Description

I am submitting this formal complaint regarding Holisto, an online travel booking platform that is misrepresenting my business, Surfrider Beach Club in Sea Bright, New Jersey, as a hotel property available for room reservations. Surfrider Beach Club is a private, seasonal beach club. We do not operate as a hotel, motel, or short-term rental business, and we do not offer rooms or overnight accommodations of any kind. However, when consumers search for Surfrider Beach Club online — particularly through Google — they are being directed to a Holisto webpage that falsely lists our business as a hotel and allows the public to enter payment information and attempt to “book a room.” This is an unauthorized and fraudulent use of our business identity and poses a serious risk to consumers who may believe they are booking legitimate accommodations. We have already received confused inquiries from individuals who attempted to reserve lodging that does not exist. This behavior is deceptive, harmful to consumers, and damaging to our business reputation. We request that the BBB investigate Holisto’s practices and take appropriate action to prevent further misrepresentation of our business and potential financial harm to the public. For documentation, we can provide: Screenshots of search results directing users to Holisto’s booking page using our business name Screenshots of the Holisto page listing Surfrider Beach Club as a hotel Customer inquiries we have received as a result of the misrepresentation We respectfully ask that this misleading listing be removed and that Holisto cease using our name or representing Surfrider Beach Club as a lodging provider. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We are available to provide additional information as needed.