Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I've been working on this problem for months and have not gotten a sensible answer from the San Francisco Chronicle. My mother, ***** ***, died in October 2024. I cancelled her subscription to the San Francisco Chronicle on 12/5/24, effective 12/13/24. The paper did stop being delivered but we haven't received the promised refund check. We paid $741 on 7/2/24, check # **** and were told we would receive a refund check in the amount of $414.46 for the unused portion of the subscription. We never received the check. I have written to the Chronicle about not receiving the check a few times, and called. They said, "the account was closed", or "ask your bank". The mailing address was **** ***** ***** **** ******** ** *****, and the account was under the name of ***** ***. I don't know what the account number is but they can track the account using the mailing address.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/12/2025

  Hello Ms. M*****,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience with receiving your refund.
  
  I can confirm that a refund check for $414.46 was issued on December 13, 2024. Since you have yet to receive it, I will follow up with our finance department to verify that the check has not yet been cashed and then we can re-issue it. I will go ahead and update you via the email address you provided once I have more information. 

  Please let me know if you have and other questions and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/12/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because (actually I'm not rejecting it, I'm thrilled with your response, but I would like the case to stay open until I have a refund check in hand. I trust that will happen in due time but in case there's another glitch I don't want to have to start over with the BBB.)

  Sincerely,
  
  Elaine M*****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2025

  Hello Ms. M*****,

  Thank you for the update. I have been notified by our finance department that we can void the previous check and reissue it under your name and the new address:
  
  **** ****** ***
  ********* ** *****
  
  Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I'm rejecting your response ONLY because I would like the case to stay open until I have a refund check in hand. I trust that will happen in due time but in case there's another glitch I don't want to have to start over with the BBB.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Elaine M*****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/27/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  See Attachment

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Hello Ms. ******************* you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle regarding your subscription billing.
  
  I apologize for the incorrect explanation that was given to you regarding our rates. When you started your account in 2018. You were at a discounted rate of $12.40 per week. (For context, the full price of a 7-day subscription currently is $28.45 per week.) You were not being charged for the full price during the entire period from 2018 to 2024. The promotional rate your subscription was on are only valid for one billing cycle, after that, instead of reverting you to a full price subscription, we instead offer the next best available discount. At the time of your call to switch to a digital only subscription in 2023, you were being charged at $17.25 per week. Our digital only subscriptions are price very differently from our print products and are much cheaper. 
  
  In an effort to retain your account, the agent you spoke with approved a rate of $7.00 per week. This is not a valid offer and we do not have subscribers priced at this rate. I will review this matter with this agent to prevent any further occurrences, but we cannot offer any refunds because your account was not overcharged. We can refund the most recent payment on the account a cancel the subscription at your request.
  
  Please let me know what you decide to do and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/06/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up for a 3 month trial of digital SF Chronicle at a very good price (don't remember price). I was disappointed in the content and tried to cancel after the first month. There is no simple way to cancel online as with most subscriptions. I found two numbers to call for cancellation. One (415 number) has a phone tree that did not recognize the tones on my phone. The other one (800 number) led me through questions asking my phone number and number of my home address, and would then say it could not find my subscription and start me at the beginning and never got beyond that circle. I could find no other number to call anyone. I started trying again two weeks ago. Daily. Finally today, on the 14th or 15th day, I got through, apparently right after they have billed me beyond the trial period. They said their call center had been very busy. I explained that it wasn't long waits - it was the phone tree loop. They said that was about their call center being busy (What?) They are refusing to reimburse that charge. They promised to send a cancellation notice today by email and I did not receive it. This is not about the money. This is about a very "scamy" business practice of hooking someone on a cheap trial, and then holding them hostage and not allowing a release. I think there should be a way for any subscriber to immediately cancel a subscription if they wish - online or by phone. I'd also like a reimbursement for what they just charged me to continue a subscription that I didn't want and tried for two months to cancel (11.96)- but that is about the principle, not the money. It is far less important than changing their business practices. I have found lots of conversation about this online as well about this being a big scam. Thank you for listening.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/18/2025

  Hello Karen,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience.

  I will go ahead and issue the refund of $11.96 as requested. Please note that we only have introductory discounted rates that are subject to change. We do not offer any free trials and our terms and conditions clearly state that the card used at checkout will be used for the renewal. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Business Response

  Date: 02/18/2025

  Hello Karen,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience.

