ComplaintsforThe Long Beach Independent Press Telegram

• Initial Complaint

  04/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My grandmother just passed away. On revieweing her bills, we found that the Long Beach Press-Telegram was charging her 5 times the posted (non-promotional) rate for subscription, apparently banking on her not noticing the gouging. She died a few weeks into a 26 week prepay they had given themselves, so we called to cancel and get a prorated refund. Their reply was "I'm sorry there's nothing we can do" -- quite the cop out. Their business model seems to be to scam old people.This is for ************** at ***************************************, Long Beach, ** *****

  Business response

  04/23/2024

  Thank you for writing us regarding the subscription for **************

  On review of the account I see that we received a call to stop delivery of the newspaper.

  The  agent handling your call requested a refund of the remaining balance which will be returned to the **** card used for payment.

  The amount of the balance is: $587.36

   

  Customer response

  04/23/2024

   
  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.  This is not what the agent told us when we called, but I am glad that we got to this resolution.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been charged each month $56.68 for newspaper delivery Thurs-Sun which clears my bank on about the 12th day. On Sunday I noticed that I had a missed delivery and went into the website to review my account everything looked reasonable and selected a "view on line" since I had missed the redelivery deadline. Today they charged my bank $180.64 and when I went to review my account online I noticed that my account was marked as "stopped". When I tried to contact them, I was told that my account was behind 3 mos. which is ridiculous since they charge me monthly. I asked to speak to a manager and waited on the line without anyone coming back to discuss my issue. I asked them for an itemized statement of account since there isn't any possible way my account can be 3 mos behind when they bill me monthly.

  Business response

  03/14/2024

  *******************************

  Thank you for contacting us via the Better Business Bureau web portal. We are members of the BBB and have a strong committment in resolving any and all disputes. In view of your account, I see that yes, regular automatic payments occured each month, but when the account was set up on these terms the account was in ****** So with time, the account was stopped.

  To correct this I have appled a three month credit onto your subscription and delivery will begin again tomorrow morning. I am able t offer you 7 day delivery at a reduced rate. Will you please let me know if you prefer only the Thurs-************ you had in the past and I will makje the change. I not have re-enrolled you onto EZ Pay terms so in approximately 2 1/2 months you will receive a renewal invoice in the mail.

  Your subscription will restart tomorow morning.

  Please contact me with any question on this matter

  Best regards,

  *************************

  Manager of Customer Relations

  ******************* New Group

   

  Customer response

  03/15/2024

   
  Complaint: 21422087
  
  I am rejecting this response because: My account was continually charged monthly,  it should have never been in "grace" ************* I do not want your paper and I did not authorize anything beyond the monthly charge.  I want a refund for the charge of $180.64.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  Business response

  03/28/2024

  *******************************

  I am sorry to learn that you have decided against having the credit applied to future deliveries.

  As I explained in a prior communication,payments were being applied while the account was in ****** and our operating system is designed to bill in advance. Our customer service agent attempted to explain details of this when you called on 3/12.  To bring closure to this, we have refunded $180.64. A check will be cut and mailed to your subscritption address.  Hopefully one day in the future you will give us the opportunity again to deliver The Press Telegram tio your home.

  - *************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had ordered delivery service of the Press Telegram newspaper on August 2022. I am supposed to get the paper every Thursday-Sunday...I have not received one paper as of yet. I've emailed and called numerous times (they have the records), yet they just keep saying sorry, and give me a small extension on my payments (not sufficient to cover for what I've already spent). I've payed at least $100 (bank statements can be provided) for this service (anywhere between $13-$22 a month for the months I was not granted an extension), yet not one delivery of the paper to show for it. The most frustrating thing is that they will not offer any refunds for this lack of service. So basically, I'm stuck. I do have bank statements, however there are too many pages to attached. I can provide them if needed later.

  Business response

  06/15/2023

  I begin with an apology for our failure is delivering a paper to you. Your account includes detail on the number of times you have contacted us to report the non-delivery. Per your request I am issuing a refund for $137.75, which is the total amount you have paid.  The amount will be sent back to your **** Card ending is 4231 

   

  Customer response

  06/20/2023

   
  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,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 28, 2022 I called the Press Telegram to renew my newspaper subscription for another year. The start date was October 13, 2022 and the end date is October 13, 2023. The price, paid with my credit card, was $287.14. The subscription included home delivery seven days a week. I have been receiving the paper every day with no complaint.Two days ago, on March 30, 2023, I received a postcard in the mail from the Southern ********************* stating the following: Valued SubscriberSupply chain prices continue to be at an all-time high and have reached a level where we can no longer absorb the costs. Therefore, we will be implementing a temporary surcharge related to these price increases. The surcharge will remain separate from our usual charges and will be debited from your subscription fees. Based on your delivery schedule, the surcharge will be up to $0.15 per delivery day. Your subscription term will be shortened as a result.I do not believe this is a fair business decision. I paid for a one-year subscription at an agreed upon price. Now, the Southern ********************* / Press Telegram is changing the terms of the agreement.I do not want a surcharge debited from my subscription fees and I do not want my subscription term shortened.

