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Why more than 10,000 European hoteliers are giving up against Booking
HOTELLERIE – The Hotels offensive. Booking.com, will face a collective legal action launched by more than 10,000 European hoteliers, reports The Guardian Thursday August 7. The goal: to obtain compensation for losses caused by the use of clauses ” best prices For twenty years.
These prohibited hotels from offering accommodation at lower prices on their own website, so that customers do not go directly to them after finding their reference on Booking.com.
It is the association of hotels, restaurants and cafes in Europe (Hotrec), representing the sector within the EU, which brought legal action. It is supported by more than 30 national hotel associations. According to The Guardianthis trial should be one of the largest ever brought in the European hotel sector. He will be processed by a Dutch court and coordinated by the Hotel Claims Alliance Foundation.
« Cunjust waves and excessive costs “
“More than 10,000 hotels have already joined the pan -European initiative aimed at claiming compensation for financial losses caused by the use by Booking.com of illegal clauses of“ best price ” “Said the Hotrec in a statement, quoted by the British media.
The complainants want to obtain compensation for damage suffered between 2004 and 2024. It was indeed on September 19, 2024 that the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a judgment which stipulates that the clause “Best price” is illegal. The Booking.com platform, based in Amsterdam, has removed these clauses in Europe in accordance with European law on digital markets.
“European hoteliers have long been suffering from unjust conditions and excessive costs. It’s time to unite and require repair ”said the president of the Hotrec, Alexandros Vassilikos, quoted by the Guardian and denouncing the “Abusive practices on the digital market” A Europe.
Declarations ” incorrect and misleading ” pour Booking
Booking.com qualified these declarations as“Incorrect and misleading” in a press release, adding that the platform had not received “Formal notification of a collective recourse”.
According to her, the cessation of the CJEU did not judge that the clauses of “Best price” de Booking.com were anti -competitive, but “Simply said that such clauses are the scope of EU competition law and that their effects must be assessed on a case -by -case basis”.
The company had defended itself by evoking its “Commitment to fair competition”where, she says, “The past parity clauses were used to promote competitive prices rather than restricting them”.