Consumers' Association; No unexpected costs at TopParken

Showing fair prices

Showing fair prices at the beginning of the booking process is not self-evident. Many Dutch holiday providers add extra costs during the booking process, or even at the end of the process. The original starting price has then disappeared and in many cases is dozens of euros higher, according to research by the Consumers' Association in its consumer guide. And what about at TopParken? Very simple, here we don't do unexpected costs and we show fair prices!

Always a fair starting price

At TopParken, we find it important that our visitors are not confronted with unpleasant surprises in the booking process, which is why we show fair starting prices on our website. Our reasons? You can read them here.

Showing a fair starting price has always been done within our organisation and has now also been noticed by the Consumers' Association. They conducted research into additional costs at holiday parks, from which TopParken emerged as one of the most transparent holiday providers. Nothing new for us, of course, but we are proud of the fact that this is recognised by an independent party like the Consumers' Association.

Curious about the exact outcomes per holiday provider? Then take a look at the overview of additional costs that, per Dutch holiday provider, are shown in the starting price.

Comparing prices

Besides not wanting to give our visitors any unpleasant surprises while booking, it is also easier to compare prices. After all, the price one wants to compare is the total price and not a starting price to which several additional costs are added. Marketing-wise, it may be interesting to attract as many visitors as possible with a low entry price, but we attach more value to customer-friendliness and a pleasant customer journey; from booking to returning home.

What are the rules?

Dutch holiday providers are required by law to include fixed costs in the starting price and thus show them clearly. Fixed costs are costs that have to be paid anyway, such as reservation costs, bed linen, tourist tax and cleaning costs. However, the Consumers' Association's research shows that many, including large, holiday providers do not comply with this. These extra costs are added to the starting price later in the booking process, which is essentially not allowed.

Advice

Our advice here is, when booking and/or comparing holidays, to stay alert to any additional costs. As indicated, several holiday providers advertise a starting price or a starting price excluding these costs. The additional costs, according to the Consumers' Association in this article, can be as much as 37% higher than the starting price. Do not let this reduce your enthusiasm in a nice stay in the Netherlands, as our country has so much beauty to offer!