Dutch consumer groups prepare legal action against Booking.com, alleging inflated hotel prices

AMSTERDAM, June 26 (Reuters) - Two Dutch consumer groups said on Wednesday they are seeking affected customers for a legal claim against Booking.com BKNG.O, 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 Booking.com 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.

A spokesperson for Booking.com said the company had "always been committed to providing travellers with the best possible prices and a transparent booking experience" and that it rejected any claims to the contrary.

In 2024, the EU's top court ruled that Booking.com's 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.