Hopes for fun in the sun

While we’re still shivering or being blown around by what’s left of Storm Eric, it’s not surprising that we long for a little summer sun.

However, the uncertainty around Brexit is hitting holiday sales, which is probably why deals to popular spots like Greece and Spain are cheaper than last year. So always remember to check the small print if you do book to discover what might happen if there’s a no deal with Europe.

Some more positive holiday news has seen the Competitions Market Authority (CMA) finally clamp down on online hotel booking sites such as Expedia, Booking. com, Agoda, Hotels.com, eBookers and Trivago, who have been investigated over high pressure sales tactics and misleading discount claims.

Here at Which? we’ve repeatedly shown how some sites use dodgy tactics like sneaky charges, and queried the sales tactics around information boxes which flash up suggesting lots of people are looking at the same deal as you to put pressure on you to book immediately. So it’s absolutely right that the CMA is taking strong action.

The CMA said the sites were making rooms seem more popular than they were and from now they will have to say if commis- sions they receive affect the results. They will also have to be clearer with discount claims and hidden charges.

And in further good news the rest of the sector will be pressed to follow the same rules as the six companies investigated.

So no longer will they be able to give a false impression of a hotel’s popularity to rush customers into making a booking. It should be made very clear that if other people are looking at the same hotel, they are searching for different dates.

The practice of sites placing sold-out hotels within search results to put pressure on people to book more quickly will also stop.

Of course not all of the six companies had fallen foul of all the bad practices investigated, and there are some good bargains to be had, but people need to be able to believe what they’re being told.

These changes must now be swiftly implemented to stop these misleading practices, so customers can trust the deals they’re presented with are really deals and get the total cost of their room upfront when booking a hotel online.

Remember to send me your consumer questions and complaints at askalex@ which.co.uk