In a press release, the state attorney general’s office announced that some Washington consumers can expect refunds for unnecessary fees charged by hotel booking companies as part of a 750,000 settlement with the state.
According to the office, more than 12,000 Washington consumers will receive refunds as part of a settlement with Lexyl Technologies and Bookonline.com.
In the statement, the office said the payouts are part of resolving allegations that the companies deceptively tacked on unnecessary fees when people booked hotel rooms online.
According to the office, one of these unnecessary fees was a “refund protection” plan that could appear to customers as required when, in fact, it was optional.
“Travelers were looking for deals and instead were saddled with extra fees they didn’t need,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in the press release. “Our consumer protection work continues for Washington families who just want and deserve honesty in their transactions.”
Within 90 days after the filing of this settlement, the companies will send refund checks to Washington consumers who were charged the automatic fee.
According to the office, Lexyl and Bookonline.com will use the last known billing address on file for each consumer receiving a check.
A copy of the settlement agreement is available here.
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