Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  04/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have repeatedly called the Gazette to cancel the peak deals paper that gets delivered to my house. Since calling to cancel I have followed up three more times because they keep throwing this paper in my yard and all over my neighborhood. It seems to me that nobody wants them and nobody even picks them up or throws them away they just become trash that is all over the streets. I find this detrimental to the environment and a nuisance of littering in our beautiful neighborhood. All I want is for them to stop throwing trash that I do not want in my yard on a weekly basis.

  

  Business response

  05/03/2022

  It is not our intent to deliver Peak Deals or any product that the resident has requested to be opted out of if this has occurred we apologize. We cannot control the weather (Aka) wind. Some residence enjoy getting the Peak Deals and have requested the delivery. Those individuals would have to call in and have the delivery stopped. The Home Delivery manager has been in contact with the delivery person. They have worked together to remove your address from any delivery list. Again, please accept our apologies.   

• Initial Complaint

  04/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This business continues to harass me through email daily for years. I have tried every way to make it stop - even emailing with the leadership and still they wont stop.

  

  Business response

  04/25/2022

  Customer has been removed from all ********************** email lists and a support ticket has been submitted to delete from all email databases.  The Gazette does not show any record of her clicking on the unsubscribe URL in any of the emails sent to her.
  

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. The unsubscribe button does not work or I would have used it.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************- *******

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had their online service for several years and paid through 12/7/21. We did not want to renew their service and stopped using the online service 11/21/21. I did not pay the invoice that I received. I did receive phone calls to renew the service. When I would call back, I always received a long hold time to speak to an agent and would leave a call back number. I do work and the times they would call me back, I was not available to take their call. I finally sometime in January did get a hold of someone and informed them to quit calling and I was not going to renew my service. I was not not told during that phone call that I would have to pay for service I did not use through that date. They are billing me for service from 12/7/21 through 1/26/22 in the amount of $50.41 that I did not use, and they confirmed this. This company is very difficult to contact via phone. I made 3 phone calls today to get a return call. It took them 2 hours to return my call. I had to make sure I was ready to receive their phone call, so I wouldn't have to wait another 2 hours. I spoke to ***** and she said they they checked their records and do not have any records of me calling in January. I have records of my outbound calls. Why do they think their call records are correct and my records are not? I don't feel I should pay for a service that I did not renew and did not use. They are not very customer service friendly.

  

  Business response

  04/13/2022

  A Gazette supervisor talked to **************** on Tuesday April 5th, 2022. She had called and left a message with the Vice President of The Gazette. She said she called and told us to stop her paper and should not owe the balance on her account  Since the call center is required to record every call, I had the call center pull the calls from the phone number the sub provided us. There were two calls one on 1/13 and one on 1/27 but there was never a message left for us to call her. She called and never went through the *** to talk to a rep. **** this call was past the date of when her paper had expired. Her expiation date was 12/15/2021. She said they never used it past the due date. Our digital team does show that on 12/20/2021 the sub was still using the online e-edition. We did send out 2 renewal notices which included digital invoices to the verified email address on the account. Communication also included automated calls letting the sub know the account was over due. The invoices sent out on 11/6/20 and 11/27/20 resulted in payment therefore The Gazette is sure the contact information is correct. The sub said she did not understand why we could not waive the $50.41 since the owner was rich. 

  After reviewing with the ** it was determined the sub utilized the product and received the communication that the account was due/past due for payment and the amount owed on the account would stay on the account until payment was made.

  Customer response

  04/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 16986678
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I have records on my phone of phone calls to The Gazette.  I reached out to them several times, and was on hold.  ********** are very long when calling.  I would leave a call back, and unfortunately there were times that I could not take the call.  As per the Gazette's records we did not use the online service past our service date.  I would think that if I did not renew a service, that I should not have to pay for the service.  Their system that you have to make a call to opt out is not a customer service friendly way to conduct business.  

  We did not use this service and feel we should not have to pay for the service.  They also need other options for people that work to cancel a service.  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Customer response

  04/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 16986678
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I again state that I do work, and when I did  make calls, it was to talk to a representative, not to be put in a que and wait for a call back.  I did talk to a representative at one point and told them that I did not want to renew and I did not want any more calls regarding renewing my subscription.  Unfortunately, I didn't ask who I was speaking with because I was in the middle of work and didn't have time to get the details.  By not renewing my subscription, I did not want to use their service any more.  That appears by the fact that we did not log in to use the service.  I think the Gazette needs to get a better system in place so customer's can talk to a representative at their convenience, not wait for a call back.  I only received 2 notices, 1 to renew and the other that they have have been trying to collect the balance due.  That is when this whole issue started.  

  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  The Gazette has been unable to provide the paper delivery service in a timely manner or at all that I paid for under our subscription. When I finally had enough with the lack of service I called to cancel and get a refund. They stated that they did not give refunds in these cases. They stated I agreed to that when I signed up. I countered with they broke that contract when they failed to uphold their end of the contract. If they cannot deliver the paper prior to noon each day or miss the delivery at all and make me call for a credit they are not doing their part of the contract. Therefore they are in breach of contract and I am due a refund of unspent funds.

  

  Business response

  04/05/2022

  Have been emailing this subscriber explaining the reason he is not getting his delivery at the same time each day is because we do not have a permanent carrier for his area. As with many businesses right now it has been very difficult to recruit new staff/independent contractors. We have increased pay and reconfigured routes attempting to have more timely delivery. This is something we work hard everyday to improve. 

  The Gazette does have a no refund policy. The terms and conditions on the back of every invoice has this information. (see attached) The Gazette tries very hard to communicate with their customers. They are very valuable to us but The Gazette will not be refunding this account.

  In the email chain that is attached, you will find the subscriber calling folks names and being condescending to Gazette staff. We are only here to help.

  This subscribers is set to stop as soon as the account balance is zero which is 6/22/22. This has been explained and understood by the subscriber. 

   

  Customer response

  04/06/2022

   
  Complaint: 16947986
  
  I am rejecting this response because: *********** failed to address any of the complaints the person who contacted me was flippant, condescending and rude.  She only kept on showing me the same document attached which does not address their failure to live up to their contract plain and simple.  This is a breach of contract issue that they have failed to address or offer any mitigation whatsoever.  I find their response ridiculous and deserving of words that will not put in this response. I not only reject their response I will do everything in my power to bash them on all social media platforms for the way they handled this.  Unacceptable on all levels.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Hans Van *****

  

  Business response

  04/07/2022

  The Gazette has stopped the account for 4/8/2022 and has submitted a refund for the remaining balance.

  Customer response

  04/08/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