- The companies that operate Hopper travel apps have agreed to pay $35 million and will be prohibited from deceiving consumers about fees to settle the FTCs allegations that they unfairly charged consumers hidden fees and misrepresented the total prices consumers would pay.
- The FTC’s complaint alleges that despite the companies “no hidden fees” promises, the Canadian company Hopper Inc. and its Massachusetts based subsidiary Hopper (USA) Inc has unfairly charged users without their consent for “Tip” and VIP Support fees. The company claimed these charges were optional, but they were hidden and pre-selected for customers.
- Until mid-2023, when consumers were ready to purchase a booking, a screen with the “total price” and a “swipe to book” button that failed to include the company would add charges for “Tip and VIP Support fees”. The complaint alleges that the optional fees were not seen on the screen and would only appear if consumers scrolled down.