Apparently an Australian flight company has now been found in breach of the Fair Trading Act after it was discovered that it was offering deals to customers that did not even exist. The Flight Centre advertised an offer between May and September of 2009 that said that they would beat any airline’s web or competitor’s airfare quote or the passenger will fly for free. This is an offer that sounds too good to be true, and that is because it was.

The Commerce Commission investigated the complaints of passengers and found that the small print hindered the terms and conditions of the deal. The small print changed the deal so much, in fact, that it made the deal almost non-existent.

The small print went on to state that the company would only beat quotes available to the general public for the same class of flight on the same dates and on the same travel product. Any cheaper quotes would have to be submitted to Flight Centre in writing in order to be considered.

The Commerce Commission director of fair trading, Adrian Sparrow, said that in the commission’s view, the small print terms and conditions fundamentally change the whole meaning of the offer. Businesses have to make sure that the headline statements reflect what is being offered.

The Commission also went on to find that the advertised cut price deals were either wrong or included hidden extra charges. One such deal apparently affected customers who bought a package tour to Thailand. After arriving in Thailand, the people found themselves charged an extra $854, which more than double their cost.