Sacramento Bee

Review: Dear sir,

I would like to file formal complaint against the Sacramento Bee Newspaper!

For past several week's I have been receiving number of very aggressive phone call's regarding my subscription renewal with newspaper!

I have made it very clear with different representatives of Sacramento Bee that I'm not interested in renewing their newspaper! Recent phone numbers received [redacted] and [redacted] have been this past 2-3 weeks! I have caller I.D. and number's show under California call! I'm clearly lived over these unwanted solicitated phone calls and would like put to stop to all this nonsense!

The different representatives are very aggresive in their selling manner regarding customers!

One of many reasons for canceling newspaper is very poor format of the paper itself! Also not complete box score's of sports section. Another valid reason regarding the price of newspaper! Over past year they kept increasing subscription price on me! $441.40 per month is far too much to pay for poorly formated newspaper!Desired Settlement: Could you please investigate this matter regarding my complaint against the Sacramento Bee!

Thank you for looking into this matter on my behalf!

I appreciate any efforts from your staff! Thanks again!

Sincerely

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] was a subscriber for several years on our easypay payment plan. As of 8/7/15, Mr. [redacted] cancelled his subscription due to the new redesign of the paper. As a standard business practice, The Bee sales team makes an attempt to contact former customers to offer a 'comeback' promotion. Since receiving this complaint, Mr. [redacted]'s phone number has been applied to our do not call list. The phone number has also been given to the Sales Manager to have all calls stopped. We do apologize for any inconvenience.Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Review: I purchased Sunday only delivery of two (2) issues. On the first week there was no and no help form customer service.

I ordered online for 2 copies of the Sunday edition of the paper to be delivered to my home. my order number is XXXXX. The order date was April 29, 2013. One the first day the paper was to be delivered there was no paper. My wife called and was told there would be a delivery within 2 hours. After 2 hours we called again and the same thing was repeated, wait 2 hours. The paper never arrived and I made several more calls throughout the week, and was told that they would add a week to my subscription which at the time I was fine with provided my papers started to get delivered.

This last Sunday [redacted] 12 2013 I checked of my paper and looked everywhere and none was found. I called customer service again and was told there would be a delivery within the next 2 hours which seems to be the standard response. After we waited 2 hours I called again to cancel my subscription. The call taker asked me to give them a second chance and I explained I gave them plenty of chances and want my subscription cancelled immediately. I was then told that they can not cancel my subscription until the nest delivery date which is Sunday and would submit a request for a full refund. The customer service rep then told me it would take 2-3 weeks for the refund request to be processed. I advised her that since I paid for a subscription that I have yet to received they need to refund the full amount in total by the first business day. After some word wrangling the rep only told me she would put the request in to be refunded as soon as possible.

About 3 hours later when I was leaving for work I noticed that someone had finally delivered a paper however it was only one copy not the 2 copies I paid for. The paper was also not a complete paper.

I fail to see why I in the first 2 weeks I had to call more than 6 times to get this issue corrected and now I have to wait for them again to refund the full amount I paid when there was no hesitation in their receiving my payment for services.

The customer service reps give the appearance of reading a script when dealing with complaints and anything outside those parameters can not seem to get resolved. I was not given any numbers or offered to speak with a supervisor.Desired Settlement: I am seeking a full refund of my paid subscription of 43.93 for 2 copies of the Sacramento Bee.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Mr. [redacted]'s account was started 5/5/13 on Sunday only delivery. Our records show Mr. [redacted] called several times to get his delivery and there were several complaints and messages sent to the distributor in the area. Unfortunately, it appears the complaints and messages did not get the proper resolution and Mr. [redacted] was missed again on 5/12/13. This case has been given to the regional manager who oversees the distributor. Although, Mr. [redacted] is stopping his subscription, we are still going to seek a response and resolution moving forward.

The request for the full refund has been requested and will be processed on Friday 5/17/13. Typically, a refund back to a credit card can take about a week. However, Mr. [redacted]'s account has been submitted to be credited back to his credit card within the next 3 business days. We are very sorry for the delivery problems and our hope is that the service in this area will improve. Please let us know if there are any further questions or concerns.

