Price-free Holidays & D trips are always open to criticism and suggestions for improvement, but the way in which the Consumers’ Association (wrongly) focuses time and again on Price-free Holidays & D travel, seems to be more intended to create the necessary attention than to actually serve the interests of the consumer.
With these words, Prijsvrij Vakanties/D-reizen responds to the press release sent out by the Consumers’ Association on Tuesday.
Prijsvrij/D-reizen openly questions the independence of investigations carried out for the Consumers’ Association.
On the one hand, the press release of the Consumers’ Association gives a compliment, with the remark that most major travel providers now advertise trips that can actually be booked for the offer price.
On the other hand, the union says that a sample shows that the offer price is still almost never correct at D-reizen and Prijsvrij. Reaction That is a sore point for Prijsvrij/D-reizen. In a response, the travel organization says: “At Prijsvrij Vakanties & D-reizen, the consumer always books the most up-to-date offer at the most competitive market price at that time. The fact that Prijsvrij Vakanties & D-reizen always use the most up-to-date prices is appreciated by consumers with a 60% growth in 2023 and we expect a substantial growth of more than 40% this year as well.’ ‘On 21 June 2024, in response to two complaints submitted by the Consumers’ Association, the Advertising Code Foundation ruled (despite various attempts by the Consumers’ Association to convince the Advertising Code Committee) that Price-free Holidays & D trips act fully in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations and are therefore ‘compliant’.” According to Prijsvrij/D-reizen, the European Commission has also recognized that (cache) prices quickly become obsolete. The travel company cites the updated Guidelines of the European Commission (December 2021): ‘The prices of flights or hotel rooms can change very quickly. For example, when a consumer searches for a plane ticket on an online travel agency’s platform, the price may change between the time the consumer starts searching for a ticket and the time they decide to make a purchase. If such price changes are really the result of the dynamic nature of the market and are therefore beyond the control of the Online Travel Agency, they will affect the ability of the Online Travel Agency to ensure that the advertised price is completely correct at all times. The obligation of professional diligence under Article 5(2) UCPD shows that traders who are aware of the likelihood of sudden price changes must make this clear to consumers when advertising prices.’ Price-free Holidays & D Trips also fully comply with these Guidelines, the company says in its response. ‘Although the journalist involved from the Consumers’ Association continues to focus exclusively on Price-Free Holidays & D travel, it has recently become apparent that almost all parties in the industry still have price changes.’ Prijsvrij/D-reizen calls it ‘remarkable’ that the Consumers’ Association presents it as a ‘victory’ that, for example, The Travel Club no longer shows prices at all after pressure from the Consumers’ Association. ‘Before being able to compare prices, the consumer must first contact The Travel Club. This is a development that does not benefit price transparency for consumers at all.’ Attention The way in which the Consumers’ Association is now wrongly targeting Price-Free Holidays & D Travel time and time again seems to be more motivated by the Consumers’ Association’s desire to regularly create the necessary attention than that the interests of the consumer are actually served here, says the travel company. ‘The fact that the Consumers’ Association takes into account statements that, as later established by the NVWA, later turn out to be incorrect, has recently become clear as a result of the reports about Naïf sun protection.’ Over the past year and a half, Prijsvrij Vakanties & D-reizen, the ANVR and many industry peers have had regular consultations with ACM. ‘In April of this year, ACM noted that the price of Price-Free Holidays decreases in six out of eight cases. In the case of D-reizen, the price decreases in more than half of the cases, ACM concluded with us’, says the travel company. ‘The Consumers’ Association (deliberately) leaves that unmentioned. By failing to mention that prices are falling in the vast majority of cases and wrongly stating that there are ‘baits’, the Consumers’ Association ignores the real situation. The underlying reasons can only be guessed at. We have previously expressed our concerns about the fact that the journalist in question is also hired as a freelancer for assignments by various parties in the travel industry. For example, he offers trips to Crete (which are not available). In that context, you can question the independence of investigations carried out for the Consumers’ Association. Price-free Holidays & D Travel will continue to make every effort to offer consumers a trip at the best price.” (Photo Shutterstock).
