The Spokesman Review

We apologize. We do show that this customer called us on 10/20/2015 and again on 5/25/2017 to request that we stop Pinch delivery. The carrier on this route has an excellent service record and has been counseled about this request. We are confident that he will resolve the issue.Again, we apologize...

for the inconvenience.

I apologize that this issue has not been problem. Our area manager is handling this complaint personally. The carrier will be warned and the manager will follow up by checking your address for the next several deliveries to assure compliance. He will also be contacting you personally. Again, my...

apologies for our failure to permanently resolve this issue.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I apologize for the continued deliveries of the Pinch. Our Pinch Distribution Manager, Dru M[redacted], will personally check your address these next few weeks to ensure one does not find its way to your property. He will also be reaching out to you as he would like you to have his direct contact...

information just in case you have any additional details or issues. He looks forward to working with you to make sure this is resolved permanently.

We apologize for this problem. We spoke with the carrier today. She states that while she did deliver The Pinch onto the driveways, the strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday combined with the light weight of this week's Pinch caused papers to blow out of position. In addition, the carrier recently...

injured her wrist and she is not tossing as strongly so the papers were not tossed as far up the driveways as usual. This lead the the papers blowing into the street.Looking at this account, this seems to the first time something like this has been an issue. We and the carrier do apologize and promise to do a better job in the future.

I and my staff have spoken to Mr. [redacted] about his recent delivery. That delivery was a Spokesman-Review. The regular carrier was ill that day and the substitute delivered it to the wrong house. Our manager in the area stayed parked at the house for the next 3 days to assure the carrier did not...

deliver again. Mr. [redacted] other issues appear to have occurred sometime ago and were resolved. We continue to work to provide the best possible service to customers and to do the best possible job with our "Pinch" deliveries. Delivery people get paid by the piece we deliver to them, They are responsible to deliver carefully and are told not to deliver to a house where a prior delivery still remains untouched. We maintain a do not deliver list and they are fined if they deliver to a address on this list.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:  FYI there was also one 3/24/2017 and the 5/26/2017.  The one earlier this year was run over with the snow blower (they throw them in the middle of the driveway) and damaged it.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: This response has been given over and over over the years this issue has been happening. The Spokesman Review has to own this issue with more effort in trying to fix this annoying issue. Talking to the carrier is just not working. Maybe removing the carrier from this route and assigning a new carrier might work for awhile but in the end the Pinch will be delivered again. In this age of digital tech, how about eliminating the Pinch altogether and putting it online only. Sounds like this would save the Review allot of money and hassles. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We probably run about 20 percent of the Letters to the Editor that we receive. We (like all of our news organization peers everywhere) do not run everything the public sends in.Tell us why here...

I apologize for this error. We have a new delivery company servicing Spokane Valley. This is their 3rd day and they have made a few mistakes. I have alerted their management team about the issue. They have been very responsive and I am confident that this will be corrected promptly. Thank you for...

letting us know about the problem.

We are sorry that you've received the Pinch even though you've requested to have it stopped. Our Logistics Manager has talked to your carrier to make sure she understands that you should not receive it. For the next six weeks, we will also have the District Manager verify that it is not being...

delivered.

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business' response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com,
Given the length of time required, and the number of complaints registered to the Spokesman Review, I find the content of your character reprehensible. The Spokesman Review does not have the permission of the land owners on this route, to distribute their products onto private property. You need to approach each and every person on this route and ask their permission to distribute your products. You might be surprised at the results of that survey. It speaks of a great deal of arrogance to believe that every one welcomes you littering their property. With reservations, I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

Mr. [redacted] is absolutely correct and we again apologize. The carrier had a substitute on the route who delivered to his home in error. We have informed the carrier that this is not acceptable and that any future delivery to Mr. [redacted] will result in termination of the contract. We certainly cannot excuse this error and the carrier understands that she is responsible for the accuracy of her delivery.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: 
The response from Pat was an uniformed one. 
 
Yes, at this point it has stopped, but this situation occurs roughly every three months, I don’t complain every time because it is very time consuming.  The response from the business says my “other issues appear to have occurred sometime ago”. Below is an email chain to the Owner in September regarding how they are my nuisance company.  The real problem is when it does occur I have to spend at least 30 minutes to cancel it.  In the email string you will see the promises the owner made to make it easier to communicate with them, nothing has changed since Sept 2016.  The phone system is automated and asks questions.  You should try calling it and wadding through, if you don’t take the paper and they give it to you, it is very difficult to contact someone (I just called it).
 
As shown in the picture previously sent regarding their weekly advertisement they give to everyone, there was a house broken into (one of many I have seen as an Appraiser of vacant properties).  The problem here is, the way their weekly “Pinch” is set up it’s an incentive for the carriers to litter, and the Spokesman Review doesn’t seem to care because it looks on paper like they are reaching way more people than they are.
 
    “Delivery people get paid by the piece we deliver to them, They are responsible to deliver carefully and are told not to deliver to a house where a prior delivery still remains untouched”
 
 
They continue to deliver multiple weekly Pinch papers to people that don’t want them.  I recently saw a large pile of them on a back road near Cheney.  Even the local Craigslist has a Rant about this issue (which by the way is not me).
 
Until the Spokesman Review at least makes it easier for non-customers to communicate in a timely manner I won’t be satisfied with this business response.
 
Thanks
 
[redacted]
 
______________________________________________________________
 
Stacey,
 
So once again the past few sporadic days we have been getting the paper we don't want.  I called your customer service number 509-747-4422 only to wait for a few minutes to be hung up on.  FYI it is not easier to let the Spokesman Review know and I shouldn't have to spend my time once again to stop the ongoing litter in my driveway.
 