I have subscribed to the Sacramento Bee for almost 40 years and have no complaints other then the raising cost to receive the paper. Because of the price increase I chose to cancel the paper and notified the Sacramento Bee (Bee) in writing, by returning the bill with instruction to cancel the subscription. The Bee ignored my instruction and continued to deliver the paper, then I continued to receive invoice/bills and papers. Each invoice was returned with instructions to cancel the paper. I even called the Bee and notified them to cancel the paper. Then we received a collection notice from a company, hired by the Bee, to collect delinquent debt from me. I called the Bee and complained to them and they agreed to stop the collection process; however, I continued to receive a letter and and telephone calls. Another call to the Bee and the collection calls/letters stopped. Now I receive calls every week or two from the Bee, or their representative, who tries to get me to subscribe to the Bee at a discounted rate. Each time I tell them to put me on the do-not-call list, but I continue to receive calls.

Review: I have attempted to cancel my Sacramento Bee subsciption multiple times. The company has failed to cancel my subscription.

Why is cancelling a subscription with this newspaper such a difficult process? I have military orders to move overseas and I am being taken advantage of by this company regarding my cancellation. I contacted the company via email and received a response that my subscription was canceled. After confirmation that it was canceled, I did not receive a paper. However, the next week, they sent a Sunday paper without my consent or request and subsequently sent me a renewal notice. Now when I try to contact the company, I am unsuccessful. I have sent multiple additional emails with NO response. I feel that the company is attempting to take advantage of my situation and attempt to bill me for services that I am not requesting.Desired Settlement: I would like the company to properly bill me in the amount of $2.46, which is what the original email from the company stated. I would also like IMMEDIATE CANCELLATION of my subscription. My account # is [redacted].

The original email trail is as follows:

MY ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Sir/Ma'am,

I no longer require the services of the Sacramento Bee. Please cancel my subscription effective immediately as I will be leaving the area

permanently.

Account Number is [redacted].

Regards,

ORINGINAL RESPONSE FROM THE SACRAMENTO BEE:

Dear [redacted],

Thank you for contacting The Sacramento Bee.

We are sorry to hear that you would like to stop delivery of the newspaper.

You are a valued customer and we appreciate your readership of The Bee. From the big headlines to Bee exclusives, we cover the stories that matter to you most in more detail than any other news source. From the NBA to the upcoming MLB season, to money saving coupons, the newspaper more than pays for itself in news value and special discounts.

We will honor your request to stop delivery on November 03, 2013. We can offer you our digital bundle alone subscription which provides immediate and unlimited access to all content on our newspaper's website (SacBee.com), our mobile site (m.sacbee.com), our iPhone and Android smartphone apps, and our electronic replica edition (E-Edition) for $6.95 per month (or $69.95 per year if paid annually). Again, we would really like to continue home delivery to you.

At this time, we show that there is an outstanding balance of $2.46 on the account for the service from October 20, 2013 to October 27, 2013. You can make a payment on the account by calling us at (800)284-3233.

One more reason you won't want to stop your Bee subscription is our new BeeBuzzPoints Rewards program. Register at www.beebuzzpoints.com and earn 5000 points just for registering today! It's our way of saying thank you for your loyalty.

Please let us know if you would like to continue delivery or go to www.sacbee.com/plus.

Thank you for being a loyal Bee reader.

Sincerely,

(name removed)

Interactive Services Representative

Sacramento Bee

[email protected]

Business

Response:

Contact Name and Title: [redacted]

Contact Phone: [redacted]

Contact Email: [redacted][email protected]

Mr. [redacted]'s subscription account was stopped in the Bee's subscription account database as of 11/3/13. To prevent further deliveries being made, Bee management has directly contacted the distribution company servicing Mr. [redacted]'s account to ensure no more deliveries are made. Additionally, we have cleared his account of the remaining $2.46. Mr. [redacted] has responded to The Bee ([redacted]) indicating this is an acceptable resolution.

