Posted on 09/07/2013 7:51:17 AM PDT by Olog-hai
MEPs have called on the European Commission to protect consumers’ privacy and personal data online by regulating the so-called “IP-tracking” systems of some commercial Internet sites, a move Brussels has so far abstained from but might be forced to reconsider given the mood in some member states.
Holidaymakers looking for cheap flights abroad over the weekend may have noticed that on some websites, the prices tend to go up at each visit. One perfectly legal explanation is that there are fewer seats available. But that is not always the case. As French daily Le Monde’s consumers’ protection blog “SOS Conso” showed back in January, there was another much more controversial method of pumping up the prices artificially, called “IP tracking”.
When a website using this practice offers you a certain price, it simultaneously records your search as well as the IP address from which the search was conducted. If you did not buy your plane ticket immediately, on your next visit, the website offers you a slightly more expensive price at each one of your searches. The more you search, the higher the amount, until you give in and buy. The price increases even though there are just as many seats available. According to estimates, around 300 million users are potential victims of such practices across Europe. …
(Excerpt) Read more at euractiv.com ...
On travelocity, I get “Sorry, the lowest fare has increased” when clicking from the search summary, to the detailed daily results, a good percentage of the time.
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