The Competition and Market Authority has imposed a total fine of 9 million euros on the companies Vacaciones eDreams SL, eDreams International Network SL and eDreams Srl for unfair commercial practices linked to the sale of flights and stays online. At the center of the measure is the systematic use of so-called dark patterns, visual and emotional persuasion techniques designed to guide consumer choices in the digital environment.
Prime subscription and unclear information
According to the Antitrust, these strategies would have compromised the free choice of users, pushing them to sign up for the Prime subscription in a way that was not fully conscious, through interfaces and messages designed to create urgency and psychological pressure.
The investigation highlighted how eDreams presented the Prime offer with ambiguous information on the real characteristics of the service and the promised economic benefits. In particular, the Authority contested the use of time pressure and artificial scarcity, i.e. countdowns and notices of limited availability, tools that induce the user to rush the purchase decision.
Not only that. The actual extent of the discounts linked to the subscription would have been presented in a misleading way, as would the presence of price differentiations based on the path to access the site or on the Prime membership status. In some cases, the pre-selected option was the most expensive one, Prime Plus, further reducing the possibility of an informed choice.
Immediate charges and obstacles to withdrawal
Another critical point concerns the management of the free trial period. According to the Antitrust, users without the requirements to access it would still have been induced to try it, then being immediately charged for the annual subscription without adequate prior communication.
The companies would also have hindered the right of withdrawal, both before the end of the trial and during the validity of the subscription, using retention strategies also through customer service. These behaviors, taken together, constitute a practice deemed deceptive and aggressive.
The reactions of consumer associations
Consumer protection associations welcomed the decision. The National Consumers Union spoke of a strong signal against increasingly widespread practices, while Condacons reiterated how the online travel sector is often characterized by unclear offers and undue pressure, aggravated by the introduction of paid subscriptions whose convenience is not always verifiable.
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