Business

Response:

Contact Name and Title: [redacted]

Contact Phone: [redacted]

Contact Email: [redacted][email protected]

Mr. [redacted]'s subscription account was stopped in the Bee's subscription account database as of 11/3/13. To prevent further deliveries being made, Bee management has directly contacted the distribution company servicing Mr. [redacted]'s account to ensure no more deliveries are made. Additionally, we have cleared his account of the remaining $2.46. Mr. [redacted] has responded to The Bee ([redacted]) indicating this is an acceptable resolution.

Consumer

Response:

Thanks for your assistance. The company has failed to cancel my subscription and I have continued to receive newspapers.

Consumer

Response:

Thanks for your assistance. The company has failed to cancel my subscription and I have continued to receive newspapers.

Business

Response:

Company states that delivery was stopped in their system effective November 3, 2013. Consumer should not be receiving any further newspapers. There is also a zero balance on the account as of November 19, 2013.

Review: I tried to cancel the Sacramento Bee. They then sent my bill to collections despite my requests to cancel and not receiving a paper for more than a month.Desired Settlement: Collections agency [redacted] Client Name: [redacted], Agency Account [redacted] Principal Amount 38.03. Dated January 22nd 2016

Business

Response:

Thank you for your patience, We have adjusted your account to reflect a zero balance and we will send your account information to [redacted] notifying them of this change as well. If you have any questions please contact us at [redacted]

Review: 8 out of the last 14 days, my newspaper has not been delivered on time.

The Sacramento Bee is supposed to be delivered by 0630am Mon-Sat and by 0700 on Sunday. 8 out of the last 14 days it has been late, anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours. Two of the eight days that a paper was delivered on time, I received the San Francisco Chronicle instead of the Sacramento Bee. I have never been given an explanation of why the paper is late. I usually receive a paper, but I want my paper delivered on time. I don't care to get my morning paper in the afternoon.Desired Settlement: I would like the paper delivered on time, or an explanation of why it is late.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Mr. [redacted]'s complaint has been given to the Regional Manager and the distributor to resolve. Mr. [redacted] has been a customer since 12/9/12 and we do value his readership and loyalty as a Bee reader. The feedback I received from the distributor states, "Late July we had to replace the carrier. We have had 3 carriers (going on 4) since then. I will add them to our service checks and we are in the midst of training a new carrier. I will inform the carrier about the sensitivity and importance of this address."

I understand this is not an excuse and we do not condone the late deliveries. Please know that we are working with this distributor to get the service resolved.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

My paper has been delivered promptly for the last 12 days. Thank you. Until the Revdex.com got involved the Sacramento Bee's customer service was terrible. Daily complaints made no change to the service. Never was there an explanation of why the paper was late, even though I always asked.

Review: The enclosed letter by me to the collection company of Joseph Mann & Creed pretty well spells out my problem with the Sacramento Bee.

In short the Sacramento Bee is trying to make me pay for the newspapers they fraudulently continued to deliver to my address AFTER my subscription had expired.

Desired Settlement: Please review the enclosed documents and see if yo can stop the Sacramento Bee from harassing me.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

Mr. [redacted] started an account on 3/13/12 for 52 weeks. The payment was made for $52.00. On 1/13/13, The Bee mailed an automatic renewal notice. Our policy is to notify customers in advance (prior to their expiration date) with the statement, "the paper will continue automatically at the regular rate unless The Bee is notified otherwise." After the first renewal notice, we send a 2nd and 3rd notice with the same information. In this case, the 2nd renewal was sent on 3/18/13 and the 3rd renewal notice was send on 4/22/13. Since we did not receive a call to stop the service, the paper continued through the 90 day grace period.

I understand Mr. [redacted] does not agree with the policy. Our records indicate Mr. [redacted] has been a customer off and on for over 8 years. The policy has remained throughout that time frame. However, as a valued longtime customer, this account has been cleared of any balance owing as of 7/6/13. The JMC company has also been notified of the zero balance on the account. There will be no further letters or calls regarding an overdue balance. In the future, please note that subscriptions do not stop automatically unless The Bee is notified.

Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.

Business' Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

I think that the Sacramento Bee acted responsibly in this matter. I want to thank the people at the Sacramento Bee for resolving this complaint to my satisfaction.

I also want to thank the people at the Sacramento Revdex.com for their gracious help.

[redacted]@pacbell.net

Review: These are the facts:Jan-Feb 2015 subscription term paid January 20 in the amount of $32 ($3.68/issue@3 issues per week ending Feb 22)Prior to the beginning of a new term I requested that:#1 my subscription be downgraded to Sunday only #2 that I receive the promo rate offered to new subscribers, and #3 that if either one of those things be impossible, to cancel my subscription and purge my payment information.Someone with SacBee confirmed to have received my request initially, but later said they weren't contacted about any cancellation or downgrade of service. The Bee did not honor my request, continued to service my address @ the $3.68/issue rate/3 issues a week until June 28th when they finally cancelled the subscription. The justification for this was a 90 day grace period not mentioned in their terms & conditions that allows them to continue delivering the paper in the event of non-payment as a Courtesy.-90 days from February 22 is not June 28th.-I deauthorized payment in accordance with my cancellation request, I didn't consent to future service and explicitly denied payment for any future services rendered.-Delinquent referred to [redacted], calls from SacBee and [redacted] representatives as well as mail correspondence continued thru 10/19/25! SacBee attempted to collect a disputed debt that they already sold to a collections agency-I refuted the debt and [redacted] from SacBee Interactive Services WAIVED the balance on 8/25-After continued unfair collection tactics and fear of adverse reporting affects on my score, I paid $81.99 to [redacted] 9/11, but calls continued10/23 I received confirmation that it was indeed WAIVED but have yet to receive a response to my request of a refund or bill credit since it was agreed that the debt was invalid to begin with and the manner in which they went about collecting it was unlawful. The confirmation had a generic apology which I accept conditionally with a result refundLast call from [redacted] was 10/19 when my daughter answeredDesired Settlement: Any and all negative reporting by [redacted] Inc as a result of the disputed debt will be corrected. The balance of $81.99 that was paid and later WAIVED must be either credited to my account for use on a future subscription at the promotional rate (I'm now eligible), or refunded using the original method of payment made to ARM. 90 grace per. needs to be explicitly disclosed and consent must be obtained prior to its enactment within the full terms & conditions. Stop calling my daughter.

Business

Response:

Customer was stopped on 6/27/15 with an amount due of $81.99. On 10/20/15, the grace of $81.99 was removed by a VIP supervisor. The payment sent in was not posted until 10/26/15. Since the grace amount was removed from the account, the payment of $81.99 restarted the account on weekends only. The current expiration date is 2/5/16. On 11/12/15, Ms. [redacted] phone number was placed on the do not call list per her request. Also, on 11/12/15, the customer service representative notated Ms. [redacted] had missed 5 papers. These 5 missing papers have been credited to the current account. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Review: I paid the Sacramento Bee $77 in March of 2015 and told them upfront to NOT deliver any more papers after the delivery period I paid for expired because I was moving. The sales rep promised he activated the "not Renew" feature on my account; however, They continued to deliver the papers for 3 more months and ignored my requests to cancel the paper three times. They also harassed me calling my cell phone sometimes multiple times a day telling me I was overdue in paying for a subscription that I explicitly cancelled multiples times. I will never order this paper again because aside from shady billing practices I experienced delivery problems multiple times; I had to call and complain I was missing a paper too many times to count. I would like a refund of $50.00 since that is what they are telling meI owe-- which I do not as I cancelled the paper upfront when I ordered it. I am not asking for cash, just for my previous account To be credited and their collections agency informed that I do not owe anything on the account. Thanks.Desired Settlement: Credit to my previous account so that it shows paid in full and the collections agency told to erase my record.

