A RECENT study conducted by the
European Commission and EU
consumer protection authorities,
found that 235 of the 352 booking
websites screened (two-thirds) had
prices that were unreliable.
In just over 32% of the cases, the
price first shown was not the same
as the final price. Almost 21% of
the sites had promotional offers
that were not really available and on
30% of sites, the total price or the
way it was calculated, was not clear;
25% of the websites didn’t specify
that statements about scarcity (e.g.
only two left) applied strictly to the
website and not the supplier.
A similar screening doesn’t
appear to take place in South Africa
and the Advertising Standards
Authority only investigates when
a complaint is lodged, leaving the
SA market vulnerable to fraudulent
offers. Ramesh Jeenarain, md of
World Leisure Holidays, says the
company was made aware
of a special on a site for a
seven-night, all-inclusive stay
at La Pirogue Resort and
Spa in Mauritius for R9 900
per person, including flights
and taxes. “Despite World
Leisure Holidays having
exclusive selling rights to La
Pirogue in SA, if you remove
the airport taxes alone, the
price comes to R6 100,” he
says, adding that this would
be a price 12 times cheaper
than legitimate offers.
Ramesh says they
approached the agency
offering the deal and have
since been on a wild goose
chase. TNW is currently
assisting in investigating
this case and will report the
outcome in a later issue.
He says sites like this can
be damaging to the trade.
“People think they’re booking
with a reputable supplier
and only on travel dates do
they realise they’ve been
duped.”
Irene Ferreira, corporate
travel director at Reynolds
Travel Centre, says they had
to assist a client who used
an online site to book a
trip to Germany. On arrival,
the client discovered the
accommodation was not
booked, confirmed or
paid for.
Irene and Ramesh both
agree that South Africans
are less trusting of booking
online than Europeans.
“SA travellers prefer to use
reputable booking sites or
an agent. We have clients
who compare our quotes
to online sites and, where
possible, we try to match;
99% of the time we get the
booking,” says Irene.
“I only deal with websites
I know to be authentic,”
says Tony King, senior
travel adviser at GoTravel.
co.za. Irene says she uses
booking sites like Expedia or
Booking.com for comparative
reasons. “If more cost
effective, we book on that
site and then charge a
service fee.”
Asata ceo, Otto de Vries,
says Asata is investigating
the feasibility of selfregulation
for the travel
sector and this is an area
that would be considered
so the end customer is
protected.