  Business response

  04/04/2023

  We have reached out to the customer and worked out a resolution. 
  
  The complaint came as a result of the Service Surcharge we notified customers of. Customer does not want to lose any days because of this charge. 
  So, we have added a non-cash adjustment equal to the charges we would have placed between April 15th (the first week of the 15 cent a day charge).
  
  Customers subscription expiration date will NOT change as this account is already pre-paid.
  Because this charge is "temporary" we do not know, at this time, if her future subscription renewal will be affected. We apologize for the confusion caused.

  Customer response

  04/04/2023

   
  Complaint: 19884378
  
  I am rejecting this response because a portion of the Long Beach Independent Press Telegram response is untrue: "We have reached out to the customer and worked out a resolution."  I have not been contacted by anyone from this company concerning this issue.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

  Business response

  04/05/2023

   On 4/5/23 Manager ************************* called customer but no answer. A message was left explaining his subscription dates will not be affected for the time he has already paid, he also provided his contact information for him.

  Voice message left explains: "On 1/19/2023 we received a payment of  $393.60 to pay for 52 weeks of service. Customers new expiration date is 1/20/2024, and we have coded your account so you will lose no days caused by our temporary service surcharge. We apologize for any inconvenience caused". 

• Initial Complaint

  03/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i was billed $516 for annual renewal of subscription with no prior notice and did not enroll in auto renewal. this occured on 3/1/23, i called the customer service line and was told iniaitally that they did not issue refunds. after to speaking to 2nd level supervisor I was told it would to be escalated to customer resolution and would be contacted within 5 days . 10 days later I called again and was told that it would be escalated again. most recent call was 3/23 and was told I should have a refund by EOB 3/27. as of today PM 3/27 no reply or refund. please contact me via email or direct call to ************.

  Business response

  03/30/2023

  I have spoken with the customer and have resolved the issue. Per our conversation, a partial refund in the amount of $300.78 will be mailed within the next 2 weeks and the remaining balance will be used to renew the subscription for the next year. We are happy to hear that the customer decided to give us another chance and continue their valuable support for the Long Beach Press Telegram. 

  -*******, **************

• Initial Complaint

  01/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I would like to cancel my subscription, but this business is making it very difficult to do so. I accessed my account on their website and clicked a link to cancel my subscription, and a message popped up and said that I have to call their circulation department to do so. I have called twice, and have been placed on hold for over 20 minutes each time to reach someone who is authorized to cancel my subscription. My only desired resolution is to just cancel my subscription. I do not want a sales pitch designed to try to get me to keep the subscription, I just want it cancelled. My account number is **********

  Business response

  01/27/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2023/01/24) */ Contact Name and Title: ******* Customer Relation Contact Phone: ********** Contact Email: ************************ Hello Ms. ******, thank you for using the**** portal to reach us! When you tried cancelling online, it should have prompted a message letting you know that your request was received and will be processed. Rest assured it is never our intention to make it hard for our readers to cancel should they decide to. We've submitted this issue to our IT team for review and have this fixed as soon as possible. Regarding your subscription, we're sorry to see you go. Please use this message as confirmation that your subscription is scheduled to end on 1/26/2023. If further assistance is needed, please let us know by emailing us directly at [email protected] or you may call me directly at **************. I will be more than happy to assist you. We're sorry to see you go, but we understand. Thank you for having been a loyal reader and we hope you have a wonderful day! Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2023/01/26) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) My subscription was cancelled per my request.

• Initial Complaint

  01/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I subscribed to the LB Press Telegram on December 11, 2022, paid $15.00, and still have not received a newspaper. I was charged again on January 10, 2023 for the subscription, the paper has never once been delivered. The delivery location is an assisted living home so I asked for my name and apartment number to be written on the delivery to make sure it gets to me. The receptionist is aware I have subscribed and has been looking for the paper to place it in my apartment. No luck. I'd like to receive the paper but am considering cancelling. I'm paying but not receiving....bad form.

