Ryanair lauched High Court action against Google and eDreams
Ryanair announced that it had launched High Court proceedings against both eDreams and Google to stop them misleading consumers by advertising non-existent Ryanair fares via the eDreams website and Google search adverts.
These practises are prohibited by consumer legislation. As a result, Ryanair has also put the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission on notice of the proceedings.
Screenscraper website eDreams has been allowed by Google to use the misleading subdomains “Ryanair Cheap Flights” and “www.Ryanair.eDreams.com”, and a copycat website with identical Ryanair branding, in order to deceive consumers into visiting the eDreams website, and booking with eDreams at inflated fares.
Ryanair has engaged in several legal cases across Europe against screenscraper websites such as eDreams to prevent consumers from being deceived and subjected to false prices and hidden charges. Consumers are also faced with a range of problems when booking through eDreams, such as checked in bags not being recorded, contact details being omitted and additional passengers not being recognised or added to the booking.
Ryanair has no issues with Google selling advertising space, but has repeatedly called on Google to enforce transparency on its online advertising following numerous complaints from Ryanair customers who were deceived into buying on the eDreams website when they thought they were booking on Ryanair.com. Following Google’s refusal to stop these false advertising practices (which are in breach of Google’s own code of conduct), Ryanair has been left with no alternative than to take legal proceedings against both eDreams and Google in the Irish High Courts.
Ryanair’s CMO Kenny Jacobs said: “We have no problem with Google charging advertisers on its paid search function, but we expect Google to ensure that this advertising is honest and transparent (namely that eDreams advertises as “eDreams” and not as Ryanair), which is what Google’s own code of conduct requires and which will prevent more ordinary consumers being deceived by this false and unlawful advertising scam. The German courts have already outlawed this eDreams false advertising, and its time the Irish and UK courts did the same to protect consumers.”
