Dutch court allows Booking.com mass claim to include parent and Agoda

Booking Holdings and its Singapore-based sister platform Agoda can be included in a Dutch mass claim against Booking.com after a court in Amsterdam ruled that it has jurisdiction to hear the case against the foreign companies.

The decision is a setback for Booking.com’s parent company, but it does not determine whether the claims against the businesses are true or whether consumers are entitled to compensation.

The Consumers’ Association and Stichting Consumenten Competition Claims (CCC) brought the case last November. They accuse Booking.com of abusing its market position, restricting competition and misleading consumers, and are seeking damages on their behalf.

At a hearing in September, the dispute focused on whether the case could also cover companies based abroad. The parties representing Amsterdam-based Booking.com argued that the entire holding company should not be held liable for the claims. The court has now ruled that it is competent to include the foreign businesses in the proceedings. The case will continue; no finding on liability or compensation is reported.