Australian regulator sues Airbnb for allegedly misleading customers on pricing
Australia’s competition听谤别驳耻濒补迟辞谤听on Wednesday said it had initiated proceedings against听础颈谤产苍产听滨苍肠听ABNB.O聽in the country’s Federal Court for听补濒濒别驳别诲濒测听尘颈蝉濒别补诲颈苍驳听consumers on听辫谤颈肠颈苍驳听for accommodation in the country.
Between January, 2018 and August, 2021, the U.S.-based vacation rental company misled consumers in Australia by displaying prices for accommodation using only the ‘$’ sign, without clarifying that the prices were in U.S. dollars and not in the local currency, the听础耻蝉迟谤补濒颈补苍听Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a statement.
础颈谤产苍产听did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
ACCC said it is seeking pecuniary penalties and orders to compensate people who were misled about听辫谤颈肠颈苍驳, among others.
The听谤别驳耻濒补迟辞谤听added that when听础颈谤产苍产听received complaints on听辫谤颈肠颈苍驳, they told听肠耻蝉迟辞尘别谤蝉听that prices were displayed in U.S. dollars because the user had selected that currency, which was often not the case.
“Airbnb‘s聽尘颈蝉濒别补诲颈苍驳听conduct meant that consumers were deprived of the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether, and at what price, to book their holiday accommodation on the听础颈谤产苍产听platform,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
“In addition to paying higher prices than expected, some consumers who were charged in U.S. dollars also found themselves further out of pocket through currency conversion fees charged by their credit card provider.” – Reuters
