Deceptive guarantee of the best price, false certified reviews, false claims about certification or availability, mistakes between the prices promoted and those actually practiced... Some online booking platforms for hotels, restaurants or travel have commercial practices that do not comply with all consumer protection rules. This is the finding made by the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF). Here are his tips for booking in peace.
Hotel booking platforms are the main online booking channel in Europe. They allow you to search, compare and book hotels, restaurants or holiday destinations on the same site, benefiting from information, customer reviews and photos.
Practical tips
Compare offers Indeed, offers, prices and availability often vary from one platform to another. Also pay attention to the details of the offer offered: it may seem more attractive than another one while it does not include some fees (tourist tax, breakfast...).
Contact the hotel directly It may be useful to contact the hotel directly to see if it offers a better deal than the platforms. It is also an opportunity to clarify certain points (cancelation conditions, room with view, child's bed, breakfast...) and sometimes even to negotiate lower the price of the reservation.
Beware of certain indications that may encourage you to book in a hurry Some platforms feature alarmist statements such as
To seize, more than 1 bedroom
or
6 other people are currently watching this hotel
. Indeed, it is possible that the hotel has only allocated one room to the site but that it has other rooms available on all its sales channels. That's when it's useful to contact him directly.
Don't rely solely on customer feedback Guest reviews can be an indicator of a hotel's quality. However, the rating may be biased to encourage booking in one establishment rather than another. It is therefore advisable to consult several platforms to try to get a general view of the rating of an institution by clients.
Make sure you make your reservation by communicating the correct information Before validating, check the accuracy of the identity elements (surname, first name, email, etc.) that you communicate and keep the booking and payment validation emails.
