ComplaintsforThe News & Observer Publishing Company

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a subscription to News and Observer on 03/29/2024 for $1.07 which was raised per the agreement to ~ $17 after the trial offer ended. However, I've been unable to cancel over the last three weeks. I've called the customer service line 7-8 separate times using **************, emailed ********************************************* and used their chat messaging system. Then today I was finally transferred to a live agent. It took me 11 minutes to cancel my subscription as the representative was unsatisfied with my reasoning. I indicated I never read the paper and did not wish to continuing paying. Unfortunately for the 11 minutes of conversation this was not a sufficient answer. My answer of cancellation due to my recent cancer diagnosis and prognosis was also not a sufficient answer. This business uses aggressive, pushy tactics that I no longer wish to associate with. I do not wish for this company to be in contact with me any longer with an assurance my subscription was cancelled.

  Business response

  08/08/2024

  Thank you for contacting the News & Observer. The account for ********************* has going to be cancelled on the expire date of 8/28/2024. We have requested all forms of communication be pulled for training purposes we want to be sure we try to save our subscribers but without being ****** aggressive. The account information has been added to our local do not call list, we have sent communication for the phone number on file to be removed from any list. There will be no future payments processed for this account. If you have any questions you can contact the customer service department at ************. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am unable to cancel my subscription with the News and Observer for the digital subscription edition. I subscribed for a 3 month promo access for $1.06. Two days ago they charged me $17.15 to renew the digital access for July. I have found that I do not use the digital access enough due to technical difficulties logging in each time, and would prefer using ********** to access the articles I would like to read. As I knew my promo was ending I have tried to cancel my subscription to no avail. I am still unable to do so, even after calling on Friday and sending them a direct complaint on the website. I am submitting this complaint so they might improve their customer service experience and make it easier to cancel digital subscriptions online. Preferably they will cancel my subscription and offer a refund of my recent payment of $17.15

  Business response

  07/15/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** & Observer. Our records show your account started 5/12/24 on a promotional digital rate of $1.00 for 2 months and then $15.99/month there after, as explained in the offer disclaimer at the time of purchase. The account was started with the agreement of automatic renewal each month. The most recent charge of $15.99 was for the renewal of 7/12/24-8/11/24. At this time, the account will be stopped on the expiration date of 8/11/24. Please let us know the reason for the cancelation. Our hope is that you have enjoyed reading the News & Observer and you continue to find value in the digital news and content.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ********************************************************* if you have any further questions or concerns. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

   
  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

  07/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I subscribe to electronic issue of the newspaper. On June 26th they changed their format and I was un able to get the paper. I tried calling for two days and only got a busy signal. On Friday the 28th I finally got to speak to an agent. He tried for two hours to help me. To no avail. He said he would send instructions to my e mail account, which I never received. They were not available the hole weekend. I finally got through to an agent on Monday the first of June . Finally she helped me connect to the newspaper. When I asked for an adjustment to my bill the agent whose name was **** said . That they were not responsible because they issued the addition. Just because I didnt receive , it wasnt their problem. She was then very rude. She refused to let me speak to her supervisor.

  Business response

  07/04/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** & Observer. We do apologize for the customer experience you encountered. We are happy to hear an agent was able to help you and you are able to read the digital content. Currently, your account is paid until 2/16/25. Typically, there is not an available credit for the digital subscription since the digital information was and is available 24/7. However, at this time, we will honor a 2 week credit and have your expiration date extended to 3/1/25. We appreciate your readership and your feedback.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ********************************************************* if you have any further questions or concerns.

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am writing to formally lodge a complaint against the *************************** (N&O) regarding unethical billing practices and harassment towards my elderly parents, who are in their 90s and reside in a retirement community in ****. They had been loyal subscribers of the N&O for over 10 years.Details of the Issue:Excessive Charges:My parents were being charged over $700 per year for them to receive the Sunday paper. An amount I found unreasonable. After taking over their finances I instructed my father to cancel the subscription before the renewal scheduled for March 17, 2024.Cancellation Request Ignored:On March 1st, 2024, my father called and spoke to ***** to cancel the subscription. Despite this, the N&O charged $350.67 on March 17, 2024.Failure to Issue Credit:Upon noticing the charge, my father was told a credit would be issued. By April 18, 2024, no credit had been received. My father called again and spoke with ****, who claimed there was no record of his cancellation request and subsequently canceled the account.Unresolved Dispute:I disputed the charge with Citibank, but the N&O did not respond.Citibank made the temporary credit permanent.Harassment and Extortion:My parents have been receiving multiple harassing calls daily from the N&O. On May 23, 2024, I spoke with ****, who offered to halve the amount but refused to cancel the false invoice. The case was escalated, but the decision was to uphold the invoice due to the credit card dispute.Current Situation:I am awaiting further actions from the N&O, potentially involving a collection agency. I am actively reaching out to the Attorney General, AARP, local media, and retirement communities to raise awareness about these practices. The elderly shouldn't be subjected to such unethical treatment, and I am prepared to take legal action if necessary. I request that the BBB investigate this matter and assist in resolving this issue by ensuring the N&O cancels the unjust charge and ceases harassment.

