Which? is concerned about potentially “misleading” pricing practices by Expedia and Hotels.com, which have been reported to both the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK.
The consumer protection agency claimed that its latest investigation into ‘mobile-only’ accommodation offers found differences between bookings for laptops and mobile phones.
OTAs were among those facing action by the CMA for misleading rebate claims in 2019.
Which; has expressed its concerns as its latest investigation found that “potentially misleading” discounting tactics may still be in place.
It also claimed that the cases it found may be in breach of regulations to protect consumers from unfair trading.
“Although some of the offers we identified were potentially misleading, we nevertheless found that savings can sometimes be achieved by booking via mobile,” Which? said.
Neither company responded to Which?’s requests for comment.
Which? travel editor Rory Boland said: “Many of us will use a laptop to make big purchases, such as holidays, but we could inadvertently miss out on significant savings offered by ‘exclusive mobile prices’.”
He urged consumers, the next time they look for accommodation, to take five minutes to cross-check prices, both on their mobile phones and laptops, to see if there is a cheaper price. And he advised them to always call the accommodation directly, as this is often the best way to get the cheapest price.
Mr Boland believes it is unfair that millions of people are unknowingly forced to pay higher prices for hotel rooms simply because they use a laptop.
“We are also concerned that some of the so-called offers provided by Expedia and Hotels.com may be misleading consumers – and we are raising our concerns with the Advertising Standards Agency and the Competition and Markets Authority,” added the Which? travel editor.
