The Italian Antitrust Authority said Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into Booking.com for alleged unfair commercial practices.

 It said the probe regards the platform's "Preferred Partner" and "Preferred Plus" programmes.

  "Booking.com seems to offer accommodation providers belonging to the Preferred Partner Programme (and its premium tier Preferred Plus) greater visibility in search results within the platform, increased graphic prominence, and claims highlighting service quality and value for money," the authority said.
    "This is despite the fact that the eligibility criteria for those programmes do not appear to justify the advantages afforded to those providers.
    "In the Authority's view, selection for the Preferred Partner Programme appears to be driven largely by criteria that favour accommodation providers paying higher commissions to Booking.com, rather than by the quality of what they offer.
    "As a result, the way those providers are presented, together with claims by Booking.com highlighting their quality, may mislead consumers into believing that, all else being equal, they offer better overall value for money than providers not in the programme.
    "This could even lead consumers to book accommodation that is, on average, more expensive".
    The authority said inspections at the premises of Booking.com (Italia) S.r.l. were carried out on Tuesday by the authority's officials and the finance police in relation to the probe.
    Consumers' association Codacons welcomed the Antitrust's investigation.
    "People who use hotel booking platforms like Booking.com have the right to maximum transparency, because the results and information offered by these sites can influence consumers' financial decisions," said Codacons.
    "Emphasizing factors such as quality, price, and customer service, in the absence of objective criteria and simply because the business pays higher commissions, would be a form of deception for users and could result in financial damage, leading platform users to spend even more in the mistaken belief that they are making the best and most advantageous choice.
    "This situation is even more serious when one considers that 70% of hotel bookings are now made through specialized websites in Italy, with Booking.com accounting for 42% of digital bookings".
    Booking.com said it was cooperating with the authority's probe.
    "We believe that our partner programs - which are optional for accommodation providers - meet the requirements of consumer protection legislation, while ensuring a balance between the interests of our partners and the ability for customers to continue to benefit from a wide choice," it said. 
   
   

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