Business

Response:

Customer's account was in a grace period when the payment was posted on 3/6/15. Ms. [redacted] previous account started on 7/4/14 and expired on 12/25/14. Since the account does not stop automatically, the paper continued after the expiration date. The Bee allows a 90 day grace period for subscribers to renew their subscription. The Bee also send out renewal notices stating the paper does not stop unless The Bee is notified otherwise. The renewal notices for Ms. [redacted] were sent on 1/4/14, 1/29/15 & 3/5/15. Then, one of our retention vendors called to collect payment. This payment would have paid the account until 6/18/15. Our records show several transctions placing the account on vacation stops from 3/14/15-3/22/15, then again on 5/21/15-5/26/15, then again on 5/27/15-6/6/15. Once the account expired on 6/18/15, there continued to be activity on the account. Another vacation request was placed from 7/29/15-8/5/15 and 9/14/15-9/23/15 before permanantly stopping on 9/23/15.There is no indication of any refund on this account. Since the account was expired on 6/18/15 and stopped on 9/23/15, the amount owing is $49.19. However, as Ms. [redacted] states, she was under the impression the account was going to be stopped. The account will be cleared of the $49.19 to update the account status to a zero balance. Please note, if you decide to resubscrbe at any time, the subscription does not stop automatically. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Review: I have contacted their customer service line several times in regards to not receiving their YES subscription for over the last 4 months now. Each time I call they state that they will escalate it to the distribution manager and that I will receive the next delivery. Each person says the sane thing and nothing gets resolved. All I would like is to get what I used to receive with no issues before I am supposed to get it on Tuesdays and Sundays. Each day it is not here. I am becoming more and more upset with their lack of concern. Something needs to be done asap.Desired Settlement: I would like to receive my YES subscription as promised.

Business

Response:

Customer is scheduled to receive the Yes delivery every Sunday by 9:00am. A message and complaint has been registered with the distributor and the regional manager. This will be followed up on each week to guarantee the delivery. A call was made to Ms. Waller to follow up on the recent delivery. A voicemail message was left to contact us if the problem continues. This problem should be resolved immediately.

Review: We initially did a subscription through a kid selling door to door for his school so we decided to go ahead and do a one time subscription and paid in cash instead of check so that it couldn't automatically renew and charge us (or so we thought). As with other complaints we are seeing on the Revdex.com they just charged us anyway and sent us to collections without us even asking for our consent for renewal. After we finally resolved the issues and canceled our paper now they call us on the phone almost everyday trying to sell us a subscription! Despite being asked to be removed from their call list we still are receiving calls. This issue has been going on for several monthsDesired Settlement: please stop contact of all kind, including but not limited to mail and phone calls.

Business

Response:

Thank you for your email to The Sacramento Bee, We apologize for the inconvenience we may have caused you however as per our records we have now added your phone number of [redacted] to our Do Not Call list as per your request. If you have any further questions please contact us at [redacted]

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. I guess we will wait and see if the calls stop. Ive been told that same line on the phone by atleast 3 of your call center employees.

Review: I have attempted to cancel my subscription twice by writing "cancel" on the bill & mailing it back. The carrier continues to deliver the Sunday only newspaper to which I was subscribing. Today I got a "Renewal - Third Notice" AND a phone call from someone telling me that my payment is overdue to which I replied with an angry e-mail. Thank you for any assistance you can give me in dealing with this unprofessional and disappointing business. Sad way to end a relationship after being a subscriber since 1984....Desired Settlement: 1) Cancel the newspaper immediately2) Zero out any balance they think I owe. They were paid in full until 6/21/15. I owe them nothing. 3) If any of this nonsense has been sent to a collections agency, communicate immediately with that agency that this was a Bee error and not financial negligence on my part.4) Communicate in writing that the above items have been accomplished, along with the name, title, and telephone number of the responsible Bee employee.

