Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alerts consumers about deceptive online hotel booking sites, which trick consumers into thinking they are booking directly with the hotel. The agency posted two blogs about these deceptive practices, warning consumers of this growing problem and offering advice on how to avoid scams.
WASHINGTON – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee lodging industry, welcomed action by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alerting consumers about deceptive online hotel booking sites, which trick consumers into thinking they are booking directly with the hotel. The agency posted two blogs (http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/did-you-book-night-hotels-site and https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2015/07/business-travelers-check-it-out-you-check) about these deceptive practices, warning consumers of this growing problem and offering advice on how to avoid scams.
“AH&LA applauds the recent actions by the FTC to warn consumers about rogue online booking websites that are deliberately deceiving consumers by posing as the hotel’s direct booking site, a scam which affects more than 2.5 million bookings a year,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of AH&LA. “These scams leave consumers out in the cold, causing them to not get what they wanted or paid for, and leaving them to deal with everything from additional room charges, cancellation fees or service charges and accessibility problems.
“It’s clear the FTC recognizes that consumers are indeed being harmed by these rogue sites. The FTC’s actions further validate our concerns and we remain optimistic that the regulators will crack down on rogue online booking sites.”
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