Ishishini lokuhamba kwi-Intanethi liphumelela ngaphandle kokuwongwa ngejaji kwiidolophu zase-Texas

I-SAN ANTONIO, eTexas - Phantse ishumi elinesibini leenkonzo ezithandwayo zokubhukisha iihotele kwi-intanethi ziye zabethwa ngesigwebo esivela kwijaji yaseTexas kutshanje, kodwa ishishini lisabiza ngokuba luloyiso.

Ngomhla wama-30 kuOkthobha, iqumrhu labachopheli-tyala kwiSithili esiseNtshona eTexas lafumanisa ukuba iinkonzo zokubhukisha iihotele kwi-intanethi ezifana ne-Hotels.com kunye ne-Expedia bekumele ukuba ziqokelele iirhafu zokuhlala ezininzi ehotele ukuze kuhlawulwe izixeko zaseTexas. Iqela labachopheli-tyala linikezele ngeedola ezingama-20 ezigidi koomasipala abangaphezu kwe-170 kwiLone Star State.

Nangona kunjalo, i-jury ayizange ifumane ubungqina obubambekayo bokuba iinkonzo zokubhukisha zaziqokelela irhafu eyongezelelweyo kwaye zizigcinele imali, ngoko ke azizange zihlawule umonakalo.

"Siyibona igcwele iglasi," utshilo u-Andrew Weinstein, isithethi soMbutho weeNkonzo zokuHamba. “Siyavuya ukuba iqela labagwebi lingakhange linikezele ngomonakalo wokohlwaya. Izixeko bezicela i-40 yezigidi zeerandi, zibanga ukuba iinkonzo ze-intanethi zibamba irhafu ngogonyamelo. ”

UWeinstein uthe ibango lokuba ezi nkampani ziqokelela kwaye zigcina iimali zerhafu yintsomi.

“Yintsomi esasazwa ngamagqwetha abamangali, kodwa sicinga ukuba intsomi ibekwe ebhedini ngoku,” utshilo kudliwano-ndlebe lwakutsha nje.

Ngokwesimangalo esifakwe ngoMeyi ka-2006, iinkampani ezibhukishayo kwi-intanethi zahlawula ngaphantsi kweerhafu zokuhlala zexeshana ngokuhlawula irhafu kuphela kwiireyithi zehoseyile yegumbi kuneentlawulo zokuthengisa ezihlawuliswa abathengi ababhukisha iihotele zabo kwi-Intanethi.

Abathengisi be-intanethi bathenga amagumbi ngexabiso elithotyiweyo baze benze inzuzo ngokuthengisa amagumbi kubathengi ngexabiso eliphezulu lokuthengisa. Ngokomzekelo, ukuba inkampani efana ne-Expedia.com ihlawula i-$ 70 yegumbi lehotele kodwa kamva ithengise nge-$ 100 kunye neerhafu, inkampani iya kukhupha irhafu kuphela kwixabiso elincinci.

Iinkampani ezikwi-intanethi zibanga ukuba ziqhagamshela kuphela abathengi abanezivumelwano ezintle kumagumbi, ngendlela efanayo neearhente zokuhamba ezingasebenziyo okanye abakhenkethi. Imirhumo evela kwiiarhente zokuhamba zemveli, abakhenkethi kunye nabanye abaphakathi abakaze barhafiswe.

“Olu shishino lulonke luyibambile irhafu iminyaka, hayi eTexas kuphela,” latsho igqwetha lommangali uSteven Wolens waseMcKool Smith kwingxelo yeendaba. "Izenzo zoshishino apho abamangalelwa bafunyenwe benetyala zizenzo ezifanayo ezi nkampani zibandakanyeka kuyo yonke i-US"

Kodwa u-Weinstein uthe amagqwetha etyala alahlekisa oomasipala kwilizwe liphela.

“La mabango awasekelwanga emthethweni, koko kunyoluka kwamagqwetha abamangali,” utshilo.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ezi zityholo azinakwenzakalisa ishishini lokuhamba kwi-intanethi kuphela, kodwa uluntu oluhambahambayo lusebenzisa amaxabiso aphezulu kunye namaqumrhu aqokelela irhafu ngokwawo ukuba amagumbi ehotele ahlala engenanto, i-ITSA ithi kwiwebhusayithi yayo.