Business

Response:

This account has been stopped and the balance of $8.92 has been cleared. The account was not and is not sent to collections. The account was started on Sunday only delivery 1/18/15. The account expired on 6/21/15. The subscription does not stop automatically. About 4 weeks prior to the expiration date, The Bee sent out the first renewal notice (6/1/15). There was a second renewal on 7/20/15 and a third renewal on 8/24/15. On all renewals notice, The Bee states the paper will continue unless The Bee is notified otherwise. In this case, there was no indicaton of stopping the subscription on the expiration date. At this time, the account has been cleared. The amount stated in this case was for a 13 week renewal. At the time of stopping the subscription, the amount showing as past due was $8.92. 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.However, I wish to add that the Sacramento Bee is absolutely lying that they weren't notified of my cancellation. There were in fact notified TWICE in writing as I mailed the invoice stubs back to them without payment.Thank you for your prompt resolution of this matter. I look forward to evidence of continued public erosion of trust in the Sacramento Bee.

Review: I was approached by a high school student to purchase the weekend edition of the Sacramento bee for a 6 week period. After paying by check for the initial service I only received one newspaper from the company. I did not think much of this at the time since I really subscribed so the student could meet his sale numbers. some weeks later I received a "renewal notice" in the mail. I did not want to renew a newspaper subscription that was only delivered one time during the entire initial subscription. With the expiration date of my subscription in bold at the top of the page I thought this is the last I would hear from the Sacramento Bee. That was not the Case. I received 3 renewal notices over the next couple of months with no account balance showing on the paper. Thinking I was finished with my subscription I did not respond. Finally I received a final notice showing an account balance of $24.76. Having never received the newspaper and never renewing any subscriptions I thought this was a mistake. I have since received a collections notice for the amount of $24.76Desired Settlement: I would like the fees on my account waived. I did not receive the paper during my original subscription phase and have not renewed any subscriptions with the company. I would like a document sent to me showing a zero account balance.

Business

Response:

There was an account starts for Mr. [redacted] on 6/14/14. The address we show in our system is 218 Lapwing Ln with the same account number provided #17710796. There are no complaints on the account to indicate the paper was not being delivered. However, it sounds like the renewal notices were received and the final notice was received all at this same address. If Mr. [redacted] would like to try the service for the 10 weeks he signed up for in June 2014, we would be more than happy to honor the delivery. As for the amount past due, this was adjusted off the account on 1/23/15 by a Customer Service representative. There is currently a zero balance.Please feel free to contact us 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.

I hope in the future sac bee will not take liberties with other customers regarding the renewal of service.

Review: On August 20, 2014, I placed an ad in the paper to sell my motorcycle. The representative told me it will start on 8/23/2014 (Saturday) & the cost is $130.00 for 30 days. On 8/24/2014 (Sunday), I called to cancel the ad through automated phone service. This morning, 8/25/2014, I called again to make sure, the ad was cancelled. I found out that it was not. The representative told me that it costs me $50.00 to cancel the ad because that's their normal charge for 10 days. The representative did not disclose this at the time I placed the ad. If, I have known, I would never do business with Sacramento Bee. The second time, I called again & the representative told me that I will be refunded $80.00 & should be getting the refund in weeks. I was so frustrated that I asked to speak with supervisor & was told he/she will be calling me at noon today. Now, it's 3:32pm, nobody called me. What I need is the full refund of $130.00 because I was not disclosed of these charges ($50.00) for 10 days.Thank you.Desired Settlement: Full refund of $130.00.

Business

Response:

This complaint was handled by the Advertising Division here at The Sacramento Bee.

Review: We receive constant telemarketing calls from the Sacramento Bee despite the fact we have registered with the Do Not Call Registry and have informed the Bee directly to put us on their do not call list which they have indicated we are on.We have filed a complaint with the FTC and they continue to call. How can this be stopped?Desired Settlement: I would like written correspondence from the management of the Sacramento Bee that they will cease and desist calling us any longer and if they violate this action that it results in a monetary fine.

