Internet Hotel/flights/hire car rob doggery

[Hacker Khan]

This may not be news to others, but I found out on Monday about the way some companies put up prices when you look at holidays/hire cars/flights on the internet. They put a cookie on your machine and then when you come to look at the same thing again, the price has gone up.

My mate was looking at a holiday to Florida at Christmas with Virgin, he looked last week and looked again on Monday and it had gone up £600 per person. Another mate told him to clear his cookies and browse in secure browsing mode and guess what, the holiday went back down to it's original price. Also heard a similar tale from someone booking a flight at work, went up from £100 to £300 when he looked again, looked at it with a different browser and it was back down to £100.

So the moral of the story is when looking at flights etc browse in secure browsing mode so no cookies are put on your PC.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Sounds like solid advice to me
Take note peeps

 

[Akie]

Didn't know that, pretty dodgy thing to do by these companies.

 

[Crazyface]

Well well well, Travelodge do the same. I've noticed this when checking prices.

 

[Rooter]

naughty naughty! i wonder what the legal stance is on this?

 

[Hacker Khan]

I think nowadays more and more services are being 'value' sold. So companies will sell them for whatever people will pay for it. It happens with so many things and I suspect it will only increase.

One upshot may be the introduction of more bartering. I know someone who is a professional buyer for a large company, and in her non- work environment she very rarely pays list price for many things over £50. I've phoned up hotels at the last minute and given them a take it or leave it offer. And occasionally some take it. I may try when booking rounds of golf as well.