Isixeko saseSan Antonio yayisisixeko sokuqala saseTexas ukumangalela abathengisi behotele, kwaye ekugqibeleni i-172 izixeko ezongezelelweyo zaseTexas zajoyina i-class-action - kuquka iBeaumont, iPort Arthur, iGroves kunye neBridge City eSoutheast Texas. Isixeko saseHouston yayikuphela kwedolophu yaseTexas enkulu ukuba ingazibandakanyi kwisuti yaseSan Antonio, ikhetha ukufaka isuti yayo endaweni yoko.

Abamangalelwa baseSan Antonio babeyi-Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Lodging.com, Orbitz, Priceline.com, Site59.com, TravelNow.com, Travelocity.com, TravelWeb kunye ne-Cheaptickets.com.

Ityala elathatha iiveki ezine phambi kweJaji u-Orlando Garcia weNkundla yeSithili yase-US kwiSithili esiseNtshona eTexas laqukunjelwa emva kweeyure ezintlanu zokuxoxwa kwenkundla yamadoda asixhenxe nabafazi abahlanu.

Kukho ubuncinci ezinye iisuti ezihlanu ezifanayo kwilizwe lonke, apho oomasipala bebefuna ukubuyisa iirhafu zokuhlala ezingahlawulwanga, kodwa ityala laseSan Antonio lelokuqala ukufikelela kwisigwebo sejaji, utshilo u-Weinstein.

U-Weinstein ukhankanye intlawulo kwisuti yase-Illinois efakwe sisixeko sase-Fairview Heights, apho iipesenti ezingama-80 zemali ziye zaya kumagqwetha.

Emva kwedabi lenkundla leminyaka emine ngokuchasene ne-13 yeenkampani zokuhamba kwi-intanethi, isixeko safumana i-315,000 yeedola zokuhlala. Kodwa emva kokuhlawulwa kwamagqwetha nezinye iindleko, isixeko sayekwa ukuba siqokelele ngaphezu nje kwee-$56,000.

Xa iFairview Heights yaqala ukufaka ityala ngo-2004, yayijonge ukusebenza njengommeli weklasi egameni labanye oomasipala base-Illinois. Kodwa abamangalelwa baye balidlulisela kwinkundla yamatyala, apho lasilelayo ukufumana isiqinisekiso sodidi.

Kuwo onke amatyala, owona mba uphambili ube ngumbuzo wokuba ngaba iinkampani ze-intanethi "zinolawulo" lweehotele phantsi kwemimiselo yedolophu.

Ijuri yaseTexas yathi iinkampani zinalo olo lawulo.

Kodwa kwingxelo ekhutshwe emva kwesigwebo, ummangalelwa u-Expedia uthe "akavumelani kakhulu" nesigwebo sejaji sokuba iinkampani zokuhamba nge-intanethi "zilawula iihotele" eTexas.

"Sikholelwa ukuba isigwebo asixhaswanga ziinyani zetyala kunye nomthetho," utshilo u-Expedia. "Sikholelwa ukuba isigwebo sichasene nolwimi olucacileyo lwemimiselo ekuthethwa ngayo kunye nobungqina obucacileyo obuvela kwiihotele ezingqina ukuba iinkampani zokuhamba nge-intanethi azikwazi ukulawula iihotele nangayiphi na indlela."

U-Weinstein uthe iinkonzo aziboneleli ngezabelo ezithile zamagumbi, ezinje ngomgangatho othile okanye ngombono othile.

“Asiyilawuli loo nto, kufuneka ufowunele ihotele ngokuthe ngqo,” utshilo u-Weinstein.

I-Expedia kunye nabanye abamangalelwa baceba ukubhena isigwebo kwiNkundla yeSibheno yeSibheno yeSihlanu.

"Siqinisekile ukuba simi kakuhle kwisibheno," utshilo u-Weinstein, ngakumbi ekubeni ityala langaphambili lachithwa yiSekethe yesine, egweba ukuba iinkampani azifani neehotele, iimotel kunye neendwendwe phantsi kwemimiselo.

Kodwa kwiintsuku nje emva kwesigwebo saseTexas, iGqwetha likaMongameli waseFlorida uBill McCollum wamangalela i-Expedia kunye ne-Orbitz, esithi iinkampani azihlawuli zonke iirhafu ezivela kurhulumente.

IWebhsayithi ye-ITSA ithi: “Umgaqo-nkqubo wokhenketho nokhenketho unokuba yingozi kakhulu kwimeko yokudodobala kwezoqoqosho kule minyaka ingama-80 idluleyo. "I-ITSA izakuqhuba neenzame zayo zokufundisa abenzi bomgaqo-nkqubo kwilizwe lonke ngeengozi zala manyathelo erhafu."