Business

Response:

Customer is on the do not call list. I have notified our Sales manager, Retention manager and Distribution manager to cover all basis. I received an email back from the all 3 managers confirming these phone numbers are not being called. However, notifications have been sent again to double check all the do not call files to ensure customers are not being called per their request. In the meantime, I have asked our Sales Manager to sent a letter for confirmation on this complaint. Please allow3-4 business days to receive the letter.

Please feel free to contact us at ###-###-#### if you have any further questions or concerns.

Thank you

Review: My complaint is that my last 6 month subscription ended 6/25/15 which would end on 12/24/15 but my notice shows it ends 12/22/15 that's 2 days short. The bigger problem is that I stopped paper for 10 days while on vacation with the expectation that the days would be add at the end of current subscription as was last year. When I called Sac Bee they told me that's not the case, that I paid 9 days for a paper I didn't get. Why is this an acceptable practice? Why isn't there a why to stop and restart my subscription with out canceling it?Desired Settlement: I think Sac Bee should be force to only charge for what they deliver. Also have a way to account for peoples vacation. One or two days of vacation not to big a deal but at 2 week or more at the present price of almost $12 a week it is a rip off.

Business

Response:

The account for Mr. [redacted] has been credited for the 10 days and the new expiration date is 1/1/16. The Bee changed the vacation options back in 2012. At that time, The Bee implemented a print and digital subscription, which allows customer access to reading the paper while on vacation. The subscription includes unlimited access to The Bee on any iPhone, Android, PC, laptop or tablet. Since The Bee is accessible 24/7, the account is no longer extended while away on vacation. In this case, the Customer Service Representative gave Mr. [redacted] a one time credti for the 10 days and notified Mr. [redacted] of the change. Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] if you have any further questions or concerns.Thank you

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because: I do not use internet for the Bee and have no choice since it is a automatic add to paper subscription. So I am already paying for something I don't use. No only am I forced to pay for online option I don't use and now also the paper I don't get for the days I am on vacation.

Review: Today I called the Sacto Bee to put a vacation hold on my subscription. The young lady with whom I spoke asked me if I wanted to donate those two weeks to I don’t know who. I told her no, just add them on to the end of my subscription. She replied that with the vacation hold I forfeited those two weeks. They would be just lost, the Bee no longer adds vacation holds on to subscriptions. I am now in the midst of an email back and forth with the Bee and with [redacted]. I believe they are flat ripping me off for two weeks of a subscription that I’ve already paid for.

Can the Bee unilaterally change the structure of the deal I have with them (for surely the act of sending them money in exchange for a promised number of days of paper delivery is a contract) without any notice? Can they simply appropriate for themselves a sum of money in excess of two week’s cost for the paper? This certainly is an underhanded if not illegal way of conducting business. Can they get away with this sort of consumer fraud?

I will be out of town until 04-29-16. Vacation hold. Please let me know if this despicable rip off is legal. Also, be aware that the Bee will cheerfully steal two weeks from any of you who choose to go on vacation.Desired Settlement: Add the two weeks on to the end of my subscription.

Business

Response:

Thank you for The Sacramento Bee, We appreciate your readership however as per your request we do have a temporary stop in place from 04/12-04/29. Our vacation policy did change September of 2012 when our digital launch came into effect. With having digital plus it will allow you to access The Bee 24/7 wherever you are in the world. We do have two other options during your vacation such as us holding those papers and delivering them upon your return or donating the papers to your local schools. If you need any assistance with activating your digital that's included with your subscription please go to our site at [redacted]activate or contact us at [redacted]

Review: We cancelled our subscription with Sacramento Bee about a Month ago. Since then we have been contacted numerous times to renew our subscription, we have clearly indicated we have no interest in renewing our subscription and have asked to put us on no call list. Despite our request we continue to receive calls from Sacramento Bee and this has turned into harassment.We hope by contacting the Revdex.com that these calls would stop.Regards**Desired Settlement: We just want Sacramento Bee to stop calling our home to renew subscription for the paper.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted]'s phone number has been added to our do not call list as of 12/1/15. This has also been given to all Sales vendors to remove from all current calling files. We do apologize for the inconvenience. The account has been stopped as of 11/7/15. Our standard business practice is to try to contact customers after they have stopped to win them back. In this case, we understand Mr. [redacted] no longer wants to be contacted and we have taken the necessary steps to stops the calls.

