ComplaintsforRichmond Times-Dispatch

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I subscribed to the Richmond Times Dispatch e-paper approximately 2 mos ago. When the subscription ran out, they tried to resubscribe me at a higher rate. I went to their website to cancel my subscription and the 'unsubscribe' section of their site 'mysteriously' didn't work. I got a message that read 'this site can't be reached'. I thought it was rather 'suspect' that every other section of their site worked fine, except for the unsubscribe section. I contacted them through the 'contact us' link to try and unsubscribe and was told they would unsubscribe me in 8 days. I demanded they do it effective immediately and they said okay. The next day the paper came anyway. I contacted them again and asked that they please stop sending me the paper. Again, they said 'okay'. Next day, the paper came again. I contacted them and explained my situation and demanded they stop sending me the paper. This time they directed me to an online link to request that they stop sending the paper, and I got the same 'this site can't be reached' message, again. I contacted them again and informed them that the site isn't working, and asked to speak to a manager. I was told a manager would call me, but it never happened, and the papers keep coming. Can you please help with this issue. I don't want to receive anymore e-papers. By the way, every time I contacted them, they tried to coerce me to reconsider my decision to unsubscribe. I warned them that I would file a complaint if the manager didn't call before I receive another e-paper, and here we are; they're still coming, and I still haven't received the manager's call. I feel like this is a form of harassment. Is there anything you can do to make the emails/e-papers stop coming?

  Business response

  08/02/2024

  Good morning.

  Please find attached the letter of response for complaint # ********.

  The customer has been contacted.

  This issue is resolved.

  Thank you

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: ************************************************************.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Will not stop littering in my yard with their propaganda news paper

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Dear BBB,

  Please see attached response to this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband and I have been a long time subscribers to the Richmond Times Dispatch with home delivery of the print edition. For several months now my husband and I have lodged repeated complaints about the timeliness of the paper delivery. The paper is advertised to arrive by 6:00am but is frequently delivered at 7:30am or later. Today it arrived at 8:15am. I have asked for the name of a supervisor to discuss the problem but am told that is not an option. I also asked for a mailing address to write a letter but was told there is no address. I personally spoke to the carrier this morning who assured me she is doing the best she can. While I can appreciate that we pay for home delivery of our newspaper and expect it to be on time. The same carrier also delivers our ******************* so late delivery impacts the two papers.

  Business response

  06/19/2024

  Good Afternoon,

  Please see attached response letter to this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I lost my job and can no longer afford the paper! I have called several times to cancel and they keep saying they have computer problems and to call back, so I did over and over again and finally ask to speak to a manager and they would let me and then hung up on me! Dont know what to do now but this is very bad and a poorly run business.

  Business response

  12/08/2023

   BBB:

  Please find attached the response to this complaint # ********.

  The customer has been contacted directly.

  This complaint can be considered closed.

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Richmond Times Dispatch, through their billing company BH Media Group, engages in fraudulent and non consensual business practices. They repeatedly increase rates, without any notice or consent to the consumer. They claim to lock in certain rates, then raise prices every three months. I have had to dispute this multiple times, and religiously check my credit card statements to see when this happens. I want to support the paper itself, but the company they are using is incredibly unethical. Recently, I renegotiated to $5.99 a month for 12 months. Checking my last couple statements, they jacked the rate to $16.99 in violation of that agreement and without notice. When I called again, they refused to refund the prior months. I've reported the charges as fraudulent with my bank. Their solution was to again lock me into a rate "from here forward" but acknowledge that actually they can raise rates every three months and won't provide any notice. They also refused to provide written confirmation of the locked in rate.

  Business response

  10/31/2023

  Good Day,

  Attached is the response letter for this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have attempted to cancel my subscription many times over the course of months. Initially I attempted 2 times over many months online, but received an error message saying there was a "temporary" error and that I must call to cancel. Once the error happened the second time months after the first attempt, that clued me in that something strange was going on. I called and after waiting on hold for an eternity, I received a worker who I could hear talking in an extremely loud call center. Call centers are common these days, but this one sounded particularly chaotic, this was another red flag. Even though I was wary, the worker was apologetic and said he would cancel my subscription going forward and they would extend me a courtesy free six months. I confirmed with him that there would be no more charges and the subscription would not continue after the six months. Well, here we are 30 days later and not only did I receive another charge- it was multiple times more expensive that what I was originally paying! With the charge I received an invoice thanking me for signing up for some kind of new subscription of theres. I called them up and they had zero record of our last conversation, and zero record of my cancellation. They apologized and again tried to give me "6 months free". I declined and after a great deal of insisting, she finally said she cancelled my subscription. We'll see if it actually takes this time. After this experience it's clear to me that the Richmond Times-Dispatch has become a SCAM organization with what which either A) a purposefully illegally designed Cancellation system, or B) They are working with a foreign third party that uses illegal practices to handle the cancellations which allows them to keep their "knowledge" of what is going on in their cancellation department at arms length.

  Business response

  10/09/2023

  Dear BBB,

  Attached is the response to this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i was charged for a subscription i never agreed to renew and late fees on a final notice when i never received a first notice. their customer hotline is not working so i havent been able to call to cancel or dispute a late charge. i should not be charged for a subscription i do not use and did not agree to use after the term period and when cancelling via a phone is not even an option and their customer service line does not work, this seems like a scam to take customers money. id like my account cleared. as i should not owe them any money.

