Is this legal?

[bazil]

On Tuesday 06/06/06 I found what I thought was a good deal with Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas leaving Southampton on 10/10/06. Cruisesdirect2U were offering a balcony cabin for �881. I filled in the necessary on line and they phoned back the following afternoon to offer me some prices. They offerred me the same cabin at nearly twice the price! When I said that this was not what was on their website they said that that particular offer was sold out that the internet is not 'live'. It is now Saturday 10/06 and the offer is still showing.

[HW iaintwoeyes]

I think this would be seen as misleading the consumer and Trading Standards take a dim view of such things.

The only complication that may be a problem is.... where is the company based and which country is the website being hosted in?

That aside if they are both within the UK.........then report the matter to Trading Standards.

Good luck.........let us all know how you get on.

[HW Techie]

If it's not illegal, it's certainly misleading and also a little immoral!

Check their site for disclaimers about the accuracy of the data they show, chances are they'll be covered, but it's certainly annoying they still have the same offer showing.

HW Techie

[bazil]

They said that the people who update the site do it every 48 hours. It is over that now.

[HW Bex]

Immoral Yes.
Misleading Yes.

Techie is right when he says they have covered themselves.
Read page 10 & 11 in their Terms and Conditions.
Not very good reading.

Tenpin, a regular Cruiser ( if that allowed to be said?? ha ha)....should be able to out in the right direction for a good cruise offer.

I'm sure he will be on-line soon.

[HW tenpin]

This is certainly unethical, and the whole Cruise industry is full of offers and counter offers. Even the so called brochure price is in itself misleading, I have yet to meet anyone paying that.
These offers change almost hourly on the web, and in all seriousness I get almost the same deals from my Travel Councellor, with the added advantage of the booking held for us for 24 hours.

[bazil]

They are still advertising it! What sort of firm are they?

[HW iaintwoeyes]

I think you can report them to the Advertising Standards Authority

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/about/Guided+ ... mers/What+ types+of+ads+and+promotions+does+the+ASA+look+into.htm



They deal with the following type of advertising complaints.....

Magazine and newspaper advertisements
Radio and TV commercials (not programmes or programme sponsorship)
Television Shopping Channels
Posters on legitimate poster sites (not flyposters)
Leaflets and brochures
Cinema commercials
Direct mail (advertising sent through the post and addressed to you personally)
Door drops and circulars (advertising posted through the letter box without your name on)
Advertisements on the Internet, include banner ads and pop-up ads (not claims on companies' own websites)
Commercial e-mail and SMS text message ads
Ads on CD ROMs, DVD and video, and faxes


Good luck.....let us know how you get on :thumleft:

[bazil]

I have just done it. Will let you know what happens.

[bazil]

They wrote to me and said that they were not pursuing it.