They don’t give the unbiased choice and transparent information consumers think they are getting, and they certainly don’t act as agent of the accommodation owner.”įollowing the latest complaint, Weston insisted: “We will continue to press for action.
#B ASSOCIATION WEB SERIES#
The B&B Association made a series of complaints about Booking to the CMA and to the European Commission in July 2017.Īt the time, Weston described the relationship of the big online travel agents (OTAs) with accommodation providers as “verging on the abusive”. Weston argued: “Changing the terms of business so drastically in such a high-handed way is a demonstration of Booking’s dominant power and of Booking’s attitude to those it calls ‘partners’.” He wrote: “This so-called ‘simplification’ will hugely reduce the amount of control business owners have over their bookings, their financial risk and their cash flow.”ī has said the terms will change from April 6. Writing for this morning’s Travel Weekly Business:am, Weston noted: “This is relevant to the CMA’s ongoing monitoring of the market in respect of ‘ price parity’ restrictions imposed by OTAs on hotels and B&Bs, and on ‘brandjacking’ where an OTA forces agreement from hoteliers to the OTA bidding on the hotel’s own name on search engines.” He warned of “huge disruption” to the way many businesses operate and said it would result in cases of “increased deposits for consumers”. The complaint follows Booking’s announcement last week of changes to the terms on which accommodation businesses, including B&B Association members, trade via the platform.īooking informed accommodation providers of a “simplification” of its policies on deposit payments and cancellation fees, slashing the permitted policy options from 600 to about 70, according to the Association.ĭavid Weston, chairman of the B&B Association called it “a bombshell”, arguing it demonstrates “Booking’s dominant power in our industry”. The UK Bed & Breakfast Association has made a fresh complaint of anti-competitive behaviour and unfair business practice against online giant to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The below story was updated on Wednesday February 10 with a comment from
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