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** & Observer. We are sorry to hear about your customer experience. Our records show the account was stopped 4/22/24. The payment of $350.67 was canceled and the account should not have had an amount past due for that amount. As of today, 6/27/24, your account has been cleared to a zero balance. We apologize for the frustration and please know we value your feedback and your readership. 

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  04/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On April 5,2024 I ordered a subscription from the News&Observer newspaper. My subscription will start on April 29,2024 for 2 day delivery.The News&Observer charged my credit card on 4/5/24 for $520.00.I am having great difficulty cancelling my upcoming subscription. The "customer service" department keeps hanging up on me and when I do reach them, they lie and say they CAN'T give me a refund. They direct me to their website page about their terms of service which PLAINLY states you can receive a refund at any time.My goal is to get my $520 back and I will consider this issue resolved.Thank you,*************************** ************

  Business response

  04/25/2024

  Thank you for your message to the News & Observer. We do apologize for the customer experience you had with your request to cancel the subscription. We are sorry to hear your canceling the subscription. Our records show the account was stopped 4/24/24. We are sorry to hear about the delivery problems you have been experiencing. Although we state in the terms of service the account would be stopped on the expiration date, in this case, since the papers were not received, we will honor your request and the cancelation. Please note, we do offer a digital only subscription which allows 24/7 news content on your computer, laptop, tablet or phone.

  Your refund request has been requested and approved. Please look for an email confirmation within the next ***** hours and confirm the email.
  

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.
  

  Thank you

  Customer response

  04/26/2024

   
  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

  03/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I called your number ************ today, 3-29-24 at 745 AM. I spoke to ******. I was questioning a bill for $5.35 for a printed invoice. I never signed up for printed invoices, not sure what that is for. Also, according to ******, the on-line subscription length I was told when I previously called was not accurate. I told ****** repeatedly I wanted to cancel my subscription to the N&O. His only answer was why. This is terrible customer service at best and borderline abusive. I am a long-term N&O subscriber, but I cannot subscribe to an outfit with this kind of service. I want this canceled immediately.

  Business response

  03/29/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** and Observer. I Have looked at *********************** account and show the subscription is set up for us to send a printed renewal notices through the mail. We charge a printed bill fee of $4.99 plus tax per first renewal if we mail out the bill to customers. We offer all of our subscribers the option to set up their subscription on auto pay renewal deduction or set up on ebilling where we will email the bill to the email address we have on file. This will avoid from being charged the printed bill fee. 

  We offered customer a discounted price on March 22, 2024 to switch to an online subscription in the amount of $0.99 for one month.  The subscription has been cancelled effective on Saturday, March 30, 2024 per customers request. Please feel free to contact us at if you have any questions ************. Thank you

  
  

  Customer response

  04/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 21503634
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  You do not address the hassling I received from ****** on 3-29-24 on trying to cancel the service.  It is pathetic I have to send a complaint to get this canceled.  You reference my initial call on 3-22-24 for the trial service for 1 month.  I was never told anything about a print bill fee and how to cancel it.  I also did not realize I was paying for 1 month only.  When I paid my bill on 3/22/.24, I thought I was done with your billing for months.

  The N&O customer service is one of the worst I have experienced.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  04/01/2024

  Thank you for your message to the News & Observer. We sincerely apologize for your customer experience. Please note, this is not taken lightly and we do have an internal process to review these situations. At this time, we want to confirm your account has been handled and updated to resolve the billing issue you experienced. 

  Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or concerns.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  04/01/2024

   
  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

  03/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I canceled my subscription earlier in March. I have received 4 calls at least asking me to renew. After the second call I denied renewal and asked to br taken off the calling list. They continued to call twice more on 3 15 and 3 18

  Business response

  03/19/2024

  Thank you for your message to the News & Observer. We sorry to hear you have been receiving calls offering to restart your subscription. Our records do show your account has been stopped 3/16/24. As of today, 3/19/24, your phone number has been added to the do not call list. Please allow 24 hours to have the number removed from any existing calling file. If you wish to restart at any time, please feel free to visit us at newsobserver.com.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  03/19/2024

