Seems as though Australia’s Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) was on the right track when it accused Trivago of misleading Aussie travellers.
Trivago admitted last week in an online statement that its search rankings and strike-through displays may have mislead Australian travellers into believing that it was comparing rooms in the same category.
However, according to the ACCC, which commenced an investigation into the site’s ads earlier this year, Trivago was prioritising advertisers who were paying the highest cost per click fee.
“By displaying the strike-through price next to the top position offer in the form it was displayed either on its own or in conjunction with the percentage savings box,” the statement read.
“Trivago may have caused some consumers to form an erroneous belief that the top position offer and the strike-through price were offers for rooms in the same room category.”
Trivago
Since the confession, the comparison site has updated its website to say that its hotels are ranked by “compensation paid by the booking site”, Travel Pulse reported.
Although more accurate, the new notice does not quash the ACCC’s lawsuit against website, which is due back in court on 14 December 2018 and could see owners paying up to $10 million in fines.
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- READ: Dick Smith prompts ACCC to investigate online travel