Online cruise agent accused of misleading customers
Imagine Cruising has been rapped by advertising watchdogs after failing to make it clear that the lead in price for an 11-night voyage was based on two people sharing.
The company should have made it clear, said the Advertising Standards Authority, that single travellers would incur a supplement of more than £400.
The ASA investigated an advertisement on Imagine’s website for an 11-night Canary Island Explorer Cruise after a complaint from a customer.
The complainant challenged whether the price advertised as "from £699pp", was misleading after he was told that he would have to pay a supplement of more than £400 if he travelled alone.
Imagine told the ASA that it did not intend to mislead, the ad made it clear the advertised price was "from" £699 and customers were told about the supplement when they called to book.
However, it agreed it could have made the supplements clearer and said it was prepared to amend its advertising to state "BASED ON TWO SHARING" next to the "from" price, once consumers had selected the option relevant to them.
It did not believe, however, that it was necessary to provide that information earlier in the process.
The ASA said the single person supplement was a significant condition and concluded therefore that the ad was misleading.
It told Imagine to ensure that future price claims did not mislead and that significant conditions were made clear in future.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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