ComplaintsforThe Plain Dealer

• Initial Complaint

  09/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Wed 9-25 and Sun 9- 29 I did not receive any newspaper called customer service he said they were in route called later he said it would be delivered this afternoon never got either newspaper I paid for for these papers I want them

  Business response

  09/30/2024

  September 30, 2024
  
  The Plain Dealer
  4800 Tiedeman Rd
  Brooklyn OH 44144
  
  Re: **** ********** ID#: ********
  
  To whom it may concern,
  
  We are in receipt of the complaint filed by *** **** ********** on September 29, 2024.
  We reached out by phone and connected with *** ********** on September 30th.
  The complaint referenced service issues with his home delivery of The Plain Dealer.
  *** ********** confirmed the delivery issues have been resolved and not further issues have been missed.  *** ************ accounts was credited for the missed papers and his account expiration date has been extended to 10/27/2024.
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and helping us to resolve for *** ***********
  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ************.  
  
  
  Regards,
  Rita D******
  Rita D****** |Senior Customer Service Representative

  Customer response

  10/01/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:

  RECEIVED VIA PHONE BY BBB STAFF MEMBER:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  John S*********
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am a PAID print and online subscriber of the Plain Dealer. I am supposed to get a print paper delivered to my home on Weds., Fri., Sat., and Sun. I asked for a vacation hold 7/20-7/26. I did not receive the paper on 7/19 nor have I received it since. Missing delivery dates of 7/19, 7/27, 7/28, 7/31, 8/2, 8/3, 8/4, and 8/7. I have called customer service 5 or 6 separate times and spoke to Noah, Victor and George. All told me I would get the paper at the next delivery date. They extended my subscription by 2 weeks. I asked to speak with their supervisor. Three times I held the phone over 10-15 minutes and then got disconnected. So I never got a chance to speak to a delivery supervisor. I still have not received a print paper. I know I can read it online but I don't like to read it online and I PAID for the PRINT subscription.

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  We are in receipt of the complaint filed by **** ***** ****** on August 8, 2024.
  The complaint referenced service issues with her home delivery subscription to The Plain Dealer.
  We addressed her delivery concern with our home delivery team and **** ***** ****** confirmed the delivery issue was resolved on 8/14/2024. We apologize for the inconvenience and every effort will be made to ensure the **** ****** does not experience any further service issues.
  As a courtesy, we have applied a two-week credit to *** ******* account extending the subscription expiration date to 11/17/24.
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and helping us to resolve the concern.

  Customer response

  08/19/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We subscribe to the Plain Dealer Home Delivery and have been getting the newspapers delivered to our home on Wed, Fri, Sat and Sundays. We have been customers for over 40 years. We put a weeklong vacation hold on the PD from June 9th to June 15, 2024. We expected the paper as usual to be there on June 16, but no paper was delivered. As of today July 8, 2024- we still have not received one single Plain Dealer newspaper since the vacation hold!!!!I have called and spoken to customer service representatives each day that the paper did not show up. Each one is apologetic and tells me that they will report it and get the matter resolved and have a paper delivered that day. A paper was never delivered as promise. I have called NUMEROUS times and have been given all sorts of reasons and excuses as to why my paper is not coming. I have asked to speak to someone who could give me some answers and I was told that the supervisor would call me back in 15 minutes. I waited an hour for this call which never came. I called back and again got nowhere. I am being told they will credit my account for the papers that we did not get but I believe they only extend the subscription for a paper I am not getting!!!!!! Unacceptable. My bank account was charged 57.00 dollars on 6/5 and 7/3. There are no credits. This amount also includes the Akron Beacon Journal which is being delivered as requested by the way and it is the same delivery person who delivers the Plain Dealer. I am beyond aggravated and feel no one cares or is able to give me a straight answer as to WHY we are not getting our newspaper. I am reaching out to you for assistance in this. I see from other's complaints that this is not an isolated occurrence. Thank You, **** ********* ************

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  The complaint referenced ongoing delivery issues with her home delivery subscription to The Plain Dealer.
  We addressed the delivery concerns with our home delivery team and confirmed delivery was made on Friday, July 19.  We attempted to confirm the delivery with **** ********* and left several messages, however, have not received a response.
  Every effort will be made to ensure **** ********* does not experience any further issues.
  **** *********’s account was credited for the missed papers she reported, and her account was extended to 10/13/24.