Please feel free to contact us at [redacted] idf you have any further questions or concerns.

Thank you

Review: I purchased a gift subscription to The Sacramento Bee from some kid who came to my door selling their paper. I paid in advance and had it sent to my sister [redacted]. Here is what I understand after speaking with my sister, the recipient of the gift subscription.... After getting the paper for a short time [redacted] received a bill from the Sacramento Bee. She told them to just cancel it as she had never actually subscribed herself. The representative she spoke with on the phone told her that her subscription could not be cancelled until she paid her debt. She told them she wasn't going to pay them and so she continued to get the paper. The next time she was contacted by someone from the Bee's billing department, she thought they took care of things for her. There person did get her subscription cancelled, but the debt was still considered outstanding as the next time she was contacted it was from a collection agency back East. I gave her this subscription as a gift. [redacted] did not sign up for the paper. When her gift subscription ran out, [redacted] should have been contacted and asked if she wanted it renewed at additional cost to her. Once [redacted] notified the Bee that she did not want the subscription, and was not going to pay for it, the Bee should have cancelled the subscription. (Why would a business refuse to cancel the subscription of a customer who owed them money anyway? That doesn't even make sense.) I now feel terrible about this "gift" that I gave to my sister. It has caused both her and me considerable time and anguish in trying to get this resolved. On 3/4/2014 I submitted an inquiry request online using the Home Delivery Service site (https://subscriberservices.mcclatchy.com/sacb/TransactionType.asp). Someone called me this morning who was not willing to listen to me even though I was the person who submitted the online inquiry request. She told me that because the account was in my sister's name she could not legally discuss it with me. She hung up on me.Desired Settlement: I want the Sacramento Bee to make the effort to look into this subscription and recognize that [redacted] never subscribed to their paper. They should apologize to my sister and me. They should not be charging either of us anything for the subscription in question. The Bee should also review their billing practices and their cancellation policies. The Bee should send their customer service representatives to a customer service class.

Business

Response:

I would be more than happy to help Ms. [redacted] with this problem on the gift subscription account. I have sent the customer an email to get more information (the delivery address of the person receiving the paper). Once this information is received, I will be able to look up the account in question and get this resolved. As standard policy, The Bee does not stop customer accounts on the expiration date. We allow a grace period for the next renewal payment. Prior to the expiration date, The Bee notifies customers with a first renewal bill 4-5 weeks in advance. On the renewal notices, the statement shows the following information, "Your paper delivery will continue until The Bee is notified otherwise."

Review: The Sac Bee publishes an advertising paper or circular called MVP. Previously this was delivered as junk mail by the USPS where I could easily deposit it in the trash as I took it from my mailbox. Now, they have their carriers deliver this, diving down the street throwing it out their car window. For the past two weeks, I have received two copies of this in my front yard, in different places of course, which I have had to retrieve and place in the trash. Additionally, there are numerous copies delivered to vacant houses in the neighborhood and just thrown on the street and sidewalk not in front of any house. These constitute litter and decrease property values in the neighborhood. I am also concerned that If I am out of town and these are left lying in my front yard they will advertise that the house is empty and make it a target for burglary. When I called the Bee and asked that they not throw this junk in my yard, their response was to tell me what a wonderful publication it was and to attempt to sell me a subscription to the paper.Desired Settlement: I want the Bee to stop placing unsolicited advertising materials anywhere on my property or the street or sidewalk fronting my property. I also want them to stop delivering to vacant houses and to deliver only one copy to those occupied houses where people want to receive the material.

Business

Response:

This address has been removed from all deliveries of free publications. This information on vacant homes has been communicated to the distributor and the regional manager. The distributor will be following up on the route list provided to be sure the publications are delivered to the desginated addresses of active customers only. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-284-3233 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.