What would you do if a company after several repeated attempts to have it stopped continued to throw unwanted stuff in your driveway?
 
Respectfully,
 
[redacted]
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Stacey C[redacted] [[redacted]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 10:32 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: RE: Once again a paper I don't want
 
I apologize for the mis-delivery.  Heidi contacted our logistics manager Charles A[redacted] who will alert your carrier and district manager.  While I can't promise it won't happen again, I promise it will get easier to let us know, before the end of the year.  We have identified serious shortcomings with our current phone system and will be replacing it as soon as possible.  While callers will still need to cope with a system when operators are busy, we'll be able to answer, capture and process all information callers give us with accuracy approaching 100%.  On some busier days, we may lose up to 40% of calls because, without warning, the system overloads or fails and wait times get excessively long. I appreciate your patience.  Please know we are working hard to be less of a nuisance!
 
________________________________
From: [redacted] [[redacted]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 1:29 PM
To: Stacey C[redacted]
Subject: Once again a paper I don't want
 
Stacey,
I have emailed and talked to you a few times about unwanted deliveries of the Spokesman Review and the Pinch in the past.  I am once again getting a daily delivery I don’t want in the middle of my driveway. To cancel this paper I have to call customer service only to hang on hold for someone who can’t answer after 10 minutes.  I spoke to someone in your office (Heidi maybe) and she couldn’t even tell me who to talk to.
The Spokesman Review is my nuisance company.  Every few years I have to spend my time dealing with something I don’t want.  Please make it easier for non-subscribers to somehow stop an erroneous subscription without wading through your company phone system.
[redacted]
 
 
[redacted]
Certified Residential Appraiser
[redacted]  [redacted]  [redacted]Sincerely,[redacted]

We apologize that you received the Pinch today. We do have your address marked in our system as do not deliver and our contractor has made an error in overlooking that request. We are sending the manager today to pick up any remaining paper from your driveway. We will make contact with your carrier...

to reinforce with them that you should not receive the Pinch. In addition, we will also have one of our employees check your address for the next three weeks to be sure the carrier is not delivering. If you have any further concerns, feel free to contact us at [redacted]

I too want the spokesman review to stop throwing trash in my driveway. Unfortunately mine is circular, so I must pick up two every week. I have lived at my address for 9 years and it seems that I have had to call twice a year, every year to get it to stop. I want $40 dollars an hour for my wasted time on the phone as well as disposing of the trash. I run a business from my residence and will not hesitate to let each and every client know that the litter was thrown there by The Spokesman Review

I am tired of picking up Spokesman-Review advertisement garbage in my driveway every week. I did not ask for it and I consider it littering. Someone just drives by every week and throws garbage onto my driveway. I want it stopped but no one will speak with me about it at the Spokesman-Review office.

Review: For about 6 months This company has, and continues to throw onto my driveway and advertisement called The Pinch. I have called them repeatedly asking, then demanding that they stop throwing their trash onto my property. Twice I spoke to a delivery superintendent, as well as several persons answering the phone at the delivery desk, and have been assured that they would stop. They not only have not stopped, today they scattered the paper all over my driveway, requiring clean up on my part. I also have to pay a garbage fee in order to get rid of their trash.Desired Settlement: I want these MNs to stop throwing any kind of paper, product, advertisement , etc. of any kind, onto my property. I want them to come out and pick up their garbage from off my property.

Business

Response:

We apologize that you received the Pinch today. We do have your address marked in our system as do not deliver and our contractor has made an error in overlooking that request. We are sending the manager today to pick up any remaining paper from your driveway. We will make contact with your carrier to reinforce with them that you should not receive the Pinch. In addition, we will also have one of our employees check your address for the next three weeks to be sure the carrier is not delivering. If you have any further concerns, feel free to contact us at [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business' response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

Revdex.com,

Given the length of time required, and the number of complaints registered to the Spokesman Review, I find the content of your character reprehensible. The Spokesman Review does not have the permission of the land owners on this route, to distribute their products onto private property. You need to approach each and every person on this route and ask their permission to distribute your products. You might be surprised at the results of that survey. It speaks of a great deal of arrogance to believe that every one welcomes you littering their property. With reservations, I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Regards,

Review: advertisements are still being delivered to my home. complaint #[redacted].Desired Settlement: stop delivering advertisements.

Business

Response:

I responded to this complaint on 1/27/15, I have talked to complainant, I have talked to carrier, I have driven by address multiple times to make sure Pinch is not there. Tresident if they ever received another I'd pick it up.

Response of 1/27/15 is attached.

Review: Several years ago I wanted to stop delivery of the free paper, The Pinch. I tried to stop delivery for months to no avail, contacting them approximately 15-20 times. I eventually filed a complaint with the Revdex.com and the matter was promptly resolved. After years of not getting this paper, it appeared on my doorstep several weeks ago. I assumed it must be an accident, so I did nothing. When I got another one the following week I called and left a voicemail asking to once again be removed from the delivery list. I got no response and got another paper the following week. I emailed customer service and asked to stop delivery to my house. Again I got no response, and yesterday I got another paper.Desired Settlement: I would like to never receive anything from the Spokesman ever again.

Business

Response:

Hi [redacted],

Again, I want to apologize that this delivery problem has started occurring. We clearly have

your address flagged as no pinch.

I am not sure why the delivery agent insists on delivering the pinch to your address. We will get

this resolved immediately.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The District Manager in the area will make sure

all new carriers in the future will not deliver any products from The Spokesman-Review to your

address without permission.

Spokane , WA 99205

Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,