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Good morning -- re: phone number on acct ************  I have not had my paper delivered since my vacation stop last week. I had vacation stop from **** * ****, to restart on ********   I did not get my paper delivered on ***** ***** ***** **** **** *** ***** **** * have called customer service several times since Wed ***. I was told I would get the missed paper delivered *** when I called to complain. No paper arrived. I called Thursday *** to complain, and was told that report would be made. I asked to speak with supervisor, and was asked to wait. After about 15min, I was told a supervisor would call me back. By end of Thursday, ******* I called due to not getting call back or my paper from Weds delivered yet. Talked to supervisor after insisting many times, who advised I would get the Weds and Friday paper on Friday (today) ****** and that there must have been a miscommunication about the vacation stop. I did not get any paper delivered again ******, and called again to customer service. I was told I would not be getting the paper today as I was missed, but a "report will be made". This whole complaint resolution has been very frustrating. Thank you ***** ***** *** * ********* ****** **

  Business response

  04/17/2024

  To whom it may concern,
  We are in receipt of the complaint filed by *** ***** ***** on April 5, 2024.
  We reached out by phone and connected on April 12.
  The complaint referenced service issues with his home delivery of The Plain Dealer.
  We apologized for the inconvenience and addressed the delivery concern with our home delivery team. Every effort will be made to ensure *** ***** does not experience any further issues. We have confirmed delivery of the newspaper has been made.
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and helping us to resolve for *** ******
  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at *************  

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have subscribed to the Cleveland Plain Dealer for 40 years. In recent times the price has gone way up and the quality has gone way down. I have been a Sunday-only customer for the past few years. Delivery service in recent times has been bad, with missed papers and papers left at a different apartment down the hall with a similar address to mine. On Tuesday July 25, 2023 I sent a check for $63.88 to cover Sunday delivery through October 28, 2023. The following Sunday, July 30, 2023, the paper was not delivered. I called to complain but couldn't reach an actual human. A recording directed me to their website. I filled-out a form on the website and pressed the SUBMIT button. It didn't work. This was the last straw. I decided to cancel my subscription and was lucky enough to find a CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION button on the website that actually worked! I received a CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION CONFIRMATION online and found the information informing me that any money paid for papers after the cancelation would be refunded to me. I waited and waited for a check but none arrived. Instead I received a bill for the next period of weeks. I called the Plain Dealer and MIRACULOUSLY was able to get through to an actual human. I was then sent a check for $6.62 rather than the $63.88 that I was owed. I called again and MIRACULOUSLY got through again to a human, who told me that they received my $63.88 subscription check on a certain date that came AFTER my cancellation and that they considered it a cancellation of my cancellation.

  Business response

  11/21/2023

  We reviewed *** ******* account and found his subscription had been stopped effective 10/18/2023. A refund check in the amount of $57.26 was processed on November 20, 2023 and will be sent to the delivery address on file of 1**** ******* *** *** *** ********* ** ***********

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Feb 22, 2023 paper wet, spoiled Mar 31 Nondelivery Jun 18 Nondelivery (Sunday issue) Jul 1 Nondelivery Jul 5 Nondelivery Jul 14 Nondelivery Aug 16 Nondelivery Sep 8 Nondelivery Each of these delivery issues was reported to Customer Service. My account has NEVER BEEN CREDITED.

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  We addressed the delivery concern with our home delivery team and every effort will be made to ensure *** ******* does not experience any further issues. We apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed delivery of the newspaper was made on October 4. As a courtesy, we applied a two week of credit to his account extending his subscription period to 11/05/23.

  Customer response

  10/11/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I received a call from some guy, not in the USA, claiming to be from PD customer service.  He said I'd get credit for the 8 botched deliveries PLUS credit of 2 weeks of the paper.  I received the bill for  PD delivery today.  There was no credit for nothing.  Clearly, there is massive incompetence within the PD bureaucracy or they are simply liars.  As far as I am concerned this matter is definitely not resolved.

