Journal Broadcast Group, Inc.

Review: I [redacted] and my daughter [redacted], had met with [redacted] after he had quoted me a rate of $1,100.00 per week for a 3 frequency per week running advertising on WTMJ back in July of this year. We ordered 4 weeks advertising and $4,400.00 was supposed to be put on our credit card. After 4 weeks of advertising because we had received only 1 phone call for the $4,400.00 I wrote [redacted] an email stating it wasn't working and we wouldn't be able to continue, I then called got his company voicemail and left a message again stating we wouldn't be able to continue to run the campaign on a Thursday. Friday they ran our credit card for cancelled advertising, and took nearly 3 weeks to return it??

I went to run some material on our credit card and it was declined the following Monday.

Surprised because I had just over $2,000.00 in the account I went straight home and checked the account and to my surprise $2,000.00 dollars had been run by WTMJ. I immediately called the bank who told me they tried to run another transaction for $2,000.00 and one for $400.00 but because they had drained my account they wouldn't go through. I tried reversing the transaction and Chase bank told me I would have to contact WTMJ and give them the opportunity to return it and while they were explaining this and going over the previous transactions I was made aware that not only had they run 2 transactions for $2,000.00 a piece and one for $400.00 just like I had instructed [redacted] he'd have to do, but that another $960.00 was run the previous month. I told the bank that the $960.00 was never ever authorized and in fact I specifically told them not to run that internet marketing for us. Chase said because the $2,000.00 transactions had just been run that I would have to contact the Journal and request they return the money before they could do anything and wait 15 days before I could reverse it through the bank. I called [redacted] right away on 08/26 and I requested the money be return which he said they'd do and that the weekend following the cancellations wouldn't be billed. I explained that the money they took was customers money for material and that we couldn't install jobs because of their error and he assured me the money would be returned that day which it was not I also emailed him several days later when the money was not returned immediately as promised and again he stated it would be returned immediately and again it was not! I explained to [redacted] I specifically told him not to run the internet marketing, which he stated "It wasn't" I asked why is there $960.00 on my credit card to which he replied, It's for the 1st week of the month because it was the end of the month when the 1st ads were run, which made absolutely no sense to me because of our agreement was for 4 ads x $1,100.00 per ad for a total of $4,400.00 to be billed on our card that month, but I didn't want to argue at that point since they had taken homeowners material money without permission and I needed to get it back. It was not returned immediately and after waiting the 15 days and 3 attempts to have [redacted] return it the bank reversed the $2,000.00 on 09/11.

Evidently the Journal credited our account 09/13 nearly 3 weeks after taking the unauthorized money then took the money back after realizing Chase had already charged them back 2 days earlier. [redacted] emailed me Nov. 27th again stating the 960.00 is being disputed because it was for advertising that was run. Whether it was run or not, even that I'm unclear of, but I can assure you after 2 cancellations 1st one in writing it certainly shouldn't have been!

I'm including the emails. and can explain the timeline of events

July the advertising is ordered

08/27 & 08/28/13 radio ads 07/26 Credit card is run for $2,000.00 - $2,000.00 - $400.00 authorized $4,400.00 as discussed with [redacted] & [redacted] and additional ($960.00 unauthorized) is run on card. which was specifically declined.

08/03 & 08/04/13 radio ads Were supposed to run?

08/10 & 08/11/13 radio ads Were supposed to run?

08/17 & 08/18/13 radio ads Were supposed to run?

08/20/13 I emailed [redacted] to tell him we weren't getting any response and that we'd have to try again in spring

08/22/13 Called [redacted] to again confirm that we could no longer advertise because of lack of response.

08/23/13 Journal ran credit card for $2,000.00 and tried running another $2,400.00 for 08/24 & 08/25/13 advertising was cancelled twice the previous week on 08/20 & 08/22

In July we had approved $4,400.00 that was discussed at lunch for 4 weeks.

We denied the $960.00 internet marketing.

Now I'm being told that the Journal decided to charge the internet advertising rate for the 1st week, which [redacted] alleges were per my instructions that neither I or my daughter were made aware of. I cancelled the weekend of 08/24 & 08/25. Not once but twice.

Now I'm being told that the 960.00 that should have never been run will be reversed again. My fear is that the 60 second spots were not run as promised as I don't listen to the radio so I have no way of knowing that the ads ran other than 1 phone call for a $4,400 investment Then if I had agreed to $960.00 as [redacted] puts in his email "per my instructions" I would have instructed all the weeks to be charged at that rate?

My concern is if a company like ours is running advertising and an additional unauthorized charge is put on the account for internet marketing or whatever else that was not ordered at the end of a couple month campaign a company isn't going to catch it. So we rely on the company's were ordering from to be on board with their billing. Had I not cancelled when I did because my Dad does the books I would have never seen the unauthorized $960.00 put on the account. And again with 60 second spots and only 1 phone call? Did my ads even run as promised?Desired Settlement: To spend $4,400.00 to get only one phone call on a price leader ad I fear that the agreed upon terms may not have been met as far as the agreed upon commercials.

Once they depleted our account after cancelling advertising we were unable to install customers jobs in the time frame they deserved.

In addition, because the Banks $1,500.00 minimum requirement to waive service charges on our business account wasn't met on both August and September and we were charged as a consequence an additional $15.00 x 2 = $30.00 in service charges.

At the very least we would like the 960.00 "per my instructions" that was the alleged rate to reflect on all 4 weeks we ordered $140.00 x 4 = $560.00 plus the $30.00 in service charges.

Although in all honesty we were quoted $1,100 x 4...

I certainly want other company's to know that they have to watch their billing very carefully with Journal Broadcast representatives, and it's a shame I used to order a lot of Newspaper ads over the last 25 years and until now have not experienced someone adding advertising we didn't order then lying about why by explaining its "per my instructions" and that's why the rate is different. There has never been such a discrepency the rate is the rate they quote at least for 25 years it has been...

Business

Response:

It appears we were able to resolve the dispute we discussed last week (#[redacted]). I will confirm today or Monday.

At a point in time when the cost of Cable keeps going up and up because of the insane fees they need to pay to content providers, Journal Communications joins the crowd of greed motivated companies to try and rob the consumer. They don't seem to understand that when they raise the rebroadcast rates, that keeps getting passed onto the consumer, because there are 100's of channels that need to be paid for.

Their own document on the subject states:

"Time Warner Cable actually sends less than 1% of what you pay each month to Journal Broadcast Group. Ask Time Warner Cable to explain where the other 99% of your monthly payment goes."

Really - you think you deserve 1% for your ONE channel when there are 100's of cable channels out there? How is Time Warner supposed to keep our rates low when you are looking for 1% of their entire subscription revenue stream for 1 channel? That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard trying to support your view.

Is Time Warner not supposed to make a profit? Are they not supposed to be able to improve services? Add more channels? Give more value to customers?

How can they do that if every single broadcaster thinks their programming is the only one out there, and demands large increases every time their contract comes up?

It's time to put an end to broadcasters increasing their fees, and in turn, raising our rates!