The Charlotte Observer

I discovered that the Charlotte Observer charged my credit card $28.18 for a subscription renewal that I never approved or wanted. I called on Nov 15th and spoke to a supervisor who told me that my refund would be processed. I waited for two billing cycles to give them a chance to get it done. I called today and was told that the finance department refused to process my refund. Again I spoke to a supervisor who said that I had to request the refund before I was processed! That is absurd. I told her that I had no way of knowing they had charged me until they processed it and that all companies issue refunds that way. I said that they are basically stealing my money. She said that no one else could help me and that the finance department doesn't take calls - of course. I simply want my money back and this has turned into a nightmare.

Like so many others have written, I tried to cancel my subscription to the Charlotte Observer when they increased the cost dramatically. I contacted the Observer multiple times, telling them to please cancel my subscription. However, they continued to send newspapers. Then they charged me for a subscription that I did not request or approve.
Then, the information was sent to a collection agency, and now the agency is contacting me and insisting that I pay $52.34! The Observer recently offered me a short-term subscription at a more reasonable rate. I sent them a check for $34.86 for 13 weeks. The check has cleared, but I have not received a single newspaper. Now I fear that they are keeping the money and will not deliver the subscription I requested.
Very frustrating!

Failure to honor the terms of my subscription by not delivering their newspapers consistently over the last 7 weeks.
I have received only approximately 8 newspapers since April 20th out of the 40 possible delivery dates. I have tried to resolve the problem numerous times with calls to their automated notice of non delivery and with their customer service representives and no one responded to an email describing the problem. The Charlotte Observer is not honoring the terms of my subscription by not delivering my paper with any consistency. They are however making delivery to my immediate neighbors. They did collect my payment extending my subscription service from approximately May 3rd which was tendered before these problems arose.

Two weeks ago we had to move my Dad from congregate care. We transferred his subscription to our home where delivery has become almost impossible.
Emails and phone calls to some type of foreign call center as resulted in many promises and apologies but nothing happens.

Two weeks ago we had to move my Dad from congregate care. We transferred his subscription to our home where delivery has become almost impossible.
Emails and phone calls to some type of foreign call center as resulted in many promises and apologies but nothing happens.

I changed from a daily subscription to 4 days a week because of the exorbitant cost of the subscription. Now I mostly don't get delivery.
ok here it comes.
I'm not sure who would subscribe to the local paper, it must be someone bound and determined to physically get local "news" as biased as it is.
For years I was getting the daily paper until the cost went up and up and became cost prohibitive.
In 2019 I switched to 4 days, Wed, Fri Sat and Sunday. At first I would get 2 out of 4, then 3 out of 4, then 4 out of 4 occasionally.
The a few months ago I was notified that the Sat paper was switching to digital only. I don't like online papers, so what for me. Plus there was no cost adjustment down for 1 less paper per week.
Now the pandemic is loosening up and I did not receive the paper this week yet. No explanation, no notice, on and on.
There's no secret, the newspaper world is dying, but you have made some terrible
decisions to push that along. Off shore Customer Service, in the Philippines couldn't care less if Americans don't get their newspaper.
That's my rant for now, you will probably lose another customer over the next year and many others.
Sincerely

I changed from a daily subscription to 4 days a week because of the exorbitant cost of the subscription. Now I mostly don't get delivery.
ok here it comes.
I'm not sure who would subscribe to the local paper, it must be someone bound and determined to physically get local "news" as biased as it is.
For years I was getting the daily paper until the cost went up and up and became cost prohibitive.
In 2019 I switched to 4 days, Wed, Fri Sat and Sunday. At first I would get 2 out of 4, then 3 out of 4, then 4 out of 4 occasionally.
The a few months ago I was notified that the Sat paper was switching to digital only. I don't like online papers, so what for me. Plus there was no cost adjustment down for 1 less paper per week.
Now the pandemic is loosening up and I did not receive the paper this week yet. No explanation, no notice, on and on.
There's no secret, the newspaper world is dying, but you have made some terrible
decisions to push that along. Off shore Customer Service, in the Philippines couldn't care less if Americans don't get their newspaper.
That's my rant for now, you will probably lose another customer over the next year and many others.
Sincerely

"FREE SUNDAY paper for 8 weeks" I was told on a recorded line. Yeah right. "Will I need to cancel?"
"No sir"
"Am I going to be billed?"
"No sir, just our way of thanking you for past business."
Guess what: I got a bill and had to cancel. I explained my 'recorded conversation' to 4 different CHarlotte Observer Employees that tried to collect money. "Go find my recorded phone call!" So now they sold my $27 debt to a collection agency?
Terms and Conditions? On a recorded line with someone 'misrepresenting' the actual offer?? Train your sales people better!

