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Update: March 17, 2011
We spoke with the TLC after they reviewed our mailed-in complaint letter. We went over each of the double-charges on our statement and learned that the four charges that showed up on February 22 were in fact erroneous double charges.
The TLC official said that they have received numerous complaints about this. They explained to us that many cab drivers are still trying to discourage people from using credit cards. The drivers sabotage the meter so as to make it appear as if their system is unable to accept credit cards. When the passenger swipes their card the first time and the driver says, “It did not go through”, the charge did in fact go through. On one’s credit card statement, there will be a charge but no medallion will be associated with it. When the passenger swipes the second time, if the driver relents and enables the system, that charge will then be associated with a medallion.
If you see back-to-back identical charges from a NYC taxi on your billing statement, you were likely double charged. Look to see whether there are medallion numbers associated with each charge.
March 13, 2011
As if it were not bad enough in New York City to have many taxi drivers, years after the introduction of the credit card payment methods, still pretending to have broken credit card machines or becoming hostile and violent to passengers trying to use credit cards, the taxi drivers and cab companies are now double charging credit cards. BatteryPark.TV has been monitoring the monthly business card reports and has spotted numerous cases of identical, back-to-back, charges run through by taxi companies.
We are initiating a full investigation with our bank and the TLC. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, this is a link on the TLC web site related to these problems. You can file a complaint with the TLC at this address:
Pansy Mullings
Deputy Commissioner
Taxi and Limousine Commission
2455 BQE West
Woodside, NY 113377
Examples of double-charges to our business card account (click to enlarge)
