ComplaintsforThe Buffalo News

• Initial Complaint

  02/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  1/18/23 Purchased 6 month free trial of digital newspaper for $1 per month 7/18/23 was billed $65 for remainder of year, as per trial agreement. My bad. Cancelled subscription on line- I thought 1/30/24 charged $131.94 to renew subscription Called to dispute Call routed to call center After arguing with operator, she said my subscription would be cancelled and $131.94 refunded to my account I have not been refunded I have not received email notification of cancellation

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  We apologize for the delay processing your refund. Your subscription has been cancelled and the refund is in process.  Please allow 3-5 days for completion. Thank you for your patience.

  Customer response

  02/07/2024

  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. 
  Regards,
  ***** ******
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I subscribed to Buffalo News because they advertised $1 per month for 6 months (digital subscription), so I wanted to give it a try. I found myself not reading it that often, and recently they charged me $10.99 (on 1/16/2024) for the first month. This charge was fine, but I did decide to cancel my subscription. However, when I called the customer service, they redirected me to another "representative" which put me on hold forever (over 50 minutes) without allowing me to cancel my subscription. I want to cancel my digital subscription.

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  We apologize for the difficulty cancelling your subscription.  A cancellation has been submitted for the end of your current paid term on 2/23/24. Thank you for your patience.

  Customer response

  02/12/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Last May I cancelled my digital subscription to The Buffalo News (TBN), and received a confirmation that it would become effective Sept. 21, 2023. Yet in October TBN billed me for $161.94 for a new subscription after I had cancelled. When I complained to TBN and my credit card company, ****, TBN refunded me $117.76. I complained I should be credited the full amount, but they argued I had access to the subscription for a month, plus there were processing fees, etc. So they were keeping the rest -- $44.18 -- even though I had not accessed the account for months. TBN later said **** never paid the disputed amount (**** says they did received the total), and were thus charging me the full $161.94 again. And then they sent me to collection! I've exchanged a series of emails with TBN over this. Since their "customer service" is based in the Philippines, some of the messages are very unclear. I sent an explanation of this to the collection outfit in Ohio and haven't heard back. Bottom line is this is driving me crazy. I'd like this resolved, even if if means TBN keeping the $44.18 they got for doing nothing and providing services I neither wanted nor used. I've had a nearly perfect credit rating all my life (820 currently), so I'd also like this not to affect that rating. I'm a retired newspaper editor who, ironically, began my career as an intern at The Buffalo News in 1968. Any help you could provide in settling this dispute would be greatly appreciated.

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  A subscription renewal payment of $161.94 was posted to the subscriber’s account on 10/16/23 to cover service from 9/21/23 to 3/20/24. Upon cancellation on 11/4/23, a refund of the balance remaining in the account of $122.76 was submitted. There was a $5.00 cancellation fee assessed so the final refund processed to the subscriber’s credit card on 11/14/23 was $117.76. Subscription services are chargeable regardless of usage. On 11/27/23 a credit card chargeback from the bank for the full amount of the last payment made on 10/16/23 of $161.94 was posted against the closed account. This resulted in an outstanding balance on the account for $161.94 because a refund and a chargeback was charged to The Buffalo News and credited to the subscriber’s ********** in November. This resulted in a collection action for the outstanding balance. The resolution offered is to pay back the refund amount of $117.76 since the full payment was credited to the subscriber via the chargeback.  We will clear the $44.18 that will remain. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I called prior to my renewal of $99.00 per year and worked out a price of $50.00 for the year. They assured me that I would only be charged $50. When I received another email that I would be charged $99 I called again and they said they have notes in the account and I would only be charged $50. When the charge went through, it was $99.00. I called many times and they keep telling me they see the notes in the account and just wait longer, they will refund the difference. I then tried to email. You can see the email chain attached. They acknowledged that they would refund me, but never have. I would like my $49.00 back, and not just "extended the length of my service" without my approval. I find this type of promising one thing and doing another very wrong.

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  The subscriber's account has been refunded $50.00 and the annual subscription offer has been honored per their communication with Subscriber Services.

  Customer response

  02/05/2024

  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. 
  
  Regards,
  ******* ****
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 12/21/23 I received an email stating, "effective" 1/15/2024, your rate will change to $23.99 a month. Your next charge will reflect this new rate", and "No further action is required on your behalf". However on 1/15/2024 I was charged $143.94, which is NOT the monthly rate for an online subscription. It is the rate for a 6-month online subscription. I am demanding a refund for $119.95, and to completely cancel my subscription with The Buffalo News and any further charges. I have given far too much money already to a business with deceitful practices, preying on customers, especially the elderly and disabled.

  Business response

  01/23/2024

  We apologize for the misunderstanding. Your monthly subscription rate increased to $23.99/month per the notification, but your billing term did not change.  Your subscription has been billed on a 6-month term since it started so that remained the same. The billing term can be easily changed by contacting Subscriber Services or updating auto-payments online.  However, per your request, your subscription cancellation and refund has been submitted for processing. Please allow 3-5 days for processing.

