Fraud probe into web hotel bookings

INTERNET GIANTS EXPEDIA, HOTELS.COM AND TRIPADVISOR ACCUSED OF FAKING DETAILS ON AVAILABILITY, STAR-RATING AND PRICES THREE internet hotel booking sites are to be investigated by fraud squad

detectives after being accused of wilfully misleading customers on the availability, promotions and facilities of hotels. Tourism secretary Frédéric Lefebvre has called on the Direction

Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des fraudes (DGCCRF) to halt such practices on the sites Expedia, TripAdvisor and Hotels.com The three sites are owned by

Expedia, a former Microsoft start-up, and Mr Lefebvre asked the DGCCRF to investigate them in January. He has accused them of conduct prejudicial to both consumer and hotelier. Investigators

have said they have evidence of hotels being classed as “full” when they still had rooms, prices claimed to be promotional when they were normal rates, hotels classed above their real

rating; four-star instead of three-star, and hotel phone numbers being inaccurate. They also had screen-grabs showing that after hotels were flagged as being “full” customers were being

directed to another hotel which had a financial link with the internet site. French hotels association Synhorcat has already started legal action against the three sites and Mr Lefebvre has

linked the DGCCRF investigation to its court case. A hearing has been set at the Tribunal de Commerce de Paris for July 6. DGCCRF agents are continuing investigations into claims of false

advice to travellers and the contracts between the sites and the hoteliers.