Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/21/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  subscription to news is charged to a deceased person.. as the surviving spouse I did not know of this subscription, nor do I have access to the account.. The charge came out of our "joint account" which I am now the sole owner of as well as the sole contributor to the account... This is stealing from me at a time I have a lot of additional expenses (like medical bills) to be paid for...The requirements from this company to get any kind of refund are **** near impossible to do..They really do not want to give me my money back

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2025

  We spoke with Mrs.****** ******** on Wednesday, 7/23/25, to inform her the refund of $311.99 will be processed back to the **** credit card which the original payment was charged to.

  The refund was processed on 7/23/25.  Please allow 3-5 business days to show on the customer's credit card statement.  

  Thank you,

  The Sacramento Bee

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/17/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The Sacramento Bee charged us $335.99 for an annual subscription (Electronic). Charged to my **** card on (or about) 3/1/2025. We did NOT get a notification of the renewal was coming up AND the price had been increased from $263.99 (the 2024 price). This is about a 27% increase. We had been expecting it to be closer to the $150ish price we had been paying previously. I called their **************** on about 3/3 to cancel my subscription and get a refund. for a variety of reasons, I have not been reading the Sac Bee for several years. One reason was I couldn't log in for a long time. I did not miss them so I did not try to resolve this. I went round and round with the ** person on this. The ** *** claimed the *** had changed their policy and did not refund unused money any more. She offered to work with me to reset my login information, but I was adamant I did not want that because I did not want to access the paper.I have gone as far as contacting my bank to challenge the charge. The bank ended up cancelling my card and reissuing a new one. I am waiting to receive my money.Possible notes to help locate our account.The primary e-mail account for our subscription was **************************** My e-mail is **************** Our house phone is **************. (Don't bother calling it, DSL only.)

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2025

  Thank you for contacting The Sacramento Bee.

  The refund of $ ****** has been processed back to the customer as of 3/19/25.  Please allow 3-5 business days to appear on the credit card.

  Thank you,

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/22/2025

  I am TEMPORARILY rejecting this response because: I am waiting for the money to reach our bank account.

  A minor concern is if it can be deposited when my card was cancelled.

  I will update when I receive the money.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2025

  Thank you for contacting The Sacramento Bee.   The account shows a refund for $335.99 which was processed on March 19, 2025.  The way we refund is through Zelle. An email will be received from ********************************************* to the email address of **************************** that is listed as primary on the account, this will allow you to add the banking information and the refund will process to the account provided for direct deposit. There is a time limit of 15 days in responding to the email, if this passes a check will be issued and mailed out.  If the email is not received in the inbox, please check your spam folder.

  Thank you,

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/25/2025

  I am rejecting this response because:

  We do not use "Alternative Banking" approaches. If you can use standard approaches to take our money, you can use them to issue refunds in a timely manner.

  Please just issue a check and mail it to the address on record.

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/08/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am billed for a 6-day print paper delivery plus unlimited online access to the Sacramento Bee. I am billed each month for a subscription renewal but the amount I am charged has started to change from month to month. I had received an email correspondence that sometimes there would be special print editions that would add to the overall cost of the subscription, however when I log into my account to check what my base subscription rate is, it does not tell me. I tried to access past bills and there are none listed on my account, so I cannot even see a history of what I have been billed, how my subscription rate has changed (because it has more than doubled since I started), or if there were extra charges because of special print editions for that month. I would like to see all my past bills, with an accounting for the base subscription rate that I am charged and any additional fees/charges. Or I would at least like access to this information going forward.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/09/2025

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee. Our records do not show a subscription under the given name or address. Can you please provide more information that will allow us to locate and look up the account in question. We look forward to hearing back from you so that we can work to get this issue resolved. You can also contact our customer service department at ************.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/12/2025

  I am rejecting this response because:

  The account name is under my grandmother's name: ******* *********. The print copy of the paper is sent to her address: **********************************************************************. I am actually paying for the subscription and use the electronic access portion of the subscription (my grandmother does not access the digital component of the subscription). 

  As I am the person paying for the subscription, I would like to see an explanation of charges each month that shows exactly what the base subscription charge is and any additional charges/fees that result in the renewal amount fluctuating each month. I currently cannot see any of this information when I log into my account on the Sac Bee website, nor can I access any previous bill through my online account. 