"FREE SUNDAY paper for 8 weeks" I was told on a recorded line. Yeah right. "Will I need to cancel?"
"No sir"
"Am I going to be billed?"
"No sir, just our way of thanking you for past business."
Guess what: I got a bill and had to cancel. I explained my 'recorded conversation' to 4 different CHarlotte Observer Employees that tried to collect money. "Go find my recorded phone call!" So now they sold my $27 debt to a collection agency?
Terms and Conditions? On a recorded line with someone 'misrepresenting' the actual offer?? Train your sales people better!

Predatory pricing and subscription renewal practices.
My paper subscription expired on 2/16/20. The Observer's renewal offer was 350% higher than the rate they gave good friends of ours last month who live about 10 minutes away from us despite me being a loyal customer for 30 years. I repeatedly told their reps on the phone and via email that I would not renew my subscription unless they gave me the same rate and I also emailed a copy of our friend's bill showing the rate and applicable dates. Despite this they continued to deliver my paper even though I had made my position very clear during a total of 5 phone calls and 11 emails which I have documented. Their last offer was for double the rate / 100% higher then they gave our friends last month which I declined. I even offered to pay a rate that was 50% higher than our friends just got which they would not accept. Now they are attempting to charge me for the period of time they chose to keep delivering the paper despite the repeated communication that I would not be renewing at the pricing they were quoting me. Magazine and paper subscriptions do not automatically renew without the consent of buyer and certainly not at substantially higher rates. Both their pricing and renewal process are predatory.

Predatory pricing and subscription renewal practices.
My paper subscription expired on 2/16/20. The Observer's renewal offer was 350% higher than the rate they gave good friends of ours last month who live about 10 minutes away from us despite me being a loyal customer for 30 years. I repeatedly told their reps on the phone and via email that I would not renew my subscription unless they gave me the same rate and I also emailed a copy of our friend's bill showing the rate and applicable dates. Despite this they continued to deliver my paper even though I had made my position very clear during a total of 5 phone calls and 11 emails which I have documented. Their last offer was for double the rate / 100% higher then they gave our friends last month which I declined. I even offered to pay a rate that was 50% higher than our friends just got which they would not accept. Now they are attempting to charge me for the period of time they chose to keep delivering the paper despite the repeated communication that I would not be renewing at the pricing they were quoting me. Magazine and paper subscriptions do not automatically renew without the consent of buyer and certainly not at substantially higher rates. Both their pricing and renewal process are predatory.

I cancelled my subscription in Nov. 2019. Got calls and mailings to re-subscribe refused every time over the phone. Account now in collections. Help
In Nov. 2019 my subscription expired and I received many phone calls to renew. I refused every time and insisted on cancellation. The paper was still being delivered and statements were being sent to my attention every month. I spoke to numerous customer service reps at the paper and explained that this subscription was cancelled. Some Reps apologized for calling other tried to get me to renew. Today, *** 7th 2020, I received a call from ARM Collection Agency, phone # *** I explained the above to them the above and he stated he would pursuing further action and hung up on me. Please register my complaint and notify me of the status going forward.
Thanks,
*** T

I cancelled my subscription in Nov. 2019. Got calls and mailings to re-subscribe refused every time over the phone. Account now in collections. Help
In Nov. 2019 my subscription expired and I received many phone calls to renew. I refused every time and insisted on cancellation. The paper was still being delivered and statements were being sent to my attention every month. I spoke to numerous customer service reps at the paper and explained that this subscription was cancelled. Some Reps apologized for calling other tried to get me to renew. Today, *** 7th 2020, I received a call from ARM Collection Agency, phone # *** I explained the above to them the above and he stated he would pursuing further action and hung up on me. Please register my complaint and notify me of the status going forward.
Thanks,
*** T

I have cancelled my subscription but they continue to bill me for no services received - print or digital.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to cancel my subscription, I finally had someone email me saying it was cancelled. Yet, I am still being billed, and when I raised this issue they claim they haven't billed me in their system since August 2019, even after I provided support of their recurring credit card bill to me. I can provide email chain communication as further support.

I have cancelled my subscription but they continue to bill me for no services received - print or digital.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to cancel my subscription, I finally had someone email me saying it was cancelled. Yet, I am still being billed, and when I raised this issue they claim they haven't billed me in their system since August 2019, even after I provided support of their recurring credit card bill to me. I can provide email chain communication as further support.

