ABTA Opposes Extension of Consumer Rights Directive to Cover Package Travel and Timeshare Markets

2012-11-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — ABTA – the Travel Association today submitted its formal response to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skill’s (BIS) Consultation on the Consumer Rights Directive. The Consultation focuses in particular on whether pre-ticked boxes for additional payments and premium rate consumer helpline numbers should be allowed.

ABTA believes it is unfair to extend the policy changes to cover package holidays, which sit outside the scope of the Consumer Rights Directive. Package travel is covered under the Package Travel Directive, currently under revision by the European Commission. ABTA also believes it is unfair to extend the Directive to cover sales of Timeshares, which are sold by some Members, as these are regulated under the Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulations. The timeshare industry is one of the most strictly regulated in Europe and attracts few complaints today.

With regards to the point raised in the consultation around whether pre-ticked payment boxes should be allowed, ABTA’s Code of Conduct requires that all Members must be transparent on pricing and has discouraged the use of opt-out/pre-ticked boxes. Therefore use of these boxes in the package travel and timeshare markets is minimal. However, there are some exceptions when it comes to charitable donations with some ABTA Members using pre-ticked boxes to fundraise for charities.  ABTA believes the proposals could have a negative knock-on effect on charitable donations and has suggested that these could be allowed on an opt-out basis, perhaps with a cap on the amount.

With regards to access to basic rate customer help lines, all ABTA Members are expected to provide an accessible and professional service to consumers who might have queries or complaints to make.  ABTA is not aware that Members apply premium rate numbers to such services and sees no reason to prohibit this when the need to do so does not exist.

Luke Pollard, Head of Public Affairs, ABTA said: “The Package Travel and Timeshare markets are already governed by their own specific sets of regulations and our Members operating in these markets will also be regulated by the ABTA Code of Conduct.  We strongly oppose any extension of the Consumer Rights Directive to cover these products and believe that the correct route for any changes should be via the existing legislation to avoid complexities and unnecessary red tape.”

ABTA’s written response to the draft framework is available for ABTA Members to read in full here.

For further information

Sean Tipton, Media Relations Manager, tel: 020 3117 0513
Gillian Edwards, Senior Public Relations Manager, 020 3117 0514
Victoria Bacon Head of Communications, tel: 020 3117 0515
Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07659 190 987
E-mail: press@abta.co.uk
Web: www.abta.com
Twitter: @ABTAtravel

Notes to editors

ABTA has been at the heart of travel for more than 60 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers – the travelling public – have confidence in their travel experience.

The ABTA brand stands for expertise, reliability and fairness. These qualities are core to us. They ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today’s changing travel landscape by providing schemes of financial protection and a course of redress if something goes wrong; by raising standards in the industry and by giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety; and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA currently has around 1,300 Members and represents over 5,000 retail outlets and offices. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we’re working at the heart of the industry to ensure that we continue to build confidence in travel visit www.abta.com.

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