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2025

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee.   The account for ******* ********* is set up as a monthly auto renewal on a credit card which is why an invoice is not produced.

  The account is currently set at a weekly charge of ***** plus tax.   The last monthly charge of $ ***** was done on 1/07/25.

  The previous monthly the charge was for $94.02, done on 12/9/24, which included a premium day on 12/15/24, for the cost of $ 4.99 plus tax.

  Any future changes in subscription rates, we notify our customers 30 days in advance before the change through email.

  Thank you,

  The Sacramento Bee.

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/15/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is a complaint about the Sacramento Bee. I canceled my subscription to the Sacramento Bee and understood that I would continue receiving the paper until my subscription ended. I received a bill for $6.12 with no detail on why it was due. I have paid the amount due because I know several people whose credit has been damaged by this same scam.I am requesting a refund or a valid invoice showing the amount due with the dates included.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2024

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee. The account for ****** ***** has been reviewed. We do show a request was processed to cancel the subscription on the next renewal date which was orginally 9/11/24. Due to the weekly supply chain charge and since the autopay option was removed from the account a bill fee was add causing the renewal date to be sooner than the original expire date. At this time we have sumbitted a request to refund the payment of $6.22 made for the balance owed on the account due to the change in the renewal date. If you have any questions please call our customer service department at ************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a customer of ********************** for more than 50 years. I pay my subscription Annually (1 time for 52 weeks). On November 5, 2023 I renewed my subscription for 52 weeks and the Sacramento Bee billed me for $191.99 which I paid. On September 25, 2024 I received an email stating that my subscription rate has changed to $479.99 per year as of my next payment. Since I had paid for 52 weeks and it was not due to expire until 11/6/24 I assumed that meant my next renewal. Now I find that I owe the Sacramento Bee $287.99 and on November 6, 2024 I owe the Bee another $479.99 for a new 52 weeks and the Bee reserves the right to cancel and charge me more if their rates change again. As far as I am concerned, I owe the Bee absolutely nothing since I paid for 52 weeks in advance for the newspaper. When I call the Bee I end up speaking with people in the *********** who speak with such a thick accent it is hard to understand them. From what I am reading in many complaints about the Bee they are quick to turn someone over to a ****************** I feel I do not owe the Bee a dime. Because of this I will be cancelling my subscription. I want this $287.99 erased from my bill.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/08/2024

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee. The account for **** ****** has been adjusted to honor the original renewal date of 11/6/2024. At this time there is not a balance due **** ****** is paid in advance. The automatic payment plan has been removed from the account the subscriber will get an invoice in the mail for the next renewal. You can disregard the billing for $479.99 the next renewal price is $287.99. An agent has updated the account to reflect the new upcoming price. If you have any questions please contact the customer service department. We apologize for any confusion on the biling changes. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/09/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:  The special price of $287.99 for 52 weeks is not a guarantee.   The Sacramento Bee can change the 52 weeks to a much shorter term in the event there is a price increase or debit or credit on my subscription.    There are no refunds.   I can understand if there is a debit or credit that the Bee has the right to change the length of my subscription but the way this is written, I could pay up front for 52 weeks and end up receiving only 26 weeks.   If I am getting a promotional rate it should be good for the length of the initial term that I paid in advance for.   The Agents I speak with are very nice but their answers differ depending on who I am talking with.   Also, the website shows a balance of $21.63 and that amount goes up daily.   No one has been able to explain to me what exactly that is.  Is that money that I owe?  The last *** stated it was the balance of my current subscription which is due to expire on 11/6/24 but if that is the case the amount would be going down daily instead of going up.   $287.99 is a wonderful offer and I would be happy to renew if I can get an honest answer to my questions.   Thank you.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.   Thank you for your prompt responses to my concerns.   I have decided to renew my subscription for one year (52 weeks) and plan to pay in advance for the year. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/30/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The Sacramento Bee ended customer bill pay about two years ago, and I have been mailing my monthly check of $89.53 for home delivery to ********************************. Acct. #************. The checks are processed. I am a long time subscriber. I started receiving an additional bill of $5.41 for "print bill fee." I paid the last $5.41 on May 7, but I continue to receive these bills weekly and one week I received two. I emailed online customer service the week of June 24 but received no response. The Bee wants you to use their EZ-Pay system which automatically changes the subscription rate. If I cancel, I will receive phone calls in a few months offering low rates. I should not pay an additional $5.41 a month just to mail my bill.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2024

