The online travel agency eDreams was called to compensate consumers over a “subscription trap nightmare” system, according to the umbrella network for European consumer groups, Euroconsumers, in a statement last week.
At the centre of the criticism is the eDreams Prime (Plus) subscription service, which promises, among other things, discounts on flights and hotels.
The agency is accused of using "confusing price displays", "false claims about savings,” and "complex free trial sign-ups" to push consumers to take out subscriptions which are said to be "deliberately difficult to cancel".
According to Euroconsumers, around 3,000 complaints have been filed against eDreams across Europe, including over 200 complaints to the Belgian consumer rights group, Testachats, since 2023.
For Testachats’ spokesperson Julie Frère, the complaints are an indication that the issues "are not isolated incidents but part of a much broader structural pattern that harms all consumers."
Call for a compensation plan
In a letter sent to eDreams last month, Euroconsumers and its associated groups, including Testachats, called for a change to the agency's practices and a "full reimbursement” for affected consumers.
The agency was called "to respond with a comprehensive remediation and compensation plan" within 30 days.
"If there’s no response, then we’ll look at options for cross-border complaints and collective action at the European level," reads a statement by Euroconsumers.
Fine issued in Italy
Euroconsumers’ letter follows a €9 million fine against eDreams issued by the Italian competition authority (AGCM) in February.
The watchdog accused the travel agency of "unfair commercial practices" and "manipulative strategies" regarding the promotion of its subscription services.
Among the practices that AGCM found problematic were the use of ambiguous information, artificial scarcity and time-pressure techniques to promote the Prime service memberships.
A traveller walking through Brussels Airport in Zaventem with a carry-on trolley. Credit: Belga/Jasper Jacobs
Additionally, the Italian authority reported a "lack of transparency regarding the existence of price differences" depending on the way users accessed the eDreams website or if they were eDreams Prime members.
The travel agency was further accused of preventing its consumers from exercising their right to unsubscribe from the Prime service.
An eDreams spokesperson told Reuters in February that it would "appeal the fine to defend its full compliance with Italian and EU law," adding that the watchdog's findings do not reflect its "current offering and misrepresents standard retail mechanics that are common across industries".
Accusations of 'unfounded claims'
In response to the Euroconsumers’ complaint and the Italian watchdog's fine, a spokesperson for the travel agency's parent company, eDreams ODIGEO, told The Brussels Times on Monday in a statement:
"We categorically reject the unfounded claims made by Euroconsumers. It is incomprehensible that the organisation chooses to issue public judgments without even minimal prior verification and without allowing us the opportunity to respond."
The spokesperson accused the consumer group of "disregarding the verification process and the technical evidence that disproves its claims."
They further claimed that "eDreams Prime fully complies with applicable regulations and represents a real and transparent value proposition."
The Brussels Times contacted Euroconsumers for comment on the accusations made by the eDreams ODIGEO spokesperson, but has yet to receive a response as of the time of publication.
