Q&A
Patterns in consumer complaints about hotels
0:55:44
·
178 sec
DCWP officials discuss the patterns they've observed in consumer complaints about hotels. They explain how they identify patterns, investigate bad actors, and highlight the most prevalent types of complaints they receive.
- DCWP identifies patterns when multiple complaints are received about the same actor or similar complaints about different actors within a short time
- Investigations are opened when patterns are identified, potentially leading to cases against bad actors
- The most consistent complaint type is about junk fees and resort fees, where consumers are charged for things they don't understand
- Other common complaints include cleanliness and bed bugs, but these are typically referred to other agencies
- DCWP tries to mediate refund-related aspects of complaints, even if the primary issue falls under another agency's jurisdiction
Amanda Farías
0:55:44
Do we know what types of patterns have come up?
Melissa Iachan
0:55:48
I'm happy to take that.
0:55:49
And I just want to note that local law 99 is not specifically incorporated into the current draft of this legislation.
0:55:57
Sure.
0:55:58
Of course, it is an important consumer protection.
0:56:00
And so
Amanda Farías
0:56:01
But there are components within this legislation that are impacting majorically related to response of of some of these?
Melissa Iachan
0:56:08
Not currently, but we look forward to working with you and hope to be Okay.
0:56:11
To incorporate because these are consumer protections into the law.
0:56:16
Now in terms of how we identify patterns, to the extent that we would receive more than one complaint about the same actor or more than one of the same type of complaint about actors within a small period of time, that's the sort of pattern that we put eye out for.
0:56:34
And in those cases, besides just trying to mediate those complaints, meaning we have professional mediators who go back and forth between the business and the consumer to try to make the consumer whole, We then open an investigation and begin looking closer at the alleged bad bad actor to potentially bring a case from our general counsel division against that bad actor.
0:56:58
We, of course, do that for any entity or business where we see these violations where they violate the consumer protection law.
0:57:05
But especially within our licensed categories, we license over 40 different categories.
0:57:09
This will be Sure.
0:57:10
43, I think.
0:57:12
So once we have the license, there's very specific things that we keep an eye out for, and we bring those cases either at oath or in state court.
Amanda Farías
0:57:21
Okay.
0:57:22
And again, just asking in terms of the type of, is there like a specific thing that you see 5% or 20% of the small, large, medium sized hotels continuously do.
0:57:33
I think that's one of the concerns that members have is I think sometimes we have tunnel vision with the multiples and hotels in our own districts, and what we know is like a pattern that we see continuously.
0:57:45
I'm more so interested in, like, do you see that there is a general pattern across the city that we're trying to mediate?
Melissa Iachan
0:57:52
So the only kind of major consistent complaint type that we have recognized is from consumers who are charged for things that they don't understand.
0:58:05
So that is where alpha junk scrutiny in the resort fees and junk fees has come from.
0:58:10
That is really the the prevalent sort of category.
0:58:14
Aside from that, we do get, you know, cleanliness and bed bug complaints, but those aren't within the purview of our agencies.
0:58:22
So we refer those out to the extent that those complaints also have an element of somebody seeking a refund.
0:58:27
We still try to mediate those.
Ilda Alvarez
0:58:29
Mhmm.
Melissa Iachan
0:58:29
But any sort of pattern that we identify thus far in terms of hotel complaints has really, really been about consumers being very confused about the type of fees they're charged.