  Thank you for your message to The Sacramento Bee. The Bee has a few options to make your payments. You can have the renewal bill mailed, which is a $4.99/plus tax print bill fee each time there is a renewal. You can do electronic billing, which emails you the printed bill instead of mailing it. This is not an automatic payment set up. It just allows the bills to be emailed. Then, you can decide on paying by mail, online or through the automated system. The last option is the automatic payment set up, which is set up with baking information, debit card information or a credit card. The electronic billing and automatic payment does not charge a print bill fee.

  Please note, if you are paying monthly, we send renewal notices out 3-4 weeks in advance. This is why the renewals are received as soon as a payment is posted.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or *************************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/12/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: this complaint with the Sacramento Bee has not been resolved.  I emailed their customer service email and received no response.  Email billing needs to be set up.  Please repeat the message to the Sacramento Bee and request they contact me.  They have my email.
  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/23/2024

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee. The account for ******************* has an primary email address as ****************** The renewal notices are set up to be sent to the ***************** email if this not the correct email address please contact the customer servcie department at ************  or ************************** If there is an issue with the email address bouncing back or being invalid a print bill is sent out to the address on the account.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/22/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 4/4/24, I signed up for a year of the SacBee, for the rate $39.99. On 4/5, I noticed on my credit card bill that I was billed for $479.96 (12 times the annual amount). I immediately called the bee, and was told that a refund would be coming in the amount of $439.97. A week later, nothing. I have called repeatedly, and have been told that it would be "expedited". Every time I call, it will be, "5-10 business days." I emailed a few days ago, and was told that it had been processed, but the refund isn't showing on my credit card. I called today, and was told that it was processed, and that I could expect an email from ****, again, in 5-10 business days. WTH? Who sends a refund via ****, rather than reversing the charges to the card billed? Super janky and suspicious. Apparently, they are really good at charging 12x the rate to a credit card, but not so great at getting the customers money back to them.....

  Business Response

  Date: 04/22/2024

  Thank you for your message to The Sacramento Bee. We do apologize for the error in the rate of your digital subscription. The account has been corrected. Our records show your refund request was approved on 4/19/24. This means you should have received an email to confirm the refund amount of $439.97. It is correct that a refund can take up to 3-5 business days once approved. Some banks and/or card companies hold credits as part of their approval process as well. We do apologize for any inconvenience.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ************************** if you have any questions.

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/13/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On March 14, 2024 I was sent an email by the Sac Bee to renew my subscription. I thought this was odd as I had recently renewed. We agreed to a price of $180 for one year. Immediately afterward, I remembered I had renewed on Oct 2 , 2023 for $143.99 for 52 weeks (receipt attached). I called Sac Bee back on March 14 to cancel the $180 charge, and get my current subscription extended to oct 1, 2024 (for the 52 weeks I paid for) instead of the 6 month subscription they credited me with.They have yet to correct my account. Each time I call they say it has been forwarded to Finance and nothing gets done!!! I have called three more times since March 14 to get this corrected. The Sac Bee needs to honor the amount agreed upon on Oct 2, 2023.What I want:My credit card refunded for the $180 amount I paid on march 14, ********************************** my subscription was ending.My Sac Bee account to reflect my current subscription which I paid on Oct 2,2023 ($143.99 fro 52 weeks) to go until Oct 1, 2024.Please help me get this corrected as I am tired of dealing with their incompetent **********************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/15/2024

  Thank you for your message to The Sacramento Bee. We apologize for the delay in honoring your refund request. Our records show the refund was requested and there was a note on your account 4/4/24. As of today, 4/15, the refund shows as approved. Please look for an email within the next ***** hours to confirm the refund process and credit back to your account. We do apologize for the inconvenience.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/17/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:

  My entire request has not been resolved.

  I accept the $180 refund and thank you for that.

  In addition, I would like my original subscription that I paid for in Oct 2023 honored. I paid for a one year subscription for a rate of $143.99. I just checked my account and you have my subscription ending on 5/2/24. 

  Please update my subscription to reflect that I paid for one year back in October 2023. I would like to see this update in my SacBee account. Once this is done, I will feel this issue has been resolved.

