Fletcher Hotels accused of adding hidden fees to promotional vouchers

Fletcher Hotels is still not fully transparent about the hidden costs buyers must pay when acquiring a hotel voucher, and thus their offers seem more attractive than they really are, alleged consumer association Consumentenbond. The consumer advocacy asked the Dutch advertising watchdog to investigate the situation, Consumentenbond said on Thursday.

The hotel group charges customers trying to use the vouchers additional reservation fees, and a "handling and tax fee," Consumentenbond said. The purpose of these costs is largely unknown, the Consumentenbond alleged.

Fletcher has been in hot water with the consumer association for a while. The hotel chain was under fire due to the short expiry date the vouchers had. In response, Fletcher decided last month to extend the expiration date, and expired vouchers can still be used. The vouchers can now be used for up to two years.

“If we can make using the overnight vouchers easier for consumers by extending the expiry date, then we are happy to do that,” Fletcher executive Rob Hermans said. Fletcher made the changes after the Dutch consumer regulator, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), got involved. They also lost several procedures involving the Dutch Advertising Code.

The hotel chain sold hundreds of thousands of vouchers last year at various outlets, like Albert Heijn, DPG Media publications, SocialDeal, and Ticketveiling. Some vouchers expired after just a few months. According to the Consumentenbond, this goes against a law passed in 2022, which states that vouchers of this type need to be able to be used for at least two years after purchase.