Avoid WooGo Group and Expedia.com -- Worst Travel Story Ever.
May 18th, 2006, 07:16 PM
#81
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KELLY, JOB WELL DONE. I don't think this would have happened if you had not gotten on the company's case and turned up the heat.
Congratulations it's nice to see the end of the story start to come out really well.
Congratulations it's nice to see the end of the story start to come out really well.
May 19th, 2006, 07:16 AM
#82
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You are welcome! Many thanks to this whole Fodor community for helping this story come into full scope. My family and many other travelers and residents appreciate all the given resources, assistance and enablement.
I just got word that UPN 9 is going to do a follow-up segment. I believe this one is focusing on the mother shown in the first newcast who apparently is being falsely accussed of unruly children and is being illegally evicted. The landlords are actually taking her to court.
If anyone knows of anyone else currently being evicted in that building, please send me the details to pass along. Thanks.
I just got word that UPN 9 is going to do a follow-up segment. I believe this one is focusing on the mother shown in the first newcast who apparently is being falsely accussed of unruly children and is being illegally evicted. The landlords are actually taking her to court.
If anyone knows of anyone else currently being evicted in that building, please send me the details to pass along. Thanks.
May 19th, 2006, 10:28 AM
#83
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News: Google Adwords are back, along with yet another domain name, to help search engine seeding: www.woogo-hotel-reviews.com
May 19th, 2006, 12:34 PM
#84
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I'm trying to post for the first time so here goes....
I am a resident on 64th St. They are trying to move us over to 63rd street so that they can keep 64th Street strictly for hotel use. If we don't move, then they are going to increase our rent by 50%!!!! This is wrong. If they do raise our rent, we will raise hell.
Any ideas other than threats?
I am a resident on 64th St. They are trying to move us over to 63rd street so that they can keep 64th Street strictly for hotel use. If we don't move, then they are going to increase our rent by 50%!!!! This is wrong. If they do raise our rent, we will raise hell.
Any ideas other than threats?
May 19th, 2006, 01:31 PM
#85
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You can call Barbara Nevins Taylor, she is a reporter working on this story at UPN 9. The general newsroom phone is 201-330-2258. You can also try your local 311 to try to file a formal complaint or get more specific information. I'm not a NYC resident, but if you email me at [email protected], I'll pass your info along to those contacts I have, including other residents who are trying to organize.
May 19th, 2006, 06:28 PM
#86
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Concernednow. I am also a tenant here. If what you are saying is true - this is a chand in Howard Silverman's tactics. The reason they may be forcing folks to the W 63rd side is because the apartments on the 63rd side are rent stabilized and the apartments on the W 64th side are not - which is my understanding. You cant evict tenants living in rent stabilized apartments but you can in non rent stabilized - and it's against the law. The NYC Dept of Buildings recently started cracking down on all this and fining them $2500 a day for the first of eight buildings undergoing illegal conversion. They probably are trying to salvage their shady operation by moving the tenants left into the rent stabilized areas where they face MAJOR penalties and continue converting the non rent stabilized apartments to the WooGo. It's still illegal but the infractions harder to prove on the non rent stabilized. I agree with ibdkb:
1. Call Barbara Nevins Taylor as she is covering the illegal evictions in our bldg and is looking for more tenants facing illegal eviction. 2. call your NYC Councilwoman Gale Brewer.
3. I posted a resource guide for tenants on woogone.com with more protection resources. It's the same handout that I have been handing tenants when we identify each other in the West 63rd side. The safest way for tenants to join together is thru the woogone.com website.
If you havent figured it out - the tenants and tourist have joined the fight against Raz Ofer's WooGo scam and our dispicable landlord Howard Silverman.
1. Call Barbara Nevins Taylor as she is covering the illegal evictions in our bldg and is looking for more tenants facing illegal eviction. 2. call your NYC Councilwoman Gale Brewer.
3. I posted a resource guide for tenants on woogone.com with more protection resources. It's the same handout that I have been handing tenants when we identify each other in the West 63rd side. The safest way for tenants to join together is thru the woogone.com website.
If you havent figured it out - the tenants and tourist have joined the fight against Raz Ofer's WooGo scam and our dispicable landlord Howard Silverman.
May 19th, 2006, 06:58 PM
#87
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One more suggestion: File an abuse complaint with RackSpace.com, WooGo's Hosting Provider. Their website, hosted on RackSpace's network, violates the RackSpace AUP about hosting web sites with illegal activity.