I am getting collection letters for a subscription I did not agree to
I did not sign up for automatic renewal of The Charlotte Observer. Last year, I received a letter from A.R.M. (their collection agency) telling me that I was obligated to pay for the automatic renewal. At that point I felt it was just easier to pay them and have it be done with. But I did tell them and the Observer not to automatically renew my subscription again.
I thought everything had gone as planned when I stopped receiving the paper several months ago.
Now I am receiving letters from A.R.M. again claiming I owe $45.80! This absolutely ridiculous and I do not want to fall for this scheme again. I have not received a paper in months and I do not owe them any money.

I am getting collection letters for a subscription I did not agree to
I did not sign up for automatic renewal of The Charlotte Observer. Last year, I received a letter from A.R.M. (their collection agency) telling me that I was obligated to pay for the automatic renewal. At that point I felt it was just easier to pay them and have it be done with. But I did tell them and the Observer not to automatically renew my subscription again.
I thought everything had gone as planned when I stopped receiving the paper several months ago.
Now I am receiving letters from A.R.M. again claiming I owe $45.80! This absolutely ridiculous and I do not want to fall for this scheme again. I have not received a paper in months and I do not owe them any money.

My subscription was cancelled 30 days in advance in writing & via phone(contacting me 6 times to renew) April 21 Sent my name to collection agency

I cancelled my subscription 30 days in advance in writing and via phone. The Charlotte Observer contacted me 6 times to renew. After 3 weeks of not receiving calls from the Charlotte Observer, I received a letter stating my name and contact info had been turned over to a collection agency. Arm Solutions

My subscription was cancelled 30 days in advance in writing & via phone(contacting me 6 times to renew) April 21 Sent my name to collection agency

I cancelled my subscription 30 days in advance in writing and via phone. The Charlotte Observer contacted me 6 times to renew. After 3 weeks of not receiving calls from the Charlotte Observer, I received a letter stating my name and contact info had been turned over to a collection agency. Arm Solutions

I cancelled my subscription as required, but the Observer kept billing my account. I have not been able to get my account cleared.
After years as a Charlotte Observer customer, I contacted them to cancel my subscription at the end of October or very beginning of November 2019. I had additional financial expenses and could no longer afford the subscription, which I explained to the customer service representative. I also wanted to make sure they did not attempt to make an additional auto pay withdrawal from my bank account because the debit card on record was no longer valid. I was told that a payment had just recently been withdrawn, and that my newspapers would stop at the end of this current subscription period.

I discovered newspapers on my yard on Sunday mornings as I was leaving for church, but I assumed that meant that the delivery driver had not gotten word yet. By the time I get home from church the Observer's customer service department is already closed. At some point, I started getting phone calls asking me to renew my subscription. I told each of the people that called the same thing, I had ended my subscription because I could no longer afford the paper. When the third person called me, I asked them to not call me again.

Then I got a fourth phone call on April 14. Feeling very frustrated, I told that person that I didn't want any more calls. It was only at this time that I was told that I had outstanding balance of $69. I told her that that was obviously an error since I had canceled my subscription months ago with my account in good standing. She said that the only way I could clear that up will be to talk to someone in the customer service department and she gave me the phone number. I did call, but the department was not open. However, the recording suggested that there was an option of sending an email to customer service, so I decided to do that.

I contacted the Observer on April 14 to explain that there had been an error and to ask that it be corrected. The response that I got suggested that "Elise" had not even read my email. Rather than address my specific concerns, she talked about what happens when subscriptions "expire due to nonpayment." Interestingly, in the "terms" that she also included in her email was a statement that said that subscriptions can be canceled at any time by calling the customer service telephone number, which is exactly what I did months ago. I wrote back and then received another totally irrelevant response from Elise the following day. I saw the email in the morning and I was able to reach someone by phone at the Observer customer service department. I spoke to someone to explain the problem and ask to have my account cleared. This woman and said that she saw that there was a note that I had called the observer in early November to cancel my subscription, but that I had agreed to continue the subscription at a discounted rate. I told her that this was not accurate because there was no amount of discount that was going to make up for the fact that I had an additional $400 per month in expenses with no new income. I assured her that I had clearly conveyed that message to not only the person who I first spoke with when I reached out to the observer to cancel my subscription, but to every other representative that contacted me after that. She stated that obviously, there had been an error and she would correct it. I asked to be notified when my account was cleared so that I would know that the matter had been resolved. She indicated that I would get a follow up email, but that email never came.

On April 23, I got another phone call about renewing my subscription. I asked about my account balance, and it still was showing $69 outstanding. I explained everything again. Once again, I was told to call the customer service number to try to get the matter resolved. I have no reason to believe that this will be an effective strategy.

Obviously, multiple errors were made starting with individual I spoke with when I first called to cancel. This shouldn't cost me $69 or hurt my credit. Fix i