• Initial Complaint

  12/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called the customer service line to cancel my subscription to the e-edition of the Buffalo News during their business hours (which are insane for customer service only 6am - 1pm) the informed me that their department could not cancel my subscripition since it was not a delivered paper subscripition and transfered me somewhere else. The new person informed me they do not help at all with the buffalo news and gave me the first number to try again. By the time that happened it was outside of business hours. I understood i would have to call and cancel but its misleading for a company to do that and then have no actual easy pathway of going about that. also i found out after the fact that there policy is to renew your subscription way before the date your first purchased one. that is extremely misleading and im dishearted, i purposely wrote down in my calendar when i would need to cancel only to be charge before that anyways. Had it been more transparent i would have just simply moved the reminder up. I still need my subscription cancelled after spending 30+ minutes on the phone with 2 "representatives"

  Business response

  01/05/2024

  We apologize for the inconvenience processing your request. Your cancellation has been submitted along with a refund of your last payment. Please allow 10-14 days for processing.

• Initial Complaint

  12/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business doesn’t allow access for what they are charging me for and they refuse to allow me to cancel, continue to charge my account without my permission.

  Business response

  12/19/2023

  A 6-month Digital subscription started 6/15/23 for a $1.00 introductory offer. Subscription automatically renewed at $10.99 per month effective 12/8/23. A cancellation has been submitted for the end of the current subscription period effective 1/15/24. Please see the Terms of Service at  ******************************************************* regarding subscription offers and automatic renewal, cancellation and refund policies. 

• Initial Complaint

  11/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Nov. 22 I responded to an email offer of a 1 year digital subscription to the News for me plus a gift subscription. Although I am able to log in, I am unable to read any of the content I paid for. When I open a story, a box pops up asking me to subscribe in order to read - but I am a subscriber! I have called and emailed on multiple occasions and all they do is reset the log in which is not fixing the problem. I can log in but the system doesnt recognize me as a subscriber. Since I am unable to get this resolved, I have asked for a refund since they are not supplying the product I was attempting to purchase. They refuse saying they cant cancel until Nov. 2024 and cant refund!

  Business response

  12/13/2023

  We apologize for the issues accessing the digital content.  Your cancellation request has been updated to process immediately and to be refunded per your request.

• Initial Complaint

  11/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been a subscriber to the Buffalo News on and off for many years. Most recently I decided to become an online only subscriber. On 11/9/2023 I decided I wanted to pause my subscription. Due to the nature of my account I am unable to do so online and must contact them directly. Their email states you cannot cancel using this method and no one ever responds to inquiries about the subject. When I search my account online I am directed to call. The hours to reach them are something like 6am EST - 2pm EST. I called on 11/8/2023 at 11:09 am and after a brief hold spoke to someone to remove my automatic renewal. They said they had done so and disconnected the call. On 11/16/2023 the Buffalo news charged my account $99.99. I called on 11/17/2023 and was not informed I did not adhere to my annual renewal agreement and would be charged for the year. “ IF YOU DO NOT AFFIRMATIVELY CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION BEFORE YOUR CANCELLATION DATE, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERM FOR THE PLAN YOU INITIALLY SELECTED AT THE RATES IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF RENEWAL. YOU MAY CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AT ANY TIME BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT ***** ******** OR ***** ********.” Their cancellation process makes it unreasonably difficult to meet these cancellation procedures. I stated 3 times I wanted to cancel and was affirmed via phone I was all set - then I was charged anyway. Today when I spoke with someone I was informed ai didn’t meet the cancellation policy, offered a 6-months free, to pass my subscription to a family member and advised they would be unable to refund my money. Only after I repeatedly stated I did not authorize this charge, I had met the standards to cancel my renewal I was informed I would receive a refund in the next 3-4 weeks. This is unacceptable. You took my money without my authorization and your staff lied to me. I want it back today.

  Business response

  11/24/2023

  Thank you for contacting us. We apologize for your unsatisfactory experience with the call center and will follow up with the team. Additionally, we have processed a refund to your credit card for your payment of $99.00. We apologize for the inconvenience.

  Customer response

  11/27/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  11/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been receiving the Sunday paper for a long time. Now I can no longer afford it. When my renewal bill came in the mail I ignored it. Assuming that if ones does not send payment..it will naturally be cancelled. When the 2nd renewal bill came in again I let it go. Buy a fluke I get a call From a Buffalo News person. They where seeking a renewal payment on the phone. I told them I was not renewing. I got a hard pressure [ not wanting to take NO for an answer] pitch. Finally at the end of the conversation___ I was informed that ONLY A PHONE IN cancelation is acceptable WHAT!!!! SOoooo I called in. Mind you .. there are only a few hours in the entire week, anyone is available [on the job] to receive your call. Today I receive a bill for the few weeks I received a paper past my subscriptions end date!!!!! For 36.40$!!!! I never was aware I had to phone in a cancellation. I feel deceived ,manipulated ,and robbed. I am old lady on a fixed income who can't afford the newspaper anymore after years of loyalty.

  Business response

  11/03/2023

  The final payment of $36.40 is for Sunday delivery services through the cancellation date from 9/24-10/23/23. All subscriptions automatically renew unless a cancellation is processed prior to the subscription expiration date. Please refer to your subscription renewal invoice attachment dated 9/4/23 and terms of service at ********************************************************Subscription service cancellations are accepted by phone at ***** ********* ***** ******** during office hours or at any time online at **************************

*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. ↩