You will notice "Lincoln Center" as "Hotel of the Month" at WooGo.com -- You will want to email [email protected] . The more complaints that come into a network provider, the better.
You will notice "Lincoln Center" as "Hotel of the Month" at WooGo.com -- You will want to email [email protected] . The more complaints that come into a network provider, the better.
May 21st, 2006, 11:54 AM
#88
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Wantsomesun? I wanted to ask you about the Jitney Services? Do you know if this this bus still picks up on Coral Harbour Roadin Nassau. I am headed to Nassau on the 16th of June and need to catch a Mail Boat at Potters Cay at 1pm. I get in at 11pm so I guess I need to know so I can get a moving once I land. Thanks a lot. Hope to hear from you
May 24th, 2006, 06:16 PM
#89
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This letter of appreciate is extended to everyone here who helped. Thank you.
-----------------------
Dear Mr. Britt,
My name is Edline Jacquet and I work for State Senator Liz Krueger in New York City and I just wanted to thank you for putting together such a useful and comprehensive website on Woogo and this whole illegal hotel issue. Senator Krueger helped to form with City Councilwoman Gail Brewer, an Illegal Hotels Task Force, that is working on ending this terrible practice and trying to shut down these illegal hotels. We are actually having our third Task Force meeting tomorrow morning and I was forwarded your wonderful website by a housing organizer here in the city. So in preparation for the meeting, I checked it out and I ended up reading almost everything and was on it for quite while. It's just great and I am so glad there are people out there like you who are willing to fight the good fight and stand up for what's right and be willing to inform other people and tourists like yourself about what's going in circumstances like this. You've done a phenomenal job getting all of this media attention on this issue and becoming a repository of information and comments for other people who've been taken advantage of by WooGo. I just wanted to let you know a group of concerned citizens, tenants in many other buildings that exist like this, housing organizers, community groups and elected officials are working very hard to stop this illegal practice. It is terrible because not only is it ruining many people's vacations here, it is also giving New York City a bad name. Believe me, not all New Yorkers are dishonest like these WooGo people. Hopefully, we will have some serious investigations done soon in buildings like Woogo Lincoln Center and enact legislation to prevent this awful practice that destabilizes buildings. I am so sorry that you appear to now to being threatened by some of these disreputable companies but it seems like one of them - this "John" person appears t be bogus. Also, these companies are breaking New York City building codes laws and these buildings are illegal hotels, so it's so it's really wrong and ironic for them to try to be suing you for slander or libel when they are the ones actively breaking the law. And they've actually been in the news and on camera doing it! Incredible. But anyway, I just wanted to thank you again so much for all of your efforts on behalf of the Senator and our office. You've done a great service for a city you don't even live in and for many people who you don't even know. Hopefully, there will be some positive news about the end of this practice soon.
Take care and keep up the good fight & the great work,
-Edline
--
Edline Jacquet
District Office of State Senator Liz Krueger
-----------------------
Dear Mr. Britt,
My name is Edline Jacquet and I work for State Senator Liz Krueger in New York City and I just wanted to thank you for putting together such a useful and comprehensive website on Woogo and this whole illegal hotel issue. Senator Krueger helped to form with City Councilwoman Gail Brewer, an Illegal Hotels Task Force, that is working on ending this terrible practice and trying to shut down these illegal hotels. We are actually having our third Task Force meeting tomorrow morning and I was forwarded your wonderful website by a housing organizer here in the city. So in preparation for the meeting, I checked it out and I ended up reading almost everything and was on it for quite while. It's just great and I am so glad there are people out there like you who are willing to fight the good fight and stand up for what's right and be willing to inform other people and tourists like yourself about what's going in circumstances like this. You've done a phenomenal job getting all of this media attention on this issue and becoming a repository of information and comments for other people who've been taken advantage of by WooGo. I just wanted to let you know a group of concerned citizens, tenants in many other buildings that exist like this, housing organizers, community groups and elected officials are working very hard to stop this illegal practice. It is terrible because not only is it ruining many people's vacations here, it is also giving New York City a bad name. Believe me, not all New Yorkers are dishonest like these WooGo people. Hopefully, we will have some serious investigations done soon in buildings like Woogo Lincoln Center and enact legislation to prevent this awful practice that destabilizes buildings. I am so sorry that you appear to now to being threatened by some of these disreputable companies but it seems like one of them - this "John" person appears t be bogus. Also, these companies are breaking New York City building codes laws and these buildings are illegal hotels, so it's so it's really wrong and ironic for them to try to be suing you for slander or libel when they are the ones actively breaking the law. And they've actually been in the news and on camera doing it! Incredible. But anyway, I just wanted to thank you again so much for all of your efforts on behalf of the Senator and our office. You've done a great service for a city you don't even live in and for many people who you don't even know. Hopefully, there will be some positive news about the end of this practice soon.
