Website fined $200,000 for listing illegal parking lots near JFK Airport
A website will pay a $200,000 fine for listing illegal parking lots near John F. Kennedy International Airport on its app.
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) said Way.com profited from the listings while consumers reported junk fees, bait-and-switch pricing, damaged vehicles and stolen property.
CBS News New York reported on this company after we received complaints from drivers.
The DCWP said Way.com was ordered to not list illegal lots.
"With this action, we're really cutting of the head of the snake," DCWP Commissioner Samuel A.A. Levine said. "We're making sure that these unlicensed garages are not going to be able to thrive because they'll no longer have Way.com referring consumers in their direction."
In a statement, Way.com said:
"Way.com's priority has always been to protect customers and provide a reliable parking experience. We take these issues seriously, particularly where consumers may have had negative experiences with third-party parking operators.
"It is important to clarify that Way.com does not own or operate these parking facilities. These facilities are independently operated by third-party parking operators, and Way.com serves as a technology platform that helps customers discover and reserve parking.
"Way.com would never knowingly enable unlicensed facilities to operate or engage in conduct that harms consumers. To the contrary, Way.com was also misled by operators who represented that they were authorized to operate and list parking through our platform. We strongly disagree with any characterization suggesting that Way.com intentionally facilitated, enabled, or benefited from deceptive conduct.
"We also disagree with the suggestion that Way.com 'knowingly profited off this deception.' Way.com's platform is designed to provide customers with a convenient way to find and reserve parking, not to facilitate unlawful conduct by third-party operators. Any suggestion that Way.com knowingly enticed consumers into improper transactions is inaccurate and inconsistent with our values and business practices.
"Way.com relies on the City's licensing process to determine whether parking operators are authorized to operate. We understand the City's strategy of looking to distribution platforms to help enforce its regulations, and we are complying with the City's requirements.
"Now that Way.com has a better understanding of the City's concerns, we are committed to working collaboratively with the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and continuing to invest our own resources into compliance, customer protection, and operator verification. Our goal is to help ensure that only properly licensed operators are permitted to list parking on our platform and that customers can book parking with confidence."
