC.