Modesto Bee

The account under the name [redacted] shows a location of [redacted]. The account was started 1/18/15. Unfortunately, there are no free subscriptions. This information has been given tot the Sales Manager for follow up on the subscription process. After the subscription was...

started, The Bee sent out 3 invoices (1/28/15, 2/16/15, 4/11/15). The Sunday paper continued to be delivered on a grace period until it stopped on 4/18/15. This resulted in the balance due. As of 6/24/15, the account has been cleared to a zero balance and all collection efforts have been ceased. We do apologize for the salesperson giving the incorrect information. In the future, please note all subscriptions are paid subscriptions. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

I am rejecting this response because consumer states I would like for someone to contact me directly me. I don't want credit I want the issue resolved.

This account was originally started on 7/19/15 with a payment for 10 weeks. The Modesto Bee does not stop subscriptions on the expiration date. The Bee allows a grace period for subscribers to renew their acconts. The Bee send out a first renewal notice 3-4 weeks prior to the expiration date...

(renewal notice was sent on 9/9/15). The renewal notice states, the paper will continue unless The Bee is notified otherwise. If The Bee does not hear back from the customer, the account enters the grace period and then a second renewal notice sent out (in this case, it was sent 11/4/15). The account was stopped on 12/16/15 and the customer service representative cleared the account to a zero balance. Unfortunately, after the account was cleared, there was a system error in restarting the account. As of today, the account is closed and cleared of any balance. The collection vendor ARM Solutions has been notified and all collection efforts have stopped. As a side note, this collection company is a thrid party vendor The Bee uses to make  final collection attempt. It is not reported to a credit bureau and does not show up on a credit report.Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns. Thank you

Mr. [redacted] account was started 3/15/16 on a daily promotion. The account was paid for 10 weeks. Since The Bee does not stop accounts automatically, the account continued on the grace period. There was a first renewal notice sent on 5/4/16. A second one on 7/6/16 and a third one on 8/15/16. We do...

ask our customers to contact The Bee if they do not wish to continue the service, otherwise it continues automatically. In this case, it seems as though Mr. [redacted] requested a cancellation, but it was not processed. The account was not stopped until 8/22/16, which left an outstanding balance of $30.86. This balance has been cleared from Mr. [redacted] account and the collection vendor has been notified to stop all calling and mail notifications immediately. The collection vendor is a 3rd party vendor used to collect final payments. However, the account is not reported to the credit bureau and it does not affect Mr. [redacted] credit.Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-776-4233 if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you[redacted]Audience Services Manager

The information at this address is different from the information we show on the account. Currently, there is an active account for [redacted] with a phone number of [redacted] and an email of [redacted]. The account is paid until 9/14/16. The only complaint documented on the account is on 11/13/15. There are no notes of delivery problems or a refund on this account. Since this original email response was back in December 2015, there is no indication the account information has changed. If the customer can confirm this account information, we would be more than happy to get this resolved. The current credit on the account shows $32.56. The last payment was $124.80 on 10/15/15.Please feel free to contact our VIP department at [redacted].Thank you[redacted]Audience Services Manager

Customer has spoken with and emailed with several employess at The Bee. Mr. [redacted] is requesting a full refund of $19.25. Customer was issued a refund of $14.36 back on 6/27/16. However, since Mr. [redacted] did not want a separate check for the difference of $4.89, we needed to have the refund check...

sent back to The Bee. At the same time, a request to Finance was already requested to send Mr. [redacted] the full refund check of $19.25. After several calls and attempts to reach Mr. [redacted], this issue has been resolved. On 7/11/16, Mr. [redacted] notified our office that he will be sending back the original refund check of $14.36.Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-776-[redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns. Thank you

I am rejecting this response because: I DID notify them to cancel my subscription but the person (in India?) I was on the phone with would NOT take no for an answer and she would NOT allow me to ask about "other options." Therefore, based on their response, I can ASSURE you (and them) that now I will cancel the subscription I agreed on (after their aggressive telemarketing tactics) from Sept. 30 and my association with them will now be discontinued forever.  I cannot believe this is their response because basically I feel they are calling me a liar when I did, in fact attempt to cancel the initial subscription but as I stated the person I was speaking with on the phone would NOT accept the cancellation. Talk about a lack of integrity and business ethics and to add insult to injury I spend 18 years of my life employed by them. They weren't as desperate for business back then, but boy are they now based on this experience. They have lost me as a customer forever now based on this experience.

The card on file ending with XXXX-[redacted] was refunded $15.75. This was confirmed by our Finance Department. Please contact us locally at [redacted] if this refund is not showing on your statement.Thank you

This account shows Mr. [redacted] is paid until 10/9/15. During the time frame of this last payment cycle, our records show 1 complaint for a no paper on 12/25/14 (no paper), 1/16/15 (late paper), and 1/30/15 (no paper). There is a note on the account stating, "Customer will not hesitate to call...

back and cancel the service if he is missed again." Since 1/30/15, the service improved until 5/3/15. On 5/3/15, Mr. [redacted] reported a no paper. The account was credit each time this happened. The distributor and regional manager have received this information as well, in order to follow up on the delivery issues. Our goal is provide world class service and our managers will ensure the delivery to Mr. [redacted] continues to improve and get resolved.Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-776-4233 if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

modesto bee have been a subscriber almost continually since back in the middle 1950's I never had much trouble until the last coupe years. I've had wet papers. papers threw in the gutter in front my house I've had them threw under my car . I obtained a bee box and had it mounted by the street . I get the papers put in the box on week days by on sunday it is thrown in the drive way sometimes it is under my auto .I am 82 years old and handicapped
this creates a hardship for me . I have tried to call most time I get a recording saying they are getting so many calls they can not take mine .a few times I have talked to some one they always tell me they will correct it. this has been going on for at least 2 months . if you can not correct, and get the bee placed in my box please inform me. since the bee moved to sacramento it seems you have wrote modesto off

I get soo frustrated at the Modesto Bee and their care for the customer. I didn't get all of the paper this a.m., just the adds. Called the 800# and pushed all the buttons on the automated recording, by 9:30 still no paper. Called the local #, sent to a recording and got a service rep after going through many options. Yes, we will certainly deliver you a paper. It is now 12, and NO paper. Yes, the fault started with my delivery person, which her # is now not a working #, but I sure expect better service from our local office,. I know I can read it online, but I prefer the PAPER. What is happening to our Modesto Bee, it's getting smaller and smaller. Good thing I watch the news on TV.

Review: Modesto Bee has a very deceptive way of giving low rates then continuing the product (newspaper) at a much higher rate, then using a strong arm method of collections to enforce this illegal practice. All subscriptions I buy are noted up front (as does the Bee) for a certain contractual period of time. When the time is up the product stops. Reputable businesses don't send renewals with statements "doing nothing automatically extends the delivery at the highest current rate", continue the product and use collections for the over charge. This has happened to me for the second and last time! I have been getting the paper off and on (on being when I have time to read it) for 20+ years and have always paid all requested subscriptions. The Bee's latest method so turns me off I'm cancelling any and all future papers and I want them to stop this unethical bill collection method. I can't believe in a paper's content when it has practices like this.Desired Settlement: Take me off any soliciting and remove the $25.71 from collections. Anyone who sends someone to collections for small amounts like this to affect my excellent credit is unethical and should be reprimanded from the California Ethics Board.

This is the second time Modesto Bee have done this and I notified them with the last bill collection notice to never do this again.

Business

Response:

This account expired on 12/27/15. Prior to the expiration date, The Bee sent out a first renewal on 12/16/15. A second renewal notice was sent on 2/3/16. A thrid notice was sent on 3/9/16. Then, the account was stopped on 3/16/16. The Bee does not stop subscriber accounts automatically. The Bee allows a 90 grace period to make a renewal payment. All notices state, "The paper will continue unless The Bee is notified otherwise." As a long time subscriber, we allow this grace period so there is no interruption in service. Looking back on [redacted] account, there was a payment made on 9/16/15, which was 2 months later than the expiration date of 7/14/15. With the 90 grace period, [redacted] was able to continue receiving the paper during this grace period. It appears in this case, [redacted] did not want to continue the service after the 12/27/15 expiration date. However, The Bee did not receive notification to cancel the servive. At this time, we have cleared the balance and there will be no further notifications to collect a back balance. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-776-4233 if you have any further questionr or concerns.Thank you

Review: I had service with modesto bee for about 3-4 years.the last couple of months delivery has been bad to the point where they only deliver sunday paper if i'm lucky.after them telling me they were going to correct the issue I told them I had enough and they told me I can get a refund back.they told me the refund amount was going to be $79 and take a month for the check to arrive.this was in jan I believe.still no check.Desired Settlement: if you guys could tell modesto bee to send me my check.they keep telling me they will send out a check but still no check.

Business

Response:

The account is under [redacted] and the account is still active for daily service. The last noted communication we have from the customer was on 12/02/15 and the rep noted that they offered customer Sunday service only however customer wanted to continue with daily. Since 12/02/15 the account has continued with delivery for daily service. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.

Review: Our problem is with a company. The company is The Modesto Bee Newspaper. [redacted]

We had been subscribers of the daily paper since 2002. We paid promptly yearly. Due to monthly circumstances we chose not to renew this year. We informed the Modest Bee three times by phone. They continue to deliver the paper. When we did not pay there demands for money the sent our names to a collection agency – This will ruin our good credit standing. This is wrong and un fair –

[redacted]Desired Settlement: see Attached document

Business

Response:

The most recent payment of $161.20 for 26 weeks, paid the account until 1/17/16. There was a renewal notice sent on 12/30/15 and 3/2/16. Since the account does not stop automatically, the paper continued through the grace period and stopped on 4/16/16. Unfortunately, we do not show any notes or messages stating the customer wanted to cancel the service. We do apologize for the paper not being stopped. As of today, 6/23/16, the account has been stopped and cleared of any balance due. The collection company has also been informed to stop any further collection eddorts. As a side note, [redacted] is a vendor The Bee uses to collect past due balances. However, The Bee does not report this to any credit bureau or agency where it would affect a customer's credit report. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Review: Subscribed to Wednesday, Sunday as well as digital versions of Modesto Bee. I paid $19.25 to initiate delivery service. First week no deliveries, called customer service to inform, gave them a second chance to get it right. Second week no deliveries so called an cancelled subscription. Was asked to wait e weeks for refund. Three weeks pass with no refund. I contact upper management to complain. No resolve there. Email received with notice that a reduced refund of $14.36 is being delivered via postal service. I received nothing for my $19.25 and the Bee is withholding a fee that is no owed nor deserved. When I get nothing for my money, the Bee should get nothing for ZERO delivery efforts! I want my full paid refund of $19.25 !Desired Settlement: I paid full price for a subscription service and received nothing in return for my investment. If I received no "service" then I believe I had no account to have accrued a "service" fee. I want "ALL" of my money back, not a portion of it as they seem determined to force upon me.

Business

Response:

Customer has spoken with and emailed with several employess at The Bee. Mr. [redacted] is requesting a full refund of $19.25. Customer was issued a refund of $14.36 back on 6/27/16. However, since Mr. [redacted] did not want a separate check for the difference of $4.89, we needed to have the refund check sent back to The Bee. At the same time, a request to Finance was already requested to send Mr. [redacted] the full refund check of $19.25. After several calls and attempts to reach Mr. [redacted], this issue has been resolved. On 7/11/16, Mr. [redacted] notified our office that he will be sending back the original refund check of $14.36.Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-776-[redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns. Thank you

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting their interpretation of their perceived facts, though yes, I do understand they have a right to their own way of thinking:I acknowledge the fact that my Bank only, in following their own policy, returned my $19.25The better exposed and accurate version to counter the story/response deposited here by a Bee executive is the following....The Bee did offer me a reduced refund amount, [redacted] too-little-too-late. Because I swiftly brought the financial impropriety to the attention of my bank, they, the bank, proceeded with their own swift policy of "temporarily refunding the full $19.25" according to that policy. My decline to accept the Bee's reduced refund was due to the fact that I am a person of higher ethical standards. Since I at one time did run a licensed construction business I also am a person with reasonable understanding of good business practices. I would not accept a check from Bee corporate since my bank already returned my lost funds well before the Bee was able to fully comprehend the petty fiasco that they themselves had created, therefore setting in motion my responses in dealing with a matter of "principle" rather than focusing on the petty dollars that I paid and where goods and services had not been recieved.

Review: We cancelled our subscription to the Modesto Bee in Nov. 2015. They continually deliver the paper. We have called and talked with personnel at the customer service number several times to STOP delivery. We do not want newspapers piling up in the driveway when we are gone. The delivery finally stopped about June 1st. Now it has started again.. According to our Neighborhood Watch Police Officer, one of the behaviors thieves look for, is newspapers piling up in driveways, which indicates residents are not home. This is becoming a safety issue for ourselves and our neighborhood. Please advise as to how to proceed to STOP DELIVERY OF THE MODESTO BEE.

Assistances with this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.Desired Settlement: No more delivery of the MODESTO BEE to our residence.

Business

Response:

Customer's account was stopped 12/13/16 and the account is at a zero balance. A refund was sent on 12/14/15. Another message and reminder to stop the paper was sent to the distributor on 5/24/16. We do apologize the papers started being delivered again. The account shows inactive and there will be no billing for any papers received. This information will be sent to the Regional Manager this morning to ensure all deliveries are stopped. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: The Modesto Bee has called me on numerous occasions and I am not and will not be a member of their paper services.

I've informed them to remove my number off the registry before I reported it and they have called me again.

If this continues, I will try and pursue this legally. Right now I would just prefer this to be handled within the business.

Thank you for the compliance.

Have a wonderful day.Desired Settlement: Them to simply stop calling me.

Business

Response:

We do apologize for the calls and the inconvenience. This number has been added to the do not call list as of today. This has also been sent to the Sales Manager and her team to remove the number from all existing calling files. Since these files have already been submitted for this week, it may take 24 hours to get the number removed off the existing calling files.Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Review: I had signed up for Subscription that ended, Was not informed about auto-renewal Policy. They continued delivery past end date sent to Collections!

At on phone sign up for subscription no notice given of auto renew Policy at that time. Made full payment then. Apparently, after Subscription ended they continued to deliver, but never informed me that it was past end date of my subscription. They sent bill and Left phone messages stating the service will end if I did not contact. I did not want to continue, I Let it END come. Note the Auto-renew Policy is not prominently displayed on the bill either! These Subscription Auto-renewal policies have been considered wrong for many years. They are not Consumer oriented. They are not a way to do business! Mode sto Bee sent bill to Collection Agency ARM Solutions Inc.Desired Settlement: I paid these Charges of $29.40 to the Modesto Bee on 8/12/13, but under protest. This action due to a in process Credit Matter to ensure no conflict.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Mr [redacted] purchased and started a subscription to The Modesto Bee on or around March 13, 2013. He was sent bills via USPS for the service on March 21 and April 26. Our bills clearly state that delivery is continuous unless we are notified.

As Mr. [redacted] stated, he did not notify us, rather expecting the service to stop. To keep from stopping and restarting service for customers who might miss a payment, we allow up to 90 days of service to continue without payment. We do expect back-payment for the delivery, and - as in this case - if the customer doesn't pay we ultimately send the case to collections.

We sent a final bill to Mr. [redacted] on June 12 and requested our collections agency to collect the past due and service was terminated.

In reviewing this account, it seems that there was also a lack of payment on the account in September of 2012, for a balance of $13.80 which was written off.

We notify our customers on bills that service is continuous, as we did in this case. We believe that our practice is in the best interest of the customer and we give multiple avenues for contact (phone, internet, e-mail) to stop service.

Best regards,

Consumer's Final Response

The Bee has contacted me by E-mail indicating the billing was in error. The period of service was a grace period which there should be no charge. NOTE: They are making corrections. Since I paid there charge in protest, I will notify you when the Refund is rec'd. Thanks.

Consumer Response

this is the E-mail I received from modesto Bee which I felt closed the matter. It states that the Bee has an automatic Grace period while customers are deciding to renew or not. However, the e-mail forwarded by you from [redacted] at the Bee dated 8/16/13 clearly ignored the Grace period and stated a lack of payment and a write off? Grace periods are not legally Billable if product or service not agreed to. I did not renew at any time, never received a bill or I would've complained then. Note I started a new subscription in March on a special deal, No one mentioned any past due, nor any Autorenewal to follow at that time and I paid in advance for the subscription period I chose! Billing people for services not requested, does not service customers and threatening them with Collection Letters is an UNSAVORY Business practice and has been acknowledged as such by consumer groups. Note I have not received a Refund! Please add this to my Complaint folder and if posted on line. Thanks [redacted]@comcast.net ----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Customer Service, MOD

To: [redacted]@comcast.net

Sent: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 22:07:25 -0000 (UTC)

Subject: Re: Delivery Problems

Hello [redacted],

I apologize for any confusion the letter from ARM has created. It is a debt collecting company we hired to contact our past due customers, it will not be reported to your credit. I have forwarded your account to our finance department and requested they waive the balance since there was a misunderstanding. When a subscription expires it is automatically put into what we call a grace period, where the account goes past due but we continue to deliver the paper. We will therefore waive the past due charges for the confusion.

Business Response

The Modesto Bee will be refunding the amount paid by the customer in good faith. We do have correspondence in email received after collection efforts were made to collect the money and at no point did the customer state that he did not receive papers. We do print on our bills that delivery is continuous unless otherwise notified.

Review: I have A paid contrac with the Modesto Bee to have A paper delivered every day m issed threk you days. I have paid for A year in advance. I think The BEE needs to made to HONOR A CONTRACT Thank You [redacted]Desired Settlement: Made to live with there contract or pay A Large FINE

Business

Response:

This account shows Mr. [redacted] is paid until 10/9/15. During the time frame of this last payment cycle, our records show 1 complaint for a no paper on 12/25/14 (no paper), 1/16/15 (late paper), and 1/30/15 (no paper). There is a note on the account stating, "Customer will not hesitate to call back and cancel the service if he is missed again." Since 1/30/15, the service improved until 5/3/15. On 5/3/15, Mr. [redacted] reported a no paper. The account was credit each time this happened. The distributor and regional manager have received this information as well, in order to follow up on the delivery issues. Our goal is provide world class service and our managers will ensure the delivery to Mr. [redacted] continues to improve and get resolved.

Review: I have been a long time customer of modbee, my acc. came up 4 renewal and I noticed the renewal date was different than mine. called cust. service and was told even though I contracted for x num. of weeks they were charging xtra 4 some special editions and collecting the xtra by reducing the days and weeks they had advertised as my length of delivery days. This is false advertising or at the very least not ethical.Desired Settlement: Revdex.com to notify modbee what is required if said b.b.b agrees and notify me if I am wrong.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] account was paid on 12/2/13 for 26 weeks. During this 26 weeks timeframe, there were holiday premium papers delivered. The holiday premium day papers are listed on all promotion material, emails, letters, renewal notices and online. On this account, our customer service representatives have noted the calls and feedback from Mr. [redacted]. The notation on 5/21/14 states the customer service representative offered to waive the holiday premium papers as a one time credit. However, Mr. [redacted] decided to cancel the paper on 5/22/14. On 5/24/14, Mr. [redacted] restarted his service and made a pre-payment for 26 weeks. There was an adjustment done on the account for $13.09 as well as $3.00 for the activation fee on all new starts.