A major online travel reservation company has agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle allegations made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that it deceptively marketed hotel room prices by omitting mandatory fees.
As part of the agreement, Booking Holdings Inc., parent company of Booking.com, Priceline.com and Kayak.com, is permanently prohibited from advertising any hotel reservation “without Clearly and Conspicuously disclosing the Total Price” before consumers agree to pay, according to a filing.
“Deceiving Texans by hiding fees is both a deeply unethical business practice and a violation of the law,” Paxton said in a statement Tuesday. “Yet, that’s exactly what Booking chose to do, and now it’s time for the company to pay for their unlawful actions.”…