  I will go ahead and issue the refund of $11.96 as requested. Please note that we only have introductory discounted rates that are subject to change. We do not offer any free trials and our terms and conditions clearly state that the card used at checkout will be used for the renewal. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/18/2025

  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. I appreciate the action taken as well. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Karen C*********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/03/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In July 2024, I paid the Chronicle .99 cents for a 6 month trial membership, after which point I'd be billed. I just needed access to one article, and shortly after this (a couple of weeks), I gained subscription access at work - so I cancelled the trial membership, which took several attempts as they make it as difficult as possible to do. But I was sure I succeeded. Fast forward 6 months and the Chronicle bills me for an entire year subscription, $122, even though I cancelled my trial. Not only that, but the original terms said I could be charged $19.96 every four weeks. I challenged it with my credit card company, which credited my account. Now the ******************** says I can't cancel because I have an outstanding balance of $122 that I will need to pay before cancelling. This is straight up fraud.They call all the time and I assume, at some point, will take this to collections? This is the shadiest business practice I have ever encountered and I can't believe it is legal, especially in **********. I would like my (imaginary) balance zeroed out and the SF Chronicle to remove all of my information from it's database, and end further harassment immediately. I would like something to change so they can't do this to other people, too - people who do not know that they are victims of fraud or do not have the ability to challenge it.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/04/2025

  Hello ****,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. Upon reviewing your account, I did not find a record of any cancellation requests submitted or processed prior to the renewal date. I do apologize for the difficulty in getting your subscription stopped after the initial promotion period. Given that the payment has been charged back, we will be stopping your account effective immediately and waiving any balance on the account. Furthermore, we will remove you from our calling lists. Thank you for reading the Chronicle.

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/04/2025

  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

  Date:01/09/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was on a free-trial period and had been trying to cancel it multiple occasions. Customer service never picked up my call or returned my emails. There is no information on my online account about my subscription, so I assumed it was cancelled. Then, unexpected significantly higher prices were charged after promotional period ended without any notification or receipt even though it is clearly stated that “my paperless bill notifications will be sent to ************************” (my email address)/ I could finally speak with the customer service on phone after the charges were made, and received the bills. But the whole process was very misleading.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/21/2025

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. 

  The subscription was started online as a $0.25 for 4 months promotional offer. It was not a free trial and the subscriber provided their credit card. The subscriber also agreed to the terms and conditions of the account which indicated that their card would be charged the regular rate at the end of the promotional period.

  With that said, I've gone ahead and moved the cancellation date to the next available day (1/22/25) and the remaining balance of $5.70 will be refunded to the card on file. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist with and thank you for your assistance with a mutual customer.

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/23/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  San Francisco Chronicle Subscription Charge Subscription fee after 6 months charged without my consent. Please waive off the fee.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/26/2024

  Hello,

  The subscription was started through our self-checkout page online where the customer provided their credit card info and agreed to the terms and conditions which informed them that it would automatically renew at the end of the promotional period. Regarding the past due amount on the account, I've gone ahead and waived the balance.

  Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I subscribed to the San Francisco Chronicle on 7/19/24 with a 3-month promo. I called to cancel within 2 weeks. On 10/21/24 I saw that my credit card was charged for the renewal at $19.96.I called on 10/25/24 and they said they saw I called in in July 2024 but that I had decided to keep my subscription, which was incorrect. He said he would reprocess for a full refund within 7-10 business days and gave me a confirmation code of 1809. As no refund was issued, I called on 11/12/24 and the representative said that it would be processed within 7-10 business days the month AFTER canceling. He said I would see the refund by 11/15/24. I have seen no refund and at this point am exhausted from calling.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/19/2024

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the difficulty with receiving your refund.

  I've manually issued the refund o $19.96 back to the card on file. The refund was delayed due to the option not being verified by the agent you spoke with. I assure you that we are reviewing this matter and coaching the agent to prevent any future mistakes. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/20/2024

  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  SF Chronicle: makes you jump through many hoops just to cancel an account. the use of the third-party company "Media First" handles that interaction. The representative ***** and ****** I had to interact with were very rude and unprofessional. i made the request during our exchange to be addressed as ****. ***** informed me " I will call you whatever I like". 11/08/2024 @ 10:53am. ***** refused to cancel the account. He informed me that to cancel the account i had to pay to have it canceled. instead of them being professional and canceling the account I will instead contact my bank institution and get a new card, so I won't be charged anymore. They also refused to discuss refunds for the charges I received.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2024

  Hello,
  
  Thank you for your update regarding your account. According to our record, the subscription was successfully cancelled on 11/9/2024 and there is no balance that requires to be paid. In regards to the refund, the most recent charge was cancelled and no payment was taken.
  