  Business response

  08/18/2023

  Dear BBB,

  Attached is the response for this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We have subscribed to the Richmond T-D for 33 years and, up until now, have been satisfied with the paper. However, we changed our delivery from "paper" to "digital" last year to save on costs and have been very displeased with the horrible online experience and extremely poor customer service we've received, particularly in trying to cancel our account. As background, we were told we'd receive monthly e-mail invoices (which we've not), plus we can't manage our account online or even reset our password - receiving error messages in all these instances. Calling customer service has been abysmally unproductive and frustrating. Consequently, I'm fed up with paying for a service I can't access and, consequently, have tried - multiple times - to cancel, with the most recent attempt today (7/24/23). I was informed I couldn't cancel until the end of our online subscription which, ironically, I have already paid for in full (and am not asking for a refund!) When I felt the customer rep. was not addressing my concerns I asked to speak with a manager - and was informed one was not available. This is very similar to when I tried to cancel earlier this year, after being automatically renewed at a much higher monthly rate and without any advance notice or, more importantly, my agreement. When I tried to cancel that time, I was denied the option because they said I had just renewed (without my consent!) I'm extremely disappointed in what this paper has become and how difficult it is to access - and in this case - cancel. It seems as if the process has been intentionally designed to make it impossible to cancel and, as a result, customers are entrapped into renewing against their will. I've never encountered such an unacceptable situation as this in any of my customer service encounters with other companies.

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  Pleas see the attached response for ********************** complaint. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  07/26/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's offer.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved. If the company does not perform as promised I can get back to you at: ************************************************************.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Richmond times won't let me cancel my subscription. I have read their terms of service, called the number hidden in section 19 of their ToS to cancel, spoke with a lady who assured me the subscription was over. The very next business day, they tried to charge me $12, again, for a subscription that was supposed to be cancelled. They've been harassing me for a week straight, every single day trying to take money from my account that doesn't belong to them. And here's the kicker: I don't actually owe them ANYTHING, because you can't read any articles without a subscription. Sub doesn't go through, so no articles are consumed, so no payment is due. I haven't read a single article from this garage company since I was forced to join just to find out about a shooting that happened in my city. They have a pretty strict 'don't tread on me' approach towards their CUSTOMERS, but not their government?? Isn't that what it's for??? Typical journalist, twist facts for their own benefit with no regard to the realities of the people involved. What a slap in the face to anyone who supports them!! Also, in their ToS, it says they have the right to charge you whatever they want, whenever they want, regardless of what they tell you to your face, and they don't have to give you any warning before doing so. I remember when I signed up, it was not $12 a month, it was $7. I live on government assistance and I'm not going to be giving them $12, but they will not let up. They keep trying to take the money directly from my bank account and keep getting it pushed back, saying no, not a sub, but they keep trying. At this point, it's harassment, and they owe me money for each attempted overdraft fee that occurs for every time they've tried to STEAL my money after canceling my subscription. This company is incredibly sleazy and crooked. We already know that all journalists are just lying, greedy, politically controlled, 4th-gen yuppie cucks, but these people really take it to the next level.

  Business response

  07/07/2023

  Dear BBB,

  Attached is the response letter for this complaint.

  Thank you,

  *************************

  Circulation Office Manager

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I received an email today telling me I was going to be charged $21.99 for an automatic EZ Pay subscription. I have never authorized or requested a subscription to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. I live in **. In general, I have little interest in the news from Richmond. I called your subscription ***** and found that you have all of my billing info! When I asked to cancel whatever subscription that might exist, I was offered a better rate to keep the subscription. When I asked a second time to cancel, I was offered a less expensive option changing my paper copy to an online only subscription. I have never had a paper copy delivered to my home. Again, I live in **. If that is the type of subscription I had, I would like all past due issues delivered immediately and would still like to cancel my subscription. When I asked to cancel a third time, I was given a third offer as well as asked whether or not there were specific things I didn't like about the paper. I made a fourth attempt to cancel and that was again met with an alternative offer. At that point I asked to speak to a supervisor. I continued to be given various special offers. I asked a total of 5 times to speak to a supervisor. In the end that was never allowed. I have no idea now how to proceed. I don't know ho the paper got my billing information and, as can be seen from the above, I can't get them to cancel their automatic billing.

  Customer response

  06/30/2023

  Complaint ID# ********
  

  *********************

  The Better Business Bureau
  

  Operations Department
  

  Phone: ************ Direct Dial

  
  
  

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: No-Reply <***************************>
  Date: Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 1:27 PM
  Subject: V-Mail from ************************* ************** to ********************* 6947
  To: <**********************************************************>
  

  
  
  

  You have a new voicemail from ************** (*************************)

  YOU HAVE A NEW VOICEMAIL! 6947 (*********************), You have a new voice mail from************** (*************************). Your transcribed message: hello my name is ************************* about a week ago I believe it was June 21st I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against the Richmond Times Dispatch today I received an email from that newspaper who has offered ****** has already processed a full refund so the complaint I had was that I would have received your subscription I had never requested and they have now refunded it and cancel my subscription so I no longer have that complaint with Richmond Times Dispatch me again my name is ************************* if you need additional information my number is ************ thank you very much for your help with this bye bye. Listen by opening the enclosed attachment.

  Sent by2023 SimplicityVoIP

  

  One attachment Scanned by Gmail

*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. ↩