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NewsCould One Phone Call Save You on Hotel Accommodations
Could One Phone Call Save You on Hotel Accommodations

Could One Phone Call Save You on Hotel Accommodations

Tags: DIY & Life Hacks
Last updated by The FiftyUp Team on

We have become humans that love convenience and there is nothing more convenient than booking your entire dream holiday online, but are you always getting the best deal?

More often than not, you are getting a super sweet deal, but Australians who book online with popular travel sites like Expedia, Booking.com and Hotels.com might not be getting the best deal from Australian accommodation providers.

So how do you know if you’re getting the best deal?

Pick up the phone and call the hotel.

Why?

In 2016, the ACCC and booking travels sites reached an agreement that allows Australian accommodation providers to tailor their offers to meet the needs of their customers by allowing them to offer lower rates through telephone bookings, walk-ins, and offer special rates and deals to customer loyalty groups.

Prior to the agreement, accommodation providers were locked into a contract that made the online booking the best deal only.

Rod Sims, chairman of the ACCC, has advised all Australian consumers to start calling hotels to ask for better deals. “There’s a very good chance you’ll get a much better price than you are seeing online,” he told Guardian Australia. “A very good chance.”

While booking online does allow you the convenience  to not deal with a human or have to haggle a price, one simple call could shave dollars off your accommodations.

And a few dollars saved is more money in your wallet!

Travelling soon? Check out the current FiftyUp Club Travel Insurance offer.

Originally posted on .

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Someone
Someone from VIC commented:

What the booking sites do is called predatory pricing which is illegal. Flight Centre were found guilty of predatory pricing with several airlines when it told them not to advertise prices on their websites lower than what Flight Centre was showing. Their costs including fines were more than $11 million. The booking sites do not allow motels, hotels etc to advertise lower prices on their own motel/hotel website in Australia and USA and several other countries. This is illegal in Europe. Booking .com takes a minimum of 12.5% and Expedia Group take 15% from the money you pay to the motel/hotel. They will also have "sales" without the motel/hotel not knowing about it giving a further 10%, A motel/hotel may therefore only recieve 75 - 72.5% of what you pay. When you book with Expedia, you pay Expedia. Expedia send a virtual credit card to the motel/hotel which is accessed by the motel/hotel when you book in. It will always be lower than what you payed by 15 - 25%. In the terms of contract motels/hotels are not allowed to give a receipt for this payment so you never know what the motel/hotel recieves. The "commission" that all the booking sites recieve are paid directly into overseas bank accounts. No tax paid in Australia. No GST paid in Australia so it cannot be claimed back by the motels/hotels. EVER WONDER WHY MOTEL/HOTEL PRICES ARE SO HIGH. 

Ian
Ian from VIC commented:

Not to mention that the online booking sites are ripping millions of dollars away from the accommodation providers with their fees, and the money going overseas and not paying taxes in Australia. Read the Dick Smith Youtube article about it!! Booking directly with the Australian providers is keeping those extra dollars in the country, particularly for the small operators. 

phil
phil from SA commented:

True the hotels & motels pay between 11% to 22% to these booking agencies, plus they are american owned, so call accomodation ans say you found on online booking site and ask for discount a minimum of 10% 

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