  The reason the cancellation process was not smooth was because the subscription was automatically renewed on 11/4/2024 since the subscriber was on automatic payments. Because of this, the next possible cancellation date would have been at the expiration date of that renewed period, which would have been around the start of December. This was the main dispute of the subscriber which we can fulfill, but it required approval from the agents supervisor, which resulted in the delay and caused frustration.
  
  We will be reviewing the call and coaching the agent on this matter. If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I signed up from a digital subscription in December of 2023. I later called in to the San Francisco Chronicle on the approporiate number to cancel the service in June 2023. I continue to be charged for the subscription after canceling. After the most recent charge on 11/7/24, I called SF Chronicle again to cancel. They said it has now been canceled but refusing to provide any additional confirmation of the cancel. They also indicate in my June call in that I agreed to continue the service, which is a complete lie and fraudulent act by the company.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/07/2024

  Hello,
  
  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle.
  
  I can confirm that the subscription in question is scheduled to be cancelled at the expiration date (12/5/2024) and will no longer be renewed. I also have information that the account was requested to be cancelled in June 2023, but the record also shows that the customer agreed to continue the subscription at a lower rate
  
  If you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/10/2024

   
  Complaint: 22525516
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  As this is for a few dollars, I will accept the 12/2024 subscription expiration; but for the record and your internal review, I DID NOT AGREE TO CONTINUE SERVICE DURING THE 6/2024 CALL. It was a call to cancel as I was not using the subscription at all and I had zero use for the subscription.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/29/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Over the last year and beyond we have called the Chronicle automated number numerous times to report delivery problems, namely that we did not receive a paper or the paper was wet or damaged. Today was a new one; we received a ********* newspaper instead of a Chronicle. I called the automated number to report the delivery issue and the recording stated (as usual) that we would receive a replacement paper by "end of business" today. It also said that if we haven't received a replacement within two hours to call again. It is 5:00 PM and we've received nothing, and this is exactly the case with the numerous other times we have had delivery problems. All other times I've called back after two hours and still we did not get a replacement paper. I have also used the email option three times (1/21/21, 2/19/24, and today); the first two times I did not receive a response at all and this third time I'm waiting to hear back but honestly do not expect a response. This is so frustrating and really is not good customer service because there is no accountability from either the Chronicle or the delivery person. What we would like is to talk to a real person because then we potentially would have more options that offer permanent solutions to these ongoing delivery issues. In other words, the automated system does not solve the problem and therefore these issues will just keep happening. It feels like we are just expected to accept the status quo. Isn't the Chronicle interested in improving service and maintaining customer relations?

  Business Response

  Date: 10/30/2024

  Hello,
  
  Thank you for informing us about the delivery issues you have been experiencing and I apologize for the trouble with your subscription.
  
  I have notified our area supervisor regarding the problem with delivery and contacted the carrier to help prevent missed papers moving forward. In regards to contacting customer service, I would still highly recommend calling our ************** line to report any missed papers because this allows us to keep track of your account history and maintain accountability with your carrier.
  
  In addition, Ive credited the account for 2 weeks of service for the delivery issues. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist with. Thank you very much!
  
  Regards,
  Customer Service Escalation Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 22490176
  
  I am rejecting this response for several reasons: It doesn't address a crucial part of the issue, that we never receive a replacement newspaper for missed, damaged, or wet papers, or in the case of receiving a different paper such as ********* or Wall Street Journal.  This response also fails to address the frustration we feel when we do not receive responses to our emails, does not offer an explanation as to why a major organization cannot manage to respond to customer emails, and does not offer the ability to have a real dialog with a human customer service representative in order to talk through the issues and arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.  The offer of two weeks credit is gracious, but does absolutely nothing to guarantee that we will receive what we pay for in the future.  Finally, the Chronicle response advises us to continue reporting issues on the 800 number, to maintain a record and be able to hold the carrier accountable; however, as we have called the 800 number many times, as well as unsuccessfully attempted to get support via email, we view this advise as untrustworthy and placating.  In summary, the issues have not been addressed in a way that would lead to a permanent solution. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****