Hotel booking sites agree to cooperate with CMA investigation
The investigation will determine whether OTAs are breaking consumer law
The majority of hotel booking sites have agreed to fully cooperate with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as it carries out an investigation about the ‘tactics’ the sites use to sell hotel rooms.
Trivago, Booking.com and Expedia are among the companies who will be looked into as the CMA determines whether the sites are misleading consumers and using ‘pressure tactics’, hotel ranking systems and hidden charges.
These practices could potentially be breaking consumer law.
In a statement, Trivago said it would “work with the CMA to explain the benefits it delivers to consumers”.
Expedia said: “We welcome further discussion with the CMA to review how platforms provide transparency to the market increasing competition between hotels and to increase consumer benefit.”
Booking.com did not comment on the investigation.
