Santa Maria Times

I signed up last year for a promotion. I cancelled after the three month promotion but they kept charging $3 every few months. I called, they tell me it’s cancelled and rather rudely! but again get charged. Now, they charged $9.99 for who knows what. I DO NOT RECOMMEND signing up for promos from SM TIMES. They will keep charging you probably hoping you won’t notice. Now I have dispute through my bank and probably close out my card since no one at SM times can figure out why I am being charged. Ridiculous!

Each day the Santa Maria Times publishes on page Aan explanation of the days a year that the newspaper price increases to $On these days the newsroom and advertising staffs have invested more resources in order provide our readers additional reader valueThe additional content can be long
forum journalism projects, increased advertising or supplements such as the page Holiday section produced by Good Housekeeping.In the instance in which a subscriber is paying cents a day for a home delivered paper, the $prorated charge for the bonus day reduces the length of the subscription daysBonus Day information is published daily on Aand also in red in the back of the renewal notice.C*** *** Publisher Lee Central Coast Newspapers

Each day the Santa Maria Times publishes on page Aan explanation of the
days a year that the newspaper price increases to $On these days the newsroom and advertising staffs have invested more resources in order provide our readers additional reader valueThe additional content can be long forum journalism projects, increased advertising or supplements such as the page Holiday section produced by Good HousekeepingIn the instance in which a subscriber is paying cents a day for a home delivered paper, the $prorated charge for the bonus day reduces the length of the subscription daysBonus Day information is published daily on Aand also in red in the back of the renewal noticeC*** ***
Publisher Lee Central Coast Newspapers

Each day the Santa Maria Times publishes on page Aan explanation of the days a year that the newspaper price increases to $On these days the newsroom and advertising staffs have invested more resources in order provide our readers additional reader valueThe additional content can be long
forum journalism projects, increased advertising or supplements such as the page Holiday section produced by Good Housekeeping.In the instance in which a subscriber is paying cents a day for a home delivered paper, the $prorated charge for the bonus day reduces the length of the subscription daysBonus Day information is published daily on Aand also in red in the back of the renewal notice.C*** ***Publisher Lee Central Coast Newspapers

Once again my neighbors and I did not receive a paper yesterday. We called shortly after 9 AM to report and yet no paper was delivered. Your organization has established a very poor reputation in our community. How much longer can you expect local support? Or, perhaps you are seeking an excuse for bankruptcy. THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER!

Each day the Santa Maria Times publishes on page A2 an explanation of the 5...

days a year that the newspaper price increases to $4. On these days the newsroom and advertising staffs have invested more resources in order provide our readers additional reader value. The additional content can be long forum journalism projects, increased advertising or supplements such as the 24 page Holiday section produced by Good Housekeeping.
In the instance in which a subscriber is paying 20 cents a day for a home delivered paper, the $4 prorated charge for the bonus day reduces the length of the subscription 20 days. Bonus Day information is published daily on A2 and also in red in the back of the renewal notice.
C[redacted]
Publisher Lee
Central Coast Newspapers

Have been waiting for my first issue since 1 December!! They were quick to cash my check but have yet to see a newspaper! I am NOT happy!

Review: Have been subscriber to Santa Maria Times since 1979. Bill always received in August. In 2014 bill received in July. Noticed month early but assumed they were just billing sooner. In 2015 bil;l received in May. Bill states "7 day 52 weeks". Upon calling Times stated that they had started charging $2.00 extra for holiday deliveries. Told me they would reinstate my billing back to Augustand I would receive new bill. When new bill arrived it was duplicate of previous bill. When questioned paper again they gave same reason. I cancelled.

Unfortunately I since discovered a paragraph on back of bill, in red, that gives them wiggle room to reduce length of time on subscription. They have been doing this for 3 years and have had more than enough time to change the billing information on the front of the bill.

This is very misleading. In my estimation it's fraud.Desired Settlement: 7 day 52 weeks as stated or 7 day 47 2/3 weeks as it really is now.

Business

Response:

Each day the Santa Maria Times publishes on page A2 an explanation of the 5 days a year that the newspaper price increases to $4. On these days the newsroom and advertising staffs have invested more resources in order provide our readers additional reader value. The additional content can be long forum journalism projects, increased advertising or supplements such as the 24 page Holiday section produced by Good Housekeeping.In the instance in which a subscriber is paying 20 cents a day for a home delivered paper, the $4 prorated charge for the bonus day reduces the length of the subscription 20 days. Bonus Day information is published daily on A2 and also in red in the back of the renewal notice.C[redacted] Publisher Lee Central Coast Newspapers

Review: June 24,214 my husband William and I went to the Santa Maria office of the Santa Maria

Time and Lompoc Record. The new distributer does not deliver to rural area customers

anyone since last fall. We were told we could get the Record by mail , but it would be a

day late, which was fine with us.It never was so we get it a week later and them

3-4 papers together. Last Friday July 10, 11, 15. We also went to the Post Office to ask

Whether they keep it there for a week? The answer was no, that’s the way we get it.

We wonder whether you could help us rural people who can’t or will not read the Record on the Internet.

Thank you very much

R. P.Desired Settlement: Would like to get the paper on time.

To get the Lompoc Record one day later we paid for one year.

Review: For twenty (20) years we have subscribed to the Santa Maria Times. We renewed our subscription for 26 weeks starting March 1, 2015. During the last week in March, the paper stopped being delivered. After a dozen calls, there was no further delivery, no returned calls from supervisors as promised, no solutions. Many of the customer service representatives were rude, didn't care, had no solutions, and would refuse to have a manager take my call. The only explanation was that our account was "unassigned".June 25, 2015, I called for a full refund for services not delivered and was told they would send back less than half of our payment. We did not receive a full month of the 6 month subscription. She rudely transferred me to a "manager" whose name was J[redacted] and I left another voice mail. This is the first complaint I have ever written but the Santa Maria Times is the Worst company I have dealt with in years. There is absolutely no way to reach anyone who might fix the problem. Sadly, I don't even miss the paper!Desired Settlement: I would like a full explanation and apology of why this happened. The right thing to do is refund at least all the days with no paper delivered if not the entire last payment.

Review: newspaper delivery has been missed two days at a time as well as other days and has occurred over a long period of time.I have tried called the Santa Maria Times and all I get is a recording and there is no way for me to leave a message.Not only am I missing my papers but my neighbors are telling me that they are also missing their papers on the same days.These are a lot of papers that are missing , It would be appreciated if this matter could be looked into.Thank you for your attention to this matter.Bertha WittlifDesired Settlement: I and my neighbors that are missing the papers on certain days would like to have this service corrected and receive the papers as paid for and on all days as required.