Seven in ten Dutch travel companies are vague about holiday cancellation fees

Seven in ten large Dutch travel companies provide unclear information about cancellation policies and associated fees, according to research by the Dutch consumer association, Consumentenbond. Travel operator customers often face conflicting terms or are not provided with essential details when making bookings.

Cancellation fees are not displayed during the booking process with the majority of companies in the analysis. That includes travel providers such as Bolderman, Corendon, dé VakantieDiscounter, Expedia, KLM Holidays, Sunweb, and Transavia Holidays.

“Instead, customers are directed to multiple sets of terms, from the company, [travel agency association] ANVR, and the tour operator, resulting in a confusing web of small print with frequently conflicting rules,” the association said explains.

Just three of the ten largest travel providers, D‑Reizen, Prijsvrij, and TUI, clearly present cancellation fees during booking, according to the study.

The Consumentenbond points out that earlier court decisions determined that consumers were not required to pay cancellation fees when the applicable terms were unclear. “Sadly, most travel companies continue to disregard these rulings,” the association adds.

The association is calling on the ANVR to push its members toward greater transparency in travel bookings. The association says the ANVR has “an obvious duty” to make sure its members follow legal requirements and court decisions.