"Beware of 'Dark Patterns' in Price Displays on Global Accommodation Platforms"

Frequent Damages Under Non-Refundable Cancellation Conditions

The Korea Consumer Agency conducted an investigation on five global accommodation platforms and found numerous cases of 'dark patterns' that lure consumers by displaying only partial prices, urging caution.

According to the Consumer Agency on the 10th, there were 9,093 international transaction consumer consultations related to accommodation received by the International Consumer Portal and the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center from 2019 to last year, with the most common complaint being 'cancellation/refund delays and refusals' (5,814 cases, 69.3%).

Among all consultations, complaints related to global accommodation platforms accounted for 64.3% (5,844 cases), and among these, consultations related to the top five companies with frequent consumer complaints under investigation accounted for as much as 96.7% (5,649 cases).

When the Consumer Agency investigated the price display status of the five companies under investigation, it was revealed that four companies displayed only the amount excluding taxes and fees on the first booking page or showed additional charges or the final payment amount in small print.

Looking at each company, Agoda displayed only part of the amount excluding taxes and fees on the first page. Booking.com displayed amounts excluding additional charges depending on the product and noted 'taxes and other fees' in small print below. Hotels.com and Expedia prominently displayed amounts excluding taxes and fees and noted the final payment amount in small print below.

The Consumer Agency pointed out that when the final payment price is not clearly displayed from the start, consumers may mistakenly perceive the price excluding taxes and fees as a discounted price, which can be seen as a so-called deceptive sales tactic known as a 'dark pattern.'

When the Consumer Agency examined the transaction conditions related to reservation cancellations and changes, it was found that all five operators prioritized the conditions set by the accommodation providers. However, some accommodations specified in their transaction conditions that refunds are not possible upon cancellation, raising concerns that consumers might not receive refunds regardless of the cancellation timing, the Consumer Agency explained.

Based on the results of this investigation, the Consumer Agency plans to recommend accommodation platform operators to ▲ improve price display so that the final payment amount can be confirmed from the first booking page ▲ improve transaction conditions by reflecting domestic consumer protection regulations such as the 'Electronic Commerce Act' and the 'Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions' ▲ and establish domestic branches with dispute resolution authority to effectively resolve consumer complaints.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.