Hotel Tax? Or Kano Tax?

[Gary D]

This Agoda tax has been discussed before. I think the outcome  depended on if you book from inside or outside of the Philippines.

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, Gary D said:

This Agoda tax has been discussed before. I think the outcome  depended on if you book from inside or outside of the Philippines.

I dont believe its a Agoda tax. I believe it's a country rule  just like now for sellers who use aliexpress that now have to collect tax on online transactions.  I also do not believe this tax has been discussed on this forum before but might have been done so on some sub standard forum I dont follow. 

Now getting back to what Bows says, read the fine print. So many times lately I see someone in extreme trouble because of what they thought their insurance policy covered.  All in the fine print such as no motorbike riding or jet ski to name a few. 

Read what your buying eh!

[Dave Hounddriver]

13 hours ago, bows00 said:

Am I the only one?    

Nope.  I learned of these "taxes" the hard way same as you.  But they only fooled me once.

[GeoffH]

I could understand a tax or fee of maybe 10 or 12 percent (sales tax, GST, commission etc) but 30% really seems like Agoda are transferring costs to make their quotes look better...

[hk blues]

20 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I could understand a tax or fee of maybe 10 or 12 percent (sales tax, GST, commission etc) but 30% really seems like Agoda are transferring costs to make their quotes look better...

Just out of interest, I took a look at the Agoda website (i've used it before with no nasty surprises on checking-in) - there is an option to show basic price or total price by clicking on the currency icon at the top - there then appears the option to choose basic price of total price.  

 

[GeoffH]

I have used Booking.com without any such lack of clarity about pricing, even if the pricing for Agoda can be selected to show the total cost not having total cost as the default display seems disingenuous to me.

Edited August 23, 2018 by GeoffH

[bows00]

11 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I have used Booking.com without any such lack of clarity about pricing, eve

In this particular case, I booked on Agoda, but the transaction was transferred to Booking.com.  So be careful.  Motto here is read the fine print.  

[hk blues]

41 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

I have used Booking.com without any such lack of clarity about pricing, even if the pricing for Agoda can be selected to show the total cost not having total cost as the default display seems disingenuous to me.

The page clearly says price excludes taxes and fees, and that you can select total price in a couple of clicks. We can hardly blame them for showing basic price as the default - Surely most websites use the same tactics?

[GeoffH]

18 minutes ago, hk blues said:

The page clearly says price excludes taxes and fees, and that you can select total price in a couple of clicks. We can hardly blame them for showing basic price as the default - Surely most websites use the same tactics?

I am not sure what advertising law says in the EU and I woudn’t even try and guess about the Philippines but in many jurisdictions the primary price displayed is required to be the total cost of a transaction, and only after that (and displayed less prominently) is the breakdown allowed.

[JDDavao II]

3 hours ago, GeoffH said:

I have used Booking.com without any such lack of clarity about pricing, even if the pricing for Agoda can be selected to show the total cost not having total cost as the default display seems disingenuous to me.

 

2 hours ago, GeoffH said:

I am not sure what advertising law says in the EU and I woudn’t even try and guess about the Philippines but in many jurisdictions the primary price displayed is required to be the total cost of a transaction, and only after that (and displayed less prominently) is the breakdown allowed.

1

If your experience with Booking is correct, GeoffH, it looks like it's changed or neither site is consistent at "first click".

Agoda, Marco Polo Davao, four nights, early next month (after the search, clicking to book after choosing room type): Fees included.

Booking, (After the search, clicking Book Now) same dates: Fees not included.

But then, Agoda, for dates in January: Fees not included.

Caveat Emptor. 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2018 by JDDavao
A price slipped into a screen shot.