Australia’s competition regulator says it has filed a lawsuit against Airbnb in Federal Court for allegedly misleading consumers about accommodation prices.
Key points:
- The ACCC says Airbnb posted prices with dollar signs, but in many cases did not make it clear that prices were in US dollars.
- The regulator wants customers who have had problems with currency screens to contact them
- Airbnb has not responded to a comment yet
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said in a statement that the US-based holiday rental company had misled consumers in Australia by showing accommodation prices with only the “$” sign, without clarifying that prices were in US dollars and not in local currency, between January 2018 and August 2021.
The regulator added that when Airbnb received price complaints, they told customers that the prices were shown in US dollars because the user had selected that currency, which was often not the case.
“Airbnb’s misleading behavior has deprived consumers of the opportunity to make an informed decision about whether to book their holiday accommodation on the Airbnb platform and at what price,” said the president of the ACCC, Gina Cass-Gottlieb.
“In addition to paying higher-than-expected prices, some consumers who were charged in U.S. dollars also found themselves more out of pocket thanks to the currency conversion fees charged by the US provider. your credit card “.
The ACCC has asked customers affected by Airbnb currency display issues to contact them and says they are requesting “statements, warrants, financial penalties, orders to compensate affected consumers, costs and other orders “.
“In taking this action, we are making it very clear that digital platforms like Airbnb must ensure the accuracy of all statements that may affect consumers’ purchasing decisions, ”Ms. Cass-Gottlieb.
Airbnb did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
ABC / Reuters
Posted 2 hours 2 hours agoWednesday, June 8, 2022 at 1:53 AM, updated 2 hours agoThursday, June 8, 2022 at 2:02 AM