Taylor Swift and hotel prices

Sir, – I’m not a fan of Taylor Swift but many, many are. Her concerts in the Aviva next year will attract hordes of teenage fun seekers and fair play to them... except it is not fair play.

The reports of price gouging by hotels cancelling bookings made by switched-on fans on the day her concerts were announced is appalling. Just because they were beaten to the keyboard buttons by fans acting “swiftly” does not allow for a retrospective price gouging by our hotel trade. Once a price is confirmed and accepted, it appears to me that unless the buyer pulls out, there is a commitment by the seller to provide the accommodation at the agreed price.

Where is the competition and consumer protection in this? We are not living in some halfwit state and this kind of behaviour is unwelcome.

We need to shake it off. – Yours, etc,