Travelplanet.pl fined by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. The fine is approximately PLN 650,000. zloty
The antitrust office explained in a statement that Travelplanet.pl is a travel agent selling trips to tour operators, among others. via the website. “The tour price information that appeared in the search results, misled consumers, because after entering the details of the trip, the price turned out to be different,” the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection said.
For violating the collective interests of consumers, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection nimposed a fine on Travelplanet.pl in the amount of PLN 647,000. PLN and ordered the company to change its practice. The entrepreneur will also have to inform about the decision on his website and social media profiles. The decision is not final, it may be appealed to the court.
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The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection reported that during three weeks of one of the examined periods, out of 100 verified trips, in 47 cases the price visible in the offer details was on average PLN 329 per person higher than in the search results. “The biggest difference then concerned the trip to Dubai and amounted to as much as PLN 4,730. The price per person presented in the search results was PLN 4,293, while in the trip details it was PLN 9,023,” the Office reported.
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He also pointed out that prices, in some cases, did not include mandatory contributions to the tourist guarantee fund, although the company changed this practice during the proceedings and now the prices include premiums.
This is why the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection decided on the penalty
“The operation of Travelplanet.pl led to consumers being misled as to the price of a tourist event. They may have had difficulty in reliably comparing offers or even in finding trips that actually interested them,” the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection said.
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The President of the Office, Tomasz Chróstny, quoted in the announcement, emphasized that price is one of the most important pieces of informationthat guide consumers when choosing goods and services. “Presenting current and complete prices on websites and search engines, without the need for consumers to verify them, is one of the basic obligations of an entrepreneur,” he said.
