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-   -   WooGoSucks.com -- Fox News Breaks the Story Tonight at 10PM (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/woogosucks-com-fox-news-breaks-the-story-tonight-at-10pm-612135/)

ibdkb May 1st, 2006 01:21 PM

WooGoSucks.com -- Fox News Breaks the Story Tonight at 10PM
 
In New York City, tune in tonight to WWORTV UPN 9 -- for Fox's I-Team report on WooGo and WooGo Lincoln Center Apartements.

This Monday, May 1st @ 10PM

I hope this is only the first of many stories.

www.WooGoSucks.com

p.s. I don't live in NYC, so I might not get to see it right away -- if you see it, let us know!



nina May 1st, 2006 01:46 PM

I'll tune in Kelly, I'll let you know tomorrow.

nytraveler May 1st, 2006 04:11 PM

You might be able to get it on the station's web site.

ibdkb May 1st, 2006 04:52 PM

Someone is letting me borrow their SlingBox -- I should be able to watch it, as long as my Internet connection holds out.

ibdkb May 1st, 2006 04:59 PM

Oh, and in another move of progress, Expedia has dropped all advertising for WooGo from TripAdvisor.com !!

xrae May 1st, 2006 05:43 PM

I just searched WWOR's website and I can't find any links for streaming video of the broadcast or of older stories. Even my dinky Tennessee station offers that!

If anyone finds a link to the report, please post it.

bellastarr May 1st, 2006 07:50 PM

Yes , can anyone post link to story because I didn't see anything on it on the website either.

Betsy May 1st, 2006 08:29 PM

Wow, I'm impressed. Would love to see the story here on the West Coast. Please keep updating the thread if it becomes widely available. You go, guy!

wantsomesun May 1st, 2006 10:42 PM

The news story was actually on UPN Channel 9 10pm news here in NYC tonight. The reporter who covered the segment was VERY through in describing in detail what was going on was highly illegal by NYC Building Department standards, and violated several fire codes.

The building workers denied that hotel rooms were being sold daily and that the building was only residential, so the reporter got a "reservation" at the facility and brought an undercover NYC Building Inspector, and an undercover camera. She even walked into the "lobby" of the building where there were at least 10 people trying to check in and the building workers were trying to get the camera crew out and still denied that anything illegal was going on.

The report was a good 5 minutes which is a long report and the producer and crew did a very good job trying to cover exactly what was going on.

Also according to the reporter Expedia and Hotels.com have now both dropped WooGoo from their list, so I'm guessing their "hotel" will be out of business by tomorrow. NYC Housing and the Department of Buildings have very little sense of humor with illegal workings like this, lots of codes being violated the owners are going to be in court for a long time.

I am also concerned for the tenants now, services will go downhill quickly.

wantsomesun May 1st, 2006 10:57 PM

I just emailed Orbitz Customer Service with the news about WooGoo being on the evening news here in NYC as an illegal hotel operation. You might do the same, it would sure help to get WooGoo shut down there as well.

bellastarr May 2nd, 2006 03:25 AM

I still can't find the story on the website this morning, so now I have contacted the Station to get detailed inofrmation.


ibdkb May 2nd, 2006 04:10 AM

Yes, it was a scathing story...

Very well done, I thought... and there is so much more to be told.

It ain't over yet!



(btw, UPN is owned by FOX)

joan May 2nd, 2006 04:14 AM

Yeah, the Little Guy Gets Heard!!!!

Well done, Kelly!

Partymonster May 2nd, 2006 04:21 AM

They don't appear to have links to any of their local stories on the site, just national Fox links. Too bad.

ibdkb May 2nd, 2006 04:31 AM

I'm trying to get permission from Fox to get a copy of the segment to put on the site. I'll let you know ...

GoTravel May 2nd, 2006 04:46 AM

Good job Kelly!

ibdkb May 2nd, 2006 05:03 AM

"according to the reporter Expedia and Hotels.com have now both dropped WooGoo from their list" ... yeah, that was one little blip. Fox took credit for Expedia and Hotels.com (both owned by IAC) stopping taking reservatoins, but I do think it was because I put up the ShameOnExpeida.com letter with the details and emailed all the IAC executives -- it was three hours after sending which the stopped it. (oh well!) -- the story was served excellently! The reporter pulled no punches.

What was *not* covered, was the history of WooGo. Also, on the 11th in Atlanta, FOX's sister station, WAGA is airing another story about this, with more of a vacationers slant. Tenatively slotted for 10pm, Thursday May 11th.

nina May 2nd, 2006 05:07 AM

Kelly, I forgot to mention that they also interviewed some of the hotel guests about the accomodations, and boy did they blast them. They gave the accomodations a huge thumbs down.

ibdkb May 2nd, 2006 05:14 AM

Nina, yes I got to see it!

It was amazing watching the reporter stand in the middle of a pack of tourists in the "lobby", raising her voice saying "this is not even supposed to be a hotel", while the management is trying to run her out!.

I also love that the management were all like cockroaches scattering at the light. The far-away spy shot of manager "Howie" was classic.

ibdkb May 2nd, 2006 05:17 AM

I do also know that Fox is tried to track down the corporate WooGo office in London. But the addresses listed were vacant when they arrived.


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