   
  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

  03/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have called multiple times and thought this had been worked out, but I have once again lost access to the account that I have already paid for.I was charged $192.14 on 10/12/23 for the automatic renewal of a digital subscription that I had originally obtained for my former job. I was laid off two months after I started the subscription in 2022 and totally forgot about it. So, when it automatically renewed in October 2023, I did not realize what had happened until I noticed the charge on my account. Since I no longer worked for the company, I would not have received any email notices sent to my old work email, which I no longer have access to. So, I called to get the subscription canceled and a refund.I didn't get a refund but my subscription was canceled. I was later told that I couldn't get a refund because I tried to cancel too late. (I called on the day my account was charged.) I asked to keep access to the account since I couldn't get a refund but to remove my credit card so I wouldn't get charged again later this year. My access was restored briefly but now it keeps asking me to resubscribe. When I look at the account, it says the subscription has stopped.Shouldn't my $192.14 subscription go through Oct. 12? Why do I keep losing access?I sent this information to customer service AGAIN more than a week ago and have not gotten any kind of acknowledgment whatsoever.This has been extremely frustrating. At this point, I just want my money back. I don't trust that getting access restored would even last more than a week or two before getting canceled again.

  Business response

  03/07/2024

  Thank you for your message to the News & Observer. We are sorry to hear about your customer service experience. And, we are sorry to hear you have not received an email reply for the customer service team. Your account was restarted back on 1/20/24. Unfortunately, there was an error in transferring the funds back on the account. At this time, your refund request has been approved and will be credited back to you. Our hope is you will resubscribe in the near future.

  Please look for an email confirmation in your inbox. If you do not see the email confirmation, please also check your spam folder. 
  

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.
  

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We called for a subscription for one day a week, on Sunday. We recently received an excessive rate for renewal and called to cancel on January 23, 2024. This cancellation was called in before our expiration or renewal date of January 28. We then received a second renewal notice, at which time I called again on February 13 to make sure the newspaper was cancelled. At that time I was told it was and no additional amount was due. We just received a third notice, this time asking for $46.69 to be paid to prevent future collection attempts. I was also told they have no record of my original call on January 23. This is very disturbing and we feel very threatened as we have never had any issues with a collection agency held over our heads.

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** & Observer. We are sorry to hear about your customer experience with your account. Unfortunately, we do not show the calls you are referring to on 1/23/24 & 2/13/24. However, we will be following up on this with our customer service team. Our records show the account expired on 1/21/24. Since we do not stop subscriptions automatically, the account continued on a grace ****** until 2/14/24. We understand you called and requested the cancelation. At this time, we have cleared your account to a zero balance. We hope you reconsider your subscription. Please feel free to reach out anytime at newsobserver.com

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************* if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  03/01/2024

   
  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.
  

  We specifically note in our records when we communicate with any company. While we accept the N&Os offer to bring our account balance to zero, we are disturbed that they claim there are no records of our phone calls. In fact, during the second call the customer service rep confirmed our original cancellation. Therefore, we do not understand why there is no record of our request. Hopefully this oversite or lack of communications within the company is corrected to insure that the customer service department takes action to ensure no other customer has similar problems.

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

• Initial Complaint

  02/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a subscription with the *************************** beginning in 2021 and renewed that subscription for a year in 2022. My *************************** account number is ********. This subscription expired in November 2023 and I decided not to renew. My account confirms that my subscription ended 11/18/2023. I did not receive any communication from the *************************** after that date. In early February I received a letter from a collections ************** Solutions saying I owed $22.35. I called the *************************** and talked to ****** (who refused to give his full name or any other way I could follow-up with further questions). He confirmed that the charge was incurred after my subscription had already ended. Although I had not accessed the service after the subscription ended, he said I was being charged for a grace ****** that I had been given no notice about. When I asked him where I had been given or where I could find any notice of this policy he was unable to point me anywhere. He also assured me that I would receive an email with written confirmation that my account was now cancelled within a few hours, which I never received. He also threatened me with collections, which was a bad faith scare tactic since I had received no notice of the bill and my subscription was ended. I very much would like to support local journalism but these predatory practices have made it so I am hesitant to support the *************************** again. To protect the good will of a customer, the *************************** should remove this $22.35 charge from my account, withdraw it from A.R.M. solutions, and delete any record of a debt on my credit report.

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Thank you for your message to ******** & Observer. Our records show the account expired 11/18/23. Since the News & Observer does not stop subscriptions automatically, the account continued into a grace ****** until it was stopped on 12/18/23. ******** & Observer mails  our renewal notices 2-3 weeks prior to the expiration date. All renewal state the paper will continue unless we are notified otherwise. This allows subscribers to make a payment without interruption in service. In this case, just like the renewal payment 11/18/22, the account was paid after the expiration date, but the subscription continued. We understand you did not want to renew for the following year. As a one time courtesy, your account has been cleared with the News & Observer and ARM Solutions.

  Please note, ARM Solutions is a non-reporting collection company. This will not appear on any credit report.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ******************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

*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. ↩