  
  Regards,
  
  *** *******
  
  
  
  
   

  Business response

  10/17/2023

  *** *******, a two week credit was applied to your account extending your intial expiration date from 10/20/23 to 11/05/23. Each credit applied to the account extends your expiration date. The credit will not show on the invoice however, will show you your new expiration date and new payments terms from that date forward. We encourage you to report any service issues to our customer service phone number ************ and follow the prompts to select a redelivery or credit. Thank you for contacting the Plain Dealer.

  Customer response

  10/17/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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

  08/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  For the past 5 weeks beginning July 17, 2023, we have only once received our Sunday paper. I have contacted The Plain Dealer home delivery service on the Sundays morning and they tell me that they will correct the problem and send a paper out that Sunday. ONLY twice have they done what they promised. This past weekend the decided to deliver the Sunday paper on Monday. I am tired of paying in advance and not receiving what I paid for. Are they going to continue to not provide the service I paid for. Therefore, they will leave me no choice other than to discontinue the service and I want a written apology. I will post this issue with all of my contacts and inform the local newspaper of just how we are treated.

  Business response

  08/28/2023

  The complaint referenced service issues with his home delivery of The Plain Dealer.
  We addressed the delivery concern with our home delivery team and every effort will be made to ensure Mr. ******* does not experience any further issues. We apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed delivery of the newspaper was made on August 27. As a courtesy, we have applied a four-week credit to his account extending his subscription period to 11/19/23.
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention and helping us to resolve for Mr. *******.

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a paid subscription for the sun news paper, I am not receiving my paper weekly like I'm supposed to. I am tired of constantly calling them about not receiving my paper. They told be it is a third party who takes care of the delivery and they couldn't give me a number to contact them. I want to know what the problem is and why I am not getting my paper that I paid for.

  Business response

  08/22/2023

  We addressed the delivery concern with our home delivery team and every effort will be made to ensure *** ****** does not experience any further issues. We apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed delivery of the newspaper was made on August 18.

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am complaining about the delivery of my Plain Dealer. I am a subscriber and get the paper on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday. I have a Plain Dealer box which is where the paper should be deposited when delivered. Instead, the paper is found in the cul-de-sac, driveway, lawn, anyplace except in the Plain Dealer box. The box is clearly marked with the name "Plain Dealer" in the color of white letters and the color of the box is a bright blue. Since I cannot speak with the delivery person about this chronic incompetency, and I feel sorry for the PD customer representative who does not have the power to correct the situation, I am hopefully appealing to a higher position of authority. If this undesirable delivery of the paper cannot be corrected, refund the balance due on my account and I will no longer subscribe.

  Business response

  07/25/2023

  We have addressed the delivery and placement of the newspaper with our home delivery team and every effort will be made to ensure *** ****** does not experience any further issues. We apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed delivery of the newspaper was made to the paper box as of July 19. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have a home delivery subscription for both The Plain Dealer and The Sun Press. Over the past month or so there were some delivery problems and I missed 2 Plain Dealers and 1 Sun Press. I reported each of these and was promised re-delivery, but that never happened. I was then told I would get credits to my account for the missed papers (I auto-pay on my credit card.). That never happened either. I was told that they don't actually issue credit/refunds. Instead, they extend the subscriptions by the number of missed papers. I don't want my subscriptions extended. This may be a small matter for an individual, but the bigger picture is that many consumers could be experiencing this issue resulting in a larger financial impact for them. So, they are reluctant to issue actual refunds.

  Business response

  06/28/2023

  We reviewed *** ********s account and explained the credit policy extends the subscription expiration date with a credit instead of providing a refund. We agreed to refund the amount of the two missed papers for The Plain Dealer and one paper for The Sun News, totaling $7.63 processed back to the credit card on file 6/28/23.

  Customer response

  06/29/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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 do, however, reserve the right to amend this response in the event that the promised refund is not received. As of this date, the refund has not posted to my credit card.

  Thank you for you assistance in this matter.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******
  
  
  

*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. ↩