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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
07/08/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Product Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I renewed my subscription for the Athletic and as part of the renewal I was offered a free year of NYT Games.I waited a month and never received a code for it nor did it apply to my account. I contacted service and they said that they needed my email address (in an email?) ultimately they could not help but would forward it to the technical team.I waited a month and no one contacted **** contacted the service email and asked for either the code for a free year (that was part of my purchase agreement) or a refund. They said they do not offer refunds and cancelled my subscription. I would either like my Athletic subscription reinstated with a free year of NYT Games or a full refund.
Business response
07/13/2024
Hello,
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. A complimentary, one year Games subscription has been added to the account in question and contact has been attempted to this customer via the email provided.
Thank you
Customer response
07/15/2024
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 and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
*******************
Initial Complaint
06/25/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Delivery Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I changed my subscription to the *** approximately 6 weeks ago to include home delivery of the Sunday newspaper. I have never received the paper, and I've reported the problem every weekend. I have called customer service once, and I've corresponded with online customer service one week ago. No one can tell me why my paper hasn't been delivered or if it ever will be. Even though I'm "credited" the $5 every weekend I report a missing paper, I do not understand what the problem is or if I should cancel the home delivery part of my subscription. I am told that the *** is "working on the problem," but I've heard no update nor had any reconciliation of this issue.Business response
06/27/2024
We sincerely apologize for this ongoing Delivery issue. We have reached out to the ******************* and will continue to work closely with them to get the issue resolved. Your patience is appreciated. Thank youCustomer response
07/01/2024
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 and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
*************************
Initial Complaint
06/20/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Sales and Advertising Issues
- Status:
- Answered
After several years of receiving the Sunday ** Times, we cancelled our subscription because of dubious subscription/billing practices (I've been reading the Times for 40-plus years). Our previous subscription expired in September of 2023, yet the Sunday Times continued to be delivered for three more months (I've never had a subscription - magazine, newspaper, or otherwise - that continued to be delivered after it expired). We renewed our subscription to the Sunday ** times in January of 2024.Imagine our surprise when we received an invoice for $150.93 for the Sunday Times billing us for several months after our September 2023 subscription had expired! Outrageous! If this was supposed to be some form of courtesy then the ** Times is flatly mistaken. Our September 2023 subscription expired. We did not request that the paper continue to be delivered, although I'm sure there was some fine print that we missed that justified this along with the bill that followed. The invoice of $150.93 was paid in full, but we find that The Times subscription/billing practices lack transparency. For that reason we can no longer support the ** Times.Business response
06/26/2024
Hello,
Please be advised that this complaint ahs been resolved. We have refunded $150.93 back to the credit card on file and informed the customer.
Initial Complaint
06/17/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
The New York Times has sent me 22 emails with no way to unsubscribe. Hello, for weeks Ive been trying to get The New York Times to stop sending me emails. Ive confirmed with their customer service that its emails from them. Ive responded back and forth via multiple emails, Ive chatted, downloaded their app to select (opt out) of emails, emailed asking them to delete my data per their privacy policy, sent them screenshots, and they continue sending emails that contain no unsubscribe option. **Times has claimed they removed me from their mailing list and that the initial emails were coming as a marketing promotion when I became an online subscriber. I closed my account and ended my subscription because of these emails, so Im also no longer a customer. Its all about how to make the most of your subscription, which is something someone could learn simply by visiting the site. Even the instructions to unsubscribe through their site are complicated as the athletic is something I was getting emails about but is managed through a different group. If I merely blocked The ** Times then that might stop the emails, but if there were a problem such as getting charged again, I wouldnt be able to receive emails about those. This is frustrating and inappropriate, and again, was enough to make me cancel my subscriptionBusiness response
06/21/2024
Hello,
Please be advised that the customer has been added to our Do Not Contact list and should not receive any more solicitation emails moving forward.
