Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid for a full year of home delivery for the Northwest Florida Daily News ($359.52) on May 17th,. Since then, we have routinely missed 1 or 2 papers a week. As of January 15th, we have not received a paper at all. I have called to report the problem and my call gets sent to someone in Colombia. I have talked to at least 5 different people now, who assure me they are working to correct the problem, but cannot tell me why there is a problem or when it will be fixed. One told me it was due to weather and I would have a paper that afternoon. (The weather was fine, and there was no paper.) Finally, I told a representative to cancel my subscription and refund my remaining money. She said she would cancel my subscription, but it's against their policy to refund money. I said I was not paying for a service I wasn't getting and asked to speak to her supervisor. She told me the supervisor was busy. I asked if there was someone in the US I could talk to and she said no. I asked her if she knew why I couldn't get this problem resolved and she said no because she is in Colombia. Finally, after I told her this was unacceptable, she put me on hold (3X) and finally agreed to cancel my subscription and refund my unused portion to my credit card, which never happened. I found an email online in which to register a complaint. I received a standard "we are working to resolve your problem and maintain our excellent quality of service," reply. We have never received any other response as to why our problem cannot get resolved. All we want is the newspaper we paid for delivered as promised. I call every day and report the missed delivery to the automated service. Why is there no one locally I can speak to? Why does no one follow up or give us an explanation as to why we can't resolve this problem? I can't even get the subscription cancelled! Why do they have service representatives overseas who know nothing about our local issues and obviously blow me off and ignore my complaint?

  Business response

  02/20/2023

  February 16, 2023
  Ellen ******
  *** ********** ****
  Valparaiso, FL 32580
  Daytime Phone: ***** ********
  E-mail: doug.ellen.f***************
  
  Complaint #19399718
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Ms. ****** and the delivery of her paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Our automated services are designed to be user-friendly and help avoid holding the line for an agent. There are no local numbers available for customer service-related issues such as missed deliveries. Essentially, they both add the same complaints to an account. Any complaints lodged against a carrier are placed on the account automatically if subscribers use our automated services and our agents are diligent in placing missed delivery complaints and escalating excessive complaints. When a subscriber requests a credit for a missed delivery, the expiration date of the account is extended by one day; this is not reflected in renewal notices or online.  
  
  The only explanation customer service receives regarding delayed delivery is in the event of a carrier, production, editorial, or weather issue. This affects an entire route, and the notice is displayed online and when calling the customer service number. More than not, missed deliveries are due to human error and/or the loss of a carrier. In the event, a route is without a carrier, substitute carriers and members of management deliver the route to ensure delivery is executed. Our delivery team does not accept calls, nor do they reach out to subscribers; their working hours fall within a time that is not acceptable to contact any subscriber. Carriers are held accountable when the proper complaints are placed on accounts. This is the reason it is important that |missed deliveries are reported as they happen.  
  
  Ms. ******’s account has been documented and credited accurately based on the choice she made using the automated systems. I notified her carrier and their manager of his concerns and asked for an immediate correction. This will generate a resolution.  Her account remains active and if she wishes to cancel her subscription it will be scheduled for her paid-through date. For more information about our cancelation procedure, we ask that she visit ***************************************.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist 
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Online subscription was was cancelled approximately 6 months ago. They are calling me 3 or 4 times a day from similar #'s wanting more $$. I moved out of state and do not access the site. This is harassment...THEY NEED TO STOP!!!!

  Business response

  01/24/2023

  January 24, 2023
  William ********
  * ****** **
  Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
  Daytime Phone: ***** ********
  E-mail: ********@gmail.com
  
  Complaint #18811535
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Mr. ******** and his eNewspaper subscription. Based on his information, there are no prior cancelation requests nor contact with the publication. Mr. ********’s account was stopped on 12/29/2022 for nonpayment due to a past due balance of $16.50. This balance accumulated due to several failed attempts to collect payment from the credit card Mr. ******** provided with the initial order.
  
  Mr. ******** is receiving collection calls from our 3rd party vendor. These calls are automatically scheduled based on the amount due within the account. These calls will continue until the payment is made. The service was provided despite Mr. ******** choosing to use them or not.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist
  
  

  Customer response

  01/24/2023

  
  Complaint: 18811535
  
  I am rejecting this response because: It is bogus. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Williaml ********

  Business response

  01/30/2023

  January 30, 2023
  William ********
  * ****** **
  Hot Springs Village, AR 71909
  Daytime Phone: ***** ********
  E-mail: ********@gmail.com
  
  Complaint #18811535
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a rejection from your offices regarding Mr. ********. His rejection provided no details, but I will provide the following information:
  
  The following dates are dates in which MasterCard ending in **** was declined, 10/27, 10/31, 11/4, 11/8, 11/14, 11/18 and the last being 11/22. On 11/22, the system automatically changed his subscription from EZ-Pay to being an invoiced subscriber. I am able to provide a specific time if needed as well.
  
  Mr. ******** is receiving collection calls from our 3rd party vendor. These calls are automatically scheduled based on the amount due within the account. These calls will continue until the payment is made. As we stated, there has not been any contact with the publication concerning cancellation.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My credit card had been changed and the NWF daily news/ New York times tried to get in touch with me to get another credit card on file. When I called to cancel the subscription, the individual on the phone said for a few more dollars your subscription could continue for another month then it will be canceled. I gave them my new cc # and even called back the 1st part of November to verify my subscription would be canceled, at the end of November. They billed me again for December, I called again, customer Service which is located in the country of Columbia, and they said there was no record that I called or cancelled. I even said that I had to call to give them my cc. They said I could cancel on Dec. 8th but not get a refund.

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  December 19th, 2022  
  Frank ****** 
  **** ********** ** 
  Navarre, FL 32566 
  Daytime Phone: (850) ******** 
  E-mail: ***************** 
  
  Complaint #18534589 
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Mr. ****** and his refund issues. All Gannett subscriptions are stopped on their expiration date; therefore, a refund will not be processed. This is standard practice for all publications. As a courtesy, I have requested a refund of $14.90, this is the amount that remained in Mr. ******’s account at the time of his cancelation. We ask that he allow 7-10 business days to receive it back to his credit card.  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns. 
  
  Thank you, 
  Subscription Management Specialist  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I cancelled my subscriptio to the paper on may 2 and was due a refund. I called 2 weeks later as my credit card was not credited. I was told a refund was processed on 12 may. It is now 28 june and no refund. I called again today, and now was told they sent me a check. I have never received anything from this company, and only get the runaround. I would like your help in getting the refund i am entitled to

  Business response

  07/21/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/30) */ June 30TH 2022 James **** *** ******** Park Cir Mary Esther, FL 32569 Complaint #XXXXXXXX Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Mr. **** and his refund issues. Based on his information a refund check was processed on 5/12/22 and mailed via USPS. It has surpassed the 45-day waiting period and I reached out to our finance team to confirm if the check had been cashed. After completing their research, it was found the check was still outstanding. They have voided the original check and reissued another one to the address within this complaint. This can take up to 45 days to receive via USPS. The return address will not display the publication name. We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns. Thank you, Heather Subscription Management Specialist Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/06/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I have no alternative but to wait another 45 days for a check. I was told twice that my credit card was credited, and then now told they sent a check. this business is totally incompetent, not only when delivering papers but also when dealing with customers.

*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. ↩