  Business response

  01/26/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2023/01/19) */ Thank you for reaching out via the ********************** web portal. In review of the account I see the paper should be delivered to an address in********. I also see the number of calls to us on this. Being that ************************************ our carrier is unable to deliver the paper directly to room 203. Have you spoken with the onsite Manage on this? Once we drop the papers at the desk or outside the main entrance, is someone assigned to deliver the paper to the rooms? I have dropped a credit of $15.00 onto the account as a courtesy and will double check with the distribution team asking them write the room number of the pastic wrap of the newspaper. As an addtional courtesy, I am able to upgrade the account to a 7 day delivery as opposed to only 4 days. tHere will be no additional cost for the upgrade. Please let me know if this is something you would like Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2023/01/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Thanks, the paper has now been arriving. Thanks, too, for the extra delivery days, extension of the annual enrollment period and refund for the days the paper was not delivered.

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have already filed a complaint against this company for scamming me. Now they will not stop harassing me with phone calls. I have told them 3 times to remove me from their list but they call multiple times a week and will not stop. This is harassment at this point and I have told this to their reps. This needs to stop immediately.

  Business response

  12/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/12/01) */ The phone number ************* has been added to our DO NOT CALL lists

• Initial Complaint

  10/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was inside ******************************** and there was a gentlemen named *********, who signed me up for this subscription, I was already semi hesitant and had a bad feeling but signed up anyways. I wish I didn't. He told me it was prepaid and handed me cash to pay for the first term. He wrote his number and the date of when my card would be recharged for the future subscription. He wrote on the sheet that on 10/28/22 I would be recharged. Well that was a complete scam and lie. They charged me on 10/7/2022. I called them today to find out why they charged me earlier than what I was told in person by their representative. They refused to refund me. I made sure my account was canceled at this point. This is complete scam. I am worried about other people being scammed by this company. It is not right to tell a customer one date of the charge and then instead charge them 3 weeks early. I told them I would be contacting the *** if they did not refund me and they still refused. My next call is to my bank to let them know I did not approve this charge. Attached is the picture of my receipt with the date from the rep & phone number who wrote this on my receipt. I still want my refund.

  Business response

  11/09/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/11/07) */ I am sorry to learn the sales agent, who sold you the subscription, misstated the facts. The initial payment covered delivery till 10/16 but we normally charge auto pay customers one week prior to the expiration date. I do see that you have already disputed the charge of $20.38 with your bank and the funds have been returned to you. At this point, there is nothing to refund. Please accept my sincere apology for all inconvenience caused by this Consumer Response /* (2000, 10, 2022/11/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Yes I did receive the refund from my bank. Reps should not be pressuring people to sign up and giving false dates and information. That is scam behavior. You can't tell someone when their card will be charged and then charge even a week earlier. This information needs to be told ahead of time.

• Initial Complaint

  08/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased an online subscription to the Long Beach Press Telegram because ************************************** is having a reunion to honor our swim coach. **************************** was a major swim program in the 1970's. I am looking for articles about *** back in the late 1960's and 1970's. I found one dated Sun. 7/27/69. I paid to reference it and download it, etc. However, now I can't print or download page 2 of the article. I would like to review other articles about *** in the early 1970's as well. But this article I really want- and I can't get Page 2 of it. I have called LB Press Telegram several times, and they can't find my account. I know I have an account with them, because they charge me I think $17.95 / month to access all their online articles going back to the 1960's. In fact, I think I have two accounts with them. I first ordered the lower priced option, but it didn't give me what I want. Now I can't view Page 2 of the article ************************************************************* If they could just get me the other pages other than Page 1, I will be happy. But I can't seem to get it. I would like to get any articles about *************************************** from the early to mid 1970's if possible. But, I really want the last page of the above referenced article,. It has some great stories and quotes I want to use at our reunion on Sat. 9/10/22. Our coach *************** Can you assist? My e-mail attached to my account is ********************* Every time I call, they say they can't find my account. I don't get it. Then why are they charging me ( twice, I think)?

  Business response

  09/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/31) */ *********** I am sorry to say that I cannot locate an account using the information provided in this filing. Will you please send your full address. Also, will you please send me the URL for the page you are attempting to print. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/09/06) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I reached out to*************** (I found their web site when I went to Long Beach Press Telegram's web site), and told them of the situation about five days ago. I have received no response. LB Press Telegram appears to be trying to distance itself from an issue that they actively promote on their own web site. They have left me stranded -- paying a fee for a service and neither party responding to the issue. It's ridiculous. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/09/06) */ Mr. ****** We have informed you that you should contact ************** to resolve your dispute. The issue is not with ******************************* I am sure a representative at ************** will be able to walk you through the process of printing out what you ordered on their web pages. If unsuccesful in reaching them you may consider other options, including disputing the fee thru your bank.

*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. ↩