Initial Complaint
06/10/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I had a subscription to NY times and I paid the bill in March. I couldn't pay the bill that was due in February and hence I paid it in March on 3/4/24 - $13.57 on demand by NY times. Then I made a payment on 3/18/24 but subsequently paused the subscription because I wasn't getting income to pay for that. I contacted them in May and they offered me a new subscription for $4 every month. I agreed, but they didn't charge my card on account. They seem to charge for the service in advance. I noticed that they billed on June 6,2024 but didn't debit the card I had on file. So I contacted them to pay the bill. They refused to accept payment stating that they transferred credits from previous payment I made in march 2024. But I signed a new contract in May 2024. So they should accept payment. Since they didn't I have again paused my subscription.Business response
06/23/2024
The user had leftover credit from their previous subscription after upgrading to a new, lower monthly rate. We explained to the customer that they would begin to be charged after their credit is exhausted first.Initial Complaint
05/21/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I subscribed for a year for about 2$ a week for a year (canadian plan). When the year was up, I called to cancel the subscription. The rep tried to keep me subscribed. I was very explicit that I wanted to unsubscribe, was told that it was done. Now I'm charged 28$ a month for "all-access" plan. Called, was promised that it would be "elevated to a supervisor". It's obvious that the ** Times is using the same "can't-unsubscribe" method than your local gym. It says a lot about what kind of company this is. Either it's a company policy or call-center employees in ***** have an incentive to upsell to premium and ** Times, fully aware of this, just closes its eyes. I want my money back.Business response
05/30/2024
Hello,
Please accept our apology for the troubles with cancelling the subscription. We can confirm the account has been cancelled and last 2 charges refunded back to the credit card on file.
Initial Complaint
05/21/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
I have been a **T subscriber for over 30 years, largely without any delivery problems until now. I moved about a month ago, and promptly advised the Times of my change of address. They said it would take a few days to implement the delivery change from the old address to the new, but it should be done by 5/3/24. It is now 5/21/24,, and they are still delivering the paper to my old address, while I am not receiving any paper at my new address. I have spoken with **************** numerous ********************** to complain about this. Each time, they acknowledge that they have my correct new address, and that this is a "distribution issue" that they will work very hard to correct. However, the problem has obviously not been corrected, necessitating a nearly daily complaint to ****************. Each time they promise to "escalate" the issue to someone at a higher level, which I have now come to realize is a meaninless commitment. The last time I called, I spoke to *******, who gave me a "ticket number" *** *** *, that was presumably intended to show how seriously they were taking the complaint. Needless to say, notwithstanding the promised escalation, the paper continues to be delivered to my old home address. It's impossible to understand why a company like the ** Times cannot resolve a simple delivery issue. I'd very much appreciate the help of the BBB in getting this matter resolved.Business response
05/30/2024
Hello,
Please accept our apology for the delivery issues. We have reached out to our distribution partner and received confirmation that they will make sure the paper is delivered to the correct address moving forward.
Customer response
05/31/2024
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 and the matter has been resolved. ****** at the Times was very helpful and I have been receiving the paper at my new address for about a week now. It's not clear why the five or six NYT customer service reps I spoke to before filing this complaint could not get this done, but I am grateful that ****** was able to make it happen.
Sincerely,
***********************
Initial Complaint
05/13/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Delivery Issues
- Status:
- Answered
i am receiving incomplete copies of the ny times, to which i have subscribed for many years. delivery is sometimes late, there are frequently sections missing, particularly on weekends. this weekend the magazine was missing. earlier in the week, entire sections were missing.Business response
05/20/2024
Hello,
We would like to apologize for the delivery issues and have reached out to our distribution partner to look into the matter and work to have it corrected moving forward.
