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Q&A
Increase in consumer complaints and potential underreporting to DCWP
0:33:55
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64 sec
Council Member Julie Menin inquires about the doubling of consumer complaints to DCWP regarding hotels in the past 5 years and discusses the potential underreporting of issues to the agency.
- DCWP attributes some of the increase to returning pre-pandemic tourism levels
- Julie Menin suggests many tourists may not know to complain to DCWP
- Better Business Bureau data shows 15,000 nationwide complaints about hotels, with a large majority in New York
Julie Menin
0:33:55
Great.
0:33:55
Do you have a sense of why consumer complaints to the agency have doubled in the past 5 years to hotels?
Vilda Vera Mayuga
0:34:02
Yes.
0:34:02
Thank you, Council members.
0:34:03
So we believe that a lot of it may I don't wanna say a lot of it.
0:34:07
Some of it may have to do with the returning to pre pandemic levels of tourism.
0:34:13
We've seen that sort of trend trend upwards in terms of the complaints over the last 5 years.
0:34:19
So that's part of the the reason.
Julie Menin
0:34:22
I do also want to note for the record as a former commissioner of this agency.
0:34:27
It is my belief that many tourists and guests who come to our great city don't know to complain to DCWP if they have an issue.
0:34:34
That is why my office pulled the data to the Better Business Bureau, which shows nationwide there are 15,000 complaints about hotels, a large majority of which are in New York.
0:34:46
So I actually think there is an underreporting of data to the agency because of the guests come to the city.
0:34:52
They don't always know to call the local consumer protection agency.
0:34:55
But despite that, we still are seeing complaints that have doubled.