Consumers want booking costs in advertised price of travel
Consumers want online travel providers to include unavoidable booking fees in the advertised price, not add them during the booking process.
Research by the Consumer Association shows that 65% of the travel websites viewed do not include these costs in the advertised price. This is much to the chagrin of consumers, who complain that the price they are going for is much lower than the price they actually have to pay. The Consumers' Association calls on the sector to listen to their customers and to implement a more transparent and customer-friendly pricing policy.
Research by the Consumers' Association shows that many costs only become apparent during the booking process. The booking fee is the largest additional cost item. These vary from a few euros to 3 tens. Because the advertised prices are not 'all-in', comparing prices is impossible for consumers.
Bart Combée, director of the Consumer Association: 'Of course it is very irritating when a trip turns out not to be €500, but €650 because of all kinds of additional costs. We don't understand why the industry leaves the booking fee out of the offer price. If I pay for my groceries at the checkout in the supermarket, I also do not pay a surcharge for scanning by the cashier. Such costs should simply be included in the price. That's fine, because a quarter of the websites we examined do just that.'
Price annoyances
In April 2013, the Consumers' Association asked consumers about their biggest price annoyances. More than 60% found the unclear prices of travel providers the most annoying. Combée will discuss booking costs with the travel industry in the consumer program Kassa on Nederland 1 at 19:05 PM tonight.
Source: Consumer Association
In Germany this has been abolished for about 3 years. The final price to be paid must be stated in the offer/with the product. He who does not participate or thinks he can cheat is dragged before the Kadi. Severe punishments await the culprit.
In addition, the provider must show how the total amount was built up. So the Netherlands can now copy their neighbors. Pretty simple task then?
I am amazed every time I come across this story for the umpteenth time. This has been going on for at least two years if I'm not mistaken!? And every time people are indignant about it as if it concerns a novelty!. I think it should be clear that the travel companies don't care about their customers and just don't care...... to cooperate a little just because it brings in more money. A similar story plays out about the commercials that still blare out of your TV while so-called. agreements have been made that the sound level may not be louder than the regular sound level of the normal broadcast!. It should be clear that appointments are a joke and that the customer is still not king!
Ton van den Brink