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An investigation by Which? has raised serious concerns over pricing on major accommodation booking sites, uncovering disparities between the rates offered for mobile bookings and those on other devices, such as laptops.
The consumer group conducted a snapshot analysis on the validity of “mobile exclusive” deals on prominent platforms, including Expedia, Hotels.com and Booking.com.
The results indicate potentially misleading offers on Expedia and Hotels.com, prompting Which? to alert regulatory bodies.
The investigation found that while many booking sites advertise discounts for those using their mobile, these offers are not always as advantageous as they appear.
On Booking.com, all “mobile exclusive” offers scrutinised were confirmed to be legitimate. However, Which? discovered that 50 per cent of the deals advertised in the same manner on Hotels.com were identical in price when checked on a laptop.
Furthermore, analysis on Expedia revealed that one offer was actually more expensive on a mobile device than on a laptop, despite being marketed as a discounted mobile rate. In this instance, a two-night stay in Athens was £15 cheaper when booked on a laptop.
Some some mobile deals were found to overstate the savings. For example, Hotels.com advertised a “40 per cent off mobile exclusive” deal for a two-night stay at the Ocean Drive Hotel in Seville, Spain, with the original price marked down from £392 to £235. Although this reflected a 40 per cent discount off the initial listing, Which? found that booking the same deal on a laptop gave a price of £274, offering only a 14 per cent saving compared to the alleged mobile discount.
The findings also revealed that booking directly with the hotel would have been £13 cheaper, accompanied by additional perks like an upgrade or complimentary breakfast.
Another concerning trend emerged as researchers noted frequent prompts to download booking apps while browsing these sites on mobile browsers. The apps often promised further discounts, but Which?’s checks revealed no instances where prices on apps were cheaper than those accessed through standard mobile browsers.
Hotels.com enticed users with pop-up messages promising “up to 20 per cent off select hotels” via their app, yet failed to deliver these purported savings.
“Many of us will use a laptop to make big purchases like a holiday, but we could unwittingly be missing out on significant savings offered by ‘mobile exclusive’ prices,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel.
“Next time you’re looking for accommodation, take five minutes to cross-check the prices on both your mobile and laptop to see if there is a cheaper price, and always call the property directly as this is often the best way to get the cheapest rate.
“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 deals offered by Expedia and Hotels.com could be misleading consumers – and we’re raising our concerns with the Advertising Standards Agency and the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA).”
Which? is urging the CMA investigate Expedia and Hotels.com for potentially misleading discount practices, it said.
An Expedia spokesperson said that they “always aims to provide competitive rates and bring value to our customers”, adding “we are looking into the points raised by Which? and look forward to further discussions on the matter.”
A spokesperson for Booking.com said: “The increased use of mobile is a consumer trend that has been recognised by our accommodation partners, which is why some, not all, offer mobile rates as a way to appeal to prospective customers to book rooms at their properties.
“However, it is important to note that savings are not limited to mobile, currently available on mobile and desktop are our ‘Getaway Deals’, which offer many discounts and lower prices throughout the year – which might not be picked-up in a random spot check.”
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