  I would like to mention I am a 25+ year customer. 

   

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/19/2024

  Thank you for your message to The Sacramento Bee. Our records show your account has been updated and the current expiration date is 2/18/25.
  

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ************************** if you have any questions.

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/23/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:

  I Accept the new expiration date of my subscription of 2/18/25.

  What I do not accept is when I view my account online at SacBee.com - it says I have a balance of $148.45. My balance should be $0.00

  Please correct the balance listed on my account to $0.00

  I already paid for a one year subscription, so I should not have any balance.

   

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  As described in the attached letter to A.R.M., a bill collecting company, I had an online subscription to the Sacramento Bee in 2023, but over a period of many months, I was unable to access article on the Bee, apparently due to a problem with the Bee's website. I made multiple attempts to contact the Bee to correct the problem without success. I then made multiple attempts to cancel my subscription. The Bee continued to charge $29.99/month to my credit card during this time. Each time I tried to cancel my subscription via the Bee website, I was given an error message. Each time I tried to cancel the Bee by phone, I was left on indefinite hold. After many months of paying for online access to the Sacramento Bee without being to access online articles or cancel my subscription, I was left with no option but to tell my credit card company to stop allowing the Bee to make charges to my account. After doing so, I received multiple calls from individuals with foreign accents, probably calling from other countries, saying that the Bee wanted my business back and would give me a special deal. I declined all these offers, and I was never told during any of these calls that the Bee claimed I owed the business any money. I was shocked to receive a letter from the bill collecting agency, "A.R.M. Solutions" on March 19, 2024, claiming that I owed them $91.92 for unpaid debt to the Sacramento Bee.I believe that my inability to cancel the Bee is a result of intentional "sludge" created by the Bee to prevent or dissuade dissatisfied customers from canceling their subscription. The fact that the Bee sold the bogus debt to the bill collector is also unethical. I'm requesting that the Bee contact A.R.M. Solutions and advise this bill collector that I did not, in fact, owe any money to the Bee.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2024

  Thank you for your message to The Sacramento Bee. Our records show your subscription was on a monthly automatic payment option. The account expired 11/23/23. However, the payment on 11/23/23 did not go through. The card on file declined. Since The Bee does not stop subscriptions automatically, the account continued into a grace ****** until 2/1/24. During the grace ******, The Bee made attempts to contact you by phone, email and by mail. The renewal notification was sent on 12/5/23. And, a final notice was sent on 2/5/24. 

  We are sorry to hear you had issues accessing your digital account. Our customer service team is available to help Monday-Friday and on Sundays. Your account does not show any notes or documentation on needing assistance. At this time, your account has been cleared to a zero balance with the Sacramento Bee and ARM Solutions. Our hope is you will decide to subscribe again in the near future and always know our team is hear to help with any issues or problems.

  Please note, ARM Solutions is a non-reporting collection company and will not appear on any credit report.

  Please feel free to contact us at ************ or ************************** if you have any questions or concerns.

  Thank you,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/19/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On January 18, 2024, I called to cancel my Sacramento Bee Subscription and was told I would receive a refund of $100.78 of the $129.99 automatically billed to my **** on October 29, 2023. This refund should have been received no later than February 1, 2024. All the facts are listed in the supporting word document of trying to resolve this issue. Needless to say, the Sacramento Bee sent my account to a collection agency after I refuted the amount billed on my credit card as they did not send me the refund as promised. I would like to resolve this issue and not have the collection agency sending a report to credit agencies. Please help as the Sacramento Bee will not do anything to close this matter.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/19/2024

  Thank you for contacting the Sacramento Bee. The account for *********************** has been closed and the balance has been removed. The *********** has been contacted to close the account for the balance. The balance was due to the payment cancellation for the payment received on 10/29/2023. Due to our Terms of Service all refunds request go through an approval process we apologize for any delay. The account is now closed. ARMS is a non-reporting agency that makes collection attempts on our behalf attached is a letter of closure. If you have any questions you can call the customer service department at ************. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/20/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  I am very impressed with how quickly this issue was resolved once I contacted you.  I only wish I had done this earlier as I would have avoided the stress of the past few months to expedite my refund.  I will forward this data to my credit card company so they can also close this issue.

  Thank you, thank you so much!  Great Job!

  *****