Singapore: Published CCCS market study report and guidelines on price transparency in the online travel booking sector

On 30 September 2019, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) published a market study report on the online travel booking sector in Singapore alongside proposed guidelines on price transparency to prevent misleading practices across consumer-facing industries. The CCCS examined various industry practices and identified consumer protection concerns, specifically drip pricing, where there are hidden charges added that mislead consumers and complicate price comparisons, pre-ticket boxes, where automatically included add-ons lead to unintended purchases, strikethrough pricing, where false comparisons with crossed-out prices mislead consumers, and pressure selling, where false urgency claims create misleading purchase pressure. The CCCS further drafts recommendations, including transparent pricing practices to allow informed consumer decisions and fair competition. These recommendations include clear disclosure of all charges, avoiding pre-ticked boxes for add-ons unless properly disclosed, accurate price comparisons with competitors and previous prices, and honest representation of discounts and use of the term "free." The guidelines aim to provide more clarity on what constitutes an infringement of the Consumer Protection Fair Trading Act (CPFTA) and how suppliers should display and advertise prices.