Latest news with #BertHeikens
LeMonde
29-06-2025
- Business
- LeMonde
Dutch consumers wage war against Booking.com
Times are tough for the pioneering Dutch company in online accommodation booking. Its practices have already been condemned by European courts, as well as in Spain, Germany and Hungary. Now, faces a mass legal complaint from the Dutch consumer association Consumentenbond (CCC). Since the announcement on Thursday, June 26, The CCC's switchboard has been inundated with calls and its website has been difficult to access. The association says it will represent anyone (even if they are not Dutch) who booked rooms and accommodation through the platform since 2013 and who, according to the organization, have been duped into paying excessive rates. The organizers of the lawsuit estimate that the amounts involved could reach €1 billion. "We have done research and it shows that has been violating competition rules and consumer law," explained CCC president Bert Heikens. According to Heikens, customers who made reservations through the American company Expedia or Agoda – based in Singapore and acquired by in 2007 – are also being asked to come forward. The same applies to customers who were forced by hotels to apply overpriced rates through
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dutch consumer groups prepare legal action against Booking.com, alleging inflated hotel prices
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Two Dutch consumer groups said on Wednesday they are seeking affected customers for a legal claim against one of the world's largest online travel agencies, over what they described as inflated hotel prices since 2013. The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation (CCC) and the Consumers' Association said in a statement that had allegedly been charging consumers too much for hotel rooms for years, leading to "hundreds of millions of euros in damage to Dutch consumers". "We have done research and it shows that Booking has been violating competition rules and consumer law since January 2013," CCC Chairman Bert Heikens said. did not respond immediately to a request for comment. In 2024, the EU's top court ruled that restrictions against hotels offering lower rates on their websites or on rival sites were unnecessary and could reduce competition, but also that such clauses were not anti-competitive under EU laws.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dutch consumer groups prepare legal action against Booking.com, alleging inflated hotel prices
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Two Dutch consumer groups said on Wednesday they are seeking affected customers for a legal claim against one of the world's largest online travel agencies, over what they described as inflated hotel prices since 2013. The Consumer Competition Claims Foundation (CCC) and the Consumers' Association said in a statement that had allegedly been charging consumers too much for hotel rooms for years, leading to "hundreds of millions of euros in damage to Dutch consumers". "We have done research and it shows that Booking has been violating competition rules and consumer law since January 2013," CCC Chairman Bert Heikens said. did not respond immediately to a request for comment. In 2024, the EU's top court ruled that restrictions against hotels offering lower rates on their websites or on rival sites were unnecessary and could reduce competition, but also that such clauses were not anti-competitive under EU laws. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