Initial Complaint
05/07/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Billing Issues
- Status:
- Resolved
We have been ** Times subscribers for 50 years. Every year, when we go away for three months, we suspend delivery of the paper. The ** Times has been billing us every month as if we were receiving the paper. We have called them probably a dozen times and been told they would give us credit for the papers that we are not receiving. They issued credits to our ** Times account, but never applied them to our credit card account. Instead, they just kept billing us the full amount for papers not received.Several times we were told they would finally issue a credit back to our credit card to make up for the overpayment. Never happened. At this point, we are waiting for a supposed credit of $100 back to our credit card. We're told it will take 5-15 business days. We were told this before and nothing ever happened. We asked for an email verifying the $100 credit. They said they would send one, but none ever came.Business response
05/09/2024
We sincerely apologize for any frustration this has caused. We can confirm that a refund is currently being processed by the ******************* Communication via email has been sent to the customer on 5/9/2024. Please allow up to 21 business days for the refund to reflect. Thank youCustomer response
05/14/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because the time period to provide a refund is entirely unacceptable. I have been trying to remedy this for four months. I emailed BBB a series of back and forth emails I have had with the company. I am pasting them here for your file. They have promised to speed up my refund, but as yet nothing. Here is the sequence of communications. As you can gather from the back and forth emails, this is not resolved. I've had a lot of promises for many months. Am still awaiting action. Thanks for following through on this.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** ******* ********* *** **** ******** ** *** ********** ********* ***** ** **** ****** **************** **** *** **** ***** ******** ***** *** *** ***** ******* *** ***** ***** ********* * ********** ********** *** ** ********* * **** ********* **** ** *** ******* ********** *** *** ****** ** ** ****** ***** ************* **** *** **** ********* ** *** *********** ***** *** ****** **** ******** *** ******** ** ******* **** **** ********* ** *** ******* * ********* ********* ***** *** **** *********** ** ***** ** ******** **** * *** *** ****** *** ** ***** **** ******** **************** ******** ******* ********** *** *** **** ***** ******************************* *** ** ***** ******* *** ******* * ********** **** ******* **** ** *** *** *********** **** ** *** **** **** ****** **** * **** **** ****** ** *** **** ********** * **** **** ******* ** ******** **** ** ************ ****** *** **** ********* *** *** *** ****** ********* ************ ********** ******** **** ****** ** **** *** **** ******* ****** * **** ** *** **** ********* ****** *** **** ** ****** ******** **** ******* ****** ** ********** ******* **** ******* *** *** ********** **** ******** **** ********* ****** ** * ****** *** ********** ** *** ** ***** *** **** ** ********** ** ****** ************* * ****** * ****** ****** ******************************* **************** **** *** **** ***** ******** ***** *** ** ***** ******* *** ** ***** ********* ** **** ** ****** *** * ** ******** *** ********* * ********* **** *** ******** ***** **** *** ****** ******** ******* * **** ** ****** ** ********* ******* *** *** *********** *** **** *********** **** **** **** ******** *** *** *** ****** ** **** ** ***** *** **** **** ******* *** **** ******** ******* * **** ******** **** ******* ** ****** *** *** ******* **** *** ******* ********** ** ********* ******* ** ********** *** ******* ******* ***** *** * ********** ***** **** *** ********** **** ****** **** ***** ********** ******** ***** ***** ********* ** *** *********** *********** ** ** *** ***** ********** ****** **** **** **** *** **** ** ** ** ******** ***** ****** ** ********* ********* *** *** ****** ** **** ** ***** **** *** ****** ** *** **** *** ********* ** ********* ****** *** ** ***** *** **** ** ***** **** ******** **************** ******** ******* ********** *** *** **** ***** * *
In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
*******************************
Customer response
05/21/2024
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 and the matter has been resolved.
Sincerely,
*******************************
Initial Complaint
05/06/2024
- Complaint Type:
- Service or Repair Issues
- Status:
- Answered
Subscribed to the paper delivery service and did not receive a single paper. What is the point of a newspaper service that NEVER arrives?Business response
05/14/2024
Hello,
We would like to apologize for the delivery issues that led to the cancellation of the account, and can confirm the payment was refunded back to the credit card on file.
Customer response
05/15/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:[Your Answer Here]
The New York Times did refund my card. That is true.
What is also true is that's a meaningless gesture. It would have been well within my rights to file a credit chargeback for services paid but not received.
The New York Times agreed to take my money. Then did not deliver the agreed upon service, for multiple weeks in a row. The people I spoke with offered empty apologies. They said I'd get next weeks paper (I never did). I quite honestly began to believe I'd given my credit card to a scammer.
How many other people are paying for New York Times, and not receiving delivery? If you perform a ****** search, you'll see this issue is wide spread.
I contend that the New York Times is doing nothing to fix this wide spread problem. From their standpoint, they are charging customers for services not delivered. What a great business to be in! In the company of scam artists!
In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.
Sincerely,
*************************
Business response
05/20/2024
Hello,
We would like to apologize again for the delivery issues. The account is usually credited for any delivery related problems reported by the customer in a timely manner. We also work closely with our distribution partners to correct any problems once it is brought to our attention.
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Contact Information
Customer Complaints Summary
270 total complaints in the last 3 years.
90 complaints closed in the last 12 months.