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Disney hotel booking firm rapped by advertising watchdogs
A company selling accommodation at Disneyland Paris has been rapped by advertising watchdogs for misleading customers after it admitted that offers featured on its website might not be accurate.
A customer complained to the Advertising Standards Authority after booking a four-night trip to the Hotel Cheyenne, which was advertising with free half-board, via www.eurodisneydirect.com. They were later told by email that the free half-board offer was no longer available.
Essex-based Clippers Quay Travel, which trades as Euro Disney Direct, told the ASA that customers were told at the final booking form stage to confirm they had read the sales conditions, which made it clear there might be errors on the website.
It said offers were linked to live availability, which were ever changing and considered that the website clearly conveyed that to customers in the terms and conditions.
It said the ‘provisional online order’ was received by reservation staff following the complainant’s booking, and it immediately contacted the complainant to explain it could not fulfill the ‘provisional’ order.
It offered alternatives, such as adding on the half-board meal plan, accepting an alternative hotel where the free half-board offer was available or cancelling the online booking order.
In upholding the complaint, the ASA said: "We considered that the provisional nature of the booking and availability was significant information which should be made clear from the outset of the booking process.
"We did not consider it was sufficient to set out that information in a separate link or in the terms and conditions.
"Because we considered that the ad did not make sufficiently clear that availability of the advertised offer was limited or that bookings were provisional until consumers had received a follow-up confirmation e-mail, we concluded that the ad was misleading."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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