Are Ryanair taking the mickey on hidden "Fees" again?

richardw

You clearly feel strongly about this, perhaps you should complain about ryanair to the relevant regulatory authority for CPUTR2008. Perhaps also complain to the ASA for the false promotion.

2sides2everystory

I don't have the time or inclination to engage with the OFT about this. I don't get paid to cherry-pick the cases like they do.

I prefer to contribute casually here on MSE where the cautionary tale get's a reasonably representative and sizeable audience.

I simply do not like to see any business prospering from playing unlawful 'mind games' with the consumer masses who visit their website, richard. The practice I have highlighted is undoubtedly unfair to competitors like Easyjet who toe the line more accurately on their website.

It is perhaps not easy for the likes of you and I to normally assess the extent of the "distortion to the economic behaviour of the average consumer" but yesterday I very much "felt" the difference when using the Easyjet site to search for fares using a not too dissimilar "Week or Two Weeks At A Glance" page in which the selectable orange price links showed the true minimum total price for the date-route combination and not some lower, frankly totally irrelevant, non-available price.

On the Easyjet site it is "easy" to feel "Ugh ... that's a bit expensive ... I'll look elsewhere ... maybe Ryanair or Alitalia or BA".

With Ryanair, the average consumer is likely to get sucked in a further stage to bookryanair.com by the invitation to click on a false price. And when (on some occasions during "Sales Promotions") in that next stage the consumer is presented with the selected price crossed out in red and an even lower blue price substituted then a skewed "sale price" comparison has occurred to boot.

malkie76

CB wrote:

the key word in your post above is the word 'from' which you will find on many offers and price promotions and there is nothing illegal about it.

Exactly - nothing illegal in the slightest.

Cityboy wrote: »

ultimately we as consumers have a choice as to whether to press the 'confirm these flights' button on our PCs or not.

Absolutely correct, and there is no counter-arguement to that in the slightest

It's very disappointing to see people prepared to rant and grumble on the internet rather than make any effort to take the companies to task. They obviously aren't that sure about their stance in the debate.

2sides2everystory

In case you hadn't noticed or realised malkie, I am taking the company to task right here and if the OFT is of any effect it will already have made note of my complaint because MSE is as valid a forum for this type of problem as is their postbox.

Ryanair is pretty much an internet business only company so where better to criticise it than a universally respected internet consumer forum ?

The only detraction from that happening effectively is the irritating dilution effect of the pestering type of post that some MSE'ers cannot seem to help themselves from making.

But hey, whatever floats your boat ...

richardw

2sides2everystory wrote: »

I don't have the time or inclination to engage with the OFT about this.

You've spent plenty of time commenting in this thread.

You feel strongly so why are you disinclined to engage with the OFT?

I felt strongly about being denied my right to EU compensation from an airline and pursued the matter.

If you feel strongly about this consumer matter then perhaps you should complain about it and not expect the OFT to do something after just perusing a thread.

Here are some links

http://www.oft.gov.uk/contactus

http://asa.org.uk/Complaints/How-to-complain.aspx

Perhaps attend to your formal complaints and then report back and let us all know how you got on.

malkie76

To further what Richard said; from reading the OFT and ASA websites, they only respond to formal and informal complaints raised with them - ie not idle internet gossip and opinion.

If you don't follow your claims up it's clear you have no confidence in your stance.

2sides2everystory

Richard, I have a healthy disregard for the efficacy of government watchdog organisations and a healthy regard for what MSE achieves for consumers. I use a fair proportion of my spare time promoting what I think is in the public good and I would get no personal satisfaction from doing so if I was no good at it.

I have chosen MSE as the vehicle this time. MSE long ago reached the critical mass needed for true consumerist efficacy - it is in fact now virtually THE government think tank on consumerist issues :money:. I am sure they look here first just as we all do for many of the views they seek to keep their show on the road.

If you want to find out directly what the OFT says about the specific practice I have highlighted then be my guest.

malkie76

MSE long ago reached the critical mass needed for true consumerist efficacy

Which is what exactly ? How are you measuring that ?

richardw

2sides2everystory wrote: »

MSE long ago reached the critical mass

But only 1275 have viewed this thread, which isn't critical mass.

What do you think is the timescale for ryanair to clean up their act regarding this complaint?

2sides2everystory

And how many of those work for OFT I wonder ?

The blue title Are Ryanair taking the mickey on hidden "Fees" again? is a plain enough invitation to the thousands of others who have seen that the thread exists, Richard. Those who think they've seen it all before will have passed it by and looked elsewhere for their information/entertainment whilst logging "yet another Ryanair thread".

If I changed/could change the title to Are Ryanair taking the mickey on hidden "Fees" again ? - No they are not and to prove it they've said if you click here they've told MSE you can get a flight from £8 on a route and date of your choice (subject to availability)

then I think another thousand might pretty soon have their curiosity artificially distorted, don't you ?