Ryanair slams EC over screenscraper row
BRUSSELS – The European Commission has issued a warning to Ryanair about cancelling the tickets of passengers who have brought flights through screenscraper websites.
It has highlighted European regulations (261 2004) which outline how passengers must be compensated and assisted in cases of cancellations.
The move comes after Ryanair said it would cancel any bookings made through screenscraper websites.
“We have told Ryanair that it is free to determine its own sales policy, but if passengers have bought tickets in good faith, the regulations apply,” said an EC spokesman.
“We have not received any complaints from passengers but we identified that there was a risk.”
After receiving the letter of warning from the EC, Ryanair issued a statement.
In it, Ryanair’s director of legal and regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan, said, “Ryanair is disappointed that yet again the European Commission is failing to protect consumers from the unlawful, misleading and anti-consumer practices of screenscraper websites, who are illegally accessing Ryanair’s website and imposing hidden mark-ups of up to 300% on Ryanair fares.
“Ryanair has provided specific examples of these unlawful practices to the Commission and yet the Commission again fails to take any action on behalf of consumers against these illegal ticket-tout websites.
“Ryanair will continue to fight these screenscrapers to protect consumers from these unlawful and abusive practices, while the European Commission again fails consumers.â€
Ryanair had claimed that it has suffered “dramatic slowdowns” to the Ryanair.com website due to the activities of screenscraping sites which it has tried to ban.
By Bev Fearis
Ian Jarrett
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