Take care and keep up the good fight & the great work,
-Edline
--
Edline Jacquet
District Office of State Senator Liz Krueger
May 24th, 2006, 07:35 PM
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Kelly, I just had another thought for you. The Borough President's office in Manhattan is another really helpful office and this situation should be brought to the attention of the Borough President.
May 24th, 2006, 07:46 PM
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Good for you, Ibdkb.
You're wrong El Swainer. If you actually followed this from the beginning and read every post from every thread related to this con game Woogo has been playing, you'd know that.
You're wrong El Swainer. If you actually followed this from the beginning and read every post from every thread related to this con game Woogo has been playing, you'd know that.
May 24th, 2006, 07:49 PM
#94
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Let's see, I post a thank you letter from the NYC Senator's office, and the first response is off-topic and personal. How cool is that?! 
"ibdkb and cgny the same person" -- I'm sure Fodor's Editors see the originating IP address of postors and know that we are different. I didn't even know cgny was around tonight, just got lucky I guess.
cgny, it would be better if you spread your responses out a bit to keep the thread at the top longer, thanks.
"ibdkb and cgny the same person" -- I'm sure Fodor's Editors see the originating IP address of postors and know that we are different. I didn't even know cgny was around tonight, just got lucky I guess.
cgny, it would be better if you spread your responses out a bit to keep the thread at the top longer, thanks.
May 25th, 2006, 01:09 PM
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Is this accusation of me being the same person as ibdkb like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson being the same person?
Im a family doc in NYC and working for Columbia U and live in the apartment bldg in question. ibdkb lives in Atlanta with his family and was the fleeced tourist. Last time I checked he was a white man and I was Latino-Asian. No somos la misma persona.
Onward - upward - and back to the subject. The hearing results from today should be posted in a few days.
P.S. I'd rather be Janet. I called it first!
Im a family doc in NYC and working for Columbia U and live in the apartment bldg in question. ibdkb lives in Atlanta with his family and was the fleeced tourist. Last time I checked he was a white man and I was Latino-Asian. No somos la misma persona.
Onward - upward - and back to the subject. The hearing results from today should be posted in a few days.
P.S. I'd rather be Janet. I called it first!
May 26th, 2006, 06:17 AM
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The NYC Dept of Buildings hearing set for the second of eight buildings in the complex (239 West 63rd St) was postponed for a second time (April 2006 to May 25 2006) to 06/29/2006 for undisclosed reasons. On the positive side, all eight of the buidings now have active citations and pending hearings set for most of the months of June and July - with each guilty verdict rendering $2,500 a day fine (as was the verdict with the first building - 235 West 63rd St - and hearing). Bad news - it appears the WooGo / West 63rd Realty did not bother to show up at the first two hearings. The question is - does the NYC Dept of Bldgs have teeth? In the meantime - the reviews about WooGo Lincoln Center on most travel talk web sites continues to show horror story after horror story (www.tripadvisor.com, etc.) Will keep you all posted.
May 26th, 2006, 07:58 AM
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The Department of Buildings absolutely has teeth and they have no problem shutting things down. ALSO get in touch with the Borough President's office, that may be one of the better resources as well.
Jul 18th, 2008, 07:14 AM
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Raziel Ofer was finally caught by authorities:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07182008...biz_120454.htm
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07182008...biz_120454.htm
Jul 18th, 2008, 07:39 AM
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bork: Thanks for the update.
It took them long enough to put a stop to it. It's interesting that they didn't stop him due to his bad/illegal business but instead stopped him due to failure to pay state and city taxes.
I'm glad they caught him.
It took them long enough to put a stop to it. It's interesting that they didn't stop him due to his bad/illegal business but instead stopped him due to failure to pay state and city taxes.
I'm glad they caught him.
