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:07/20/2025

  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.

  I have a digital subscription with SF Chronicle that I "canceled" online a couple of months ago. I am still being charged. I attempted to ****** my subscription online through their subscription management page and it will not load. I have tried several times to do so. Calling has been unsuccessful as well. I need this monthly charge to be removed immediately. I have filed a complaint with them online as well today but of course there is not receipt sent and there is no timeline of when I will be contacted.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2025

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I was unable to find the subscription you were referring to. I was able to find 3 different subscription started under the email you've provided and the most recent one was stopped in 2024. Please provide us with more information of which subscription you wish to address in order for us to best help you. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/24/2025

   
  Complaint: 23627079
  
  I am rejecting this response because I have a screenshot of the account that has an active subscription though I have tried to cancel it several times. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 07/24/2025

  Hello ******,

  Thank you for providing a valid email address. I was able to locate the account using the alternative subscription info. I will also go ahead and refund the past 2 months of service (a total of $22.92) due to the late cancellation. This amount will be credited to the card used to start the subscription. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist with. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/09/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  A while back I started a digital subscription with this newspaper. It was my understanding, based on my conversation with the customer service agent, that I was signing up for a non-recurring subscription. The rate that was offered was very competitive so I agreed to the terms (I live on the East Coast but at the time I was considering a move the ********, home to this newspaper). A few months back the introductory rate must've changed because the rate, which is billed to my credit card, increased. I logged onto my account portal with the intention of cancelling the subscription but was surprised to find that there was no option to cancel online. There was a phone number that I had to call in order to cancel, with a suspiciously narrow window to reach them (if you recall from above, I live on the ********** so there is a 3 hour time difference which added to the difficulty in reaching them). I made no fewer than 6 attempts to reach them, within the posted hours that they are supposedly available, but whenever I entered the number to cancel my subscription (the #3, in this case) I reached a dead end message, something to the effect of "we're sorry we cannot process your request" before being kicked back out to the call menu. In a last ditch effort, I actually cancelled the credit card with my bank and had them send a new card with a new credit card number in hopes that this would keep me from being stuck with this subscription. At the end of the first month with the new credit card I started to get phone calls from their customer service department. It's incredibly, incredibly frustrating that I had no way, whatsoever, available to me to cancel the subscription but the second they can't process a payment they're calling me. The customer service agent informed me that I had a balance due, I told him how many times I tried and failed to cancel and how suspicious the whole process was, but he was uninterested. This feels predatory.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/22/2025

  Hello *****,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle.

  I am sorry to hear about how this situation was handled. The refund of $33.00 was already issued back to the card (ending in 4475) that was charged on 7/16/2025. Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist with and thank you for your patience.

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/08/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  unbeknownst to **, we began receiving the SF Chronicle on or about 6/21/25. We thought it was a mistake. Today, 7/8/25 we received a bill for $56.00 representing the papers delivered to our doorstep and for a subscription through 8/15/25. I called the Chronicle and was told that a telemarketer had called our landline on 6/20/25, and we agreed to a new subscription. I informed them that I never received such a call and to please stop delivery of the paper and to cancel any deliveries going forward. They agreed to stop delivery but asked that we pay $19.00 for the papers that were delivered between 6/20/25 and 7/8/25 since I didn't agree to a subscription. I asked them to reverse the $19.00 and they flat out refused. I need help to resolve this because I do not want collectors coming after me for $19.00, especially for a subscription that I did not purchase. I would like them to reverse the charge bringing it to zero. I have not paid them any money for this incident.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2025

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience.

  I have gone ahead and cleared the balance of $19.00 on the account. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2025

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/01/2025

  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.

  In November 2024, I subscribed to the San Francisco Chronicles digital subscription for $0.99/26 weeks, with terms allowing cancellation anytime and notification before renewals. In April 2025, I canceled via their app portal (************************************************************) but received no confirmation, raising concerns about their systems reliability. I called ************ and emailed ************************************* multiple times, leaving voicemails with my contact details, but got no response, showing their blatant disregard for customer inquiries. On May 22, 2025, they emailed that my subscription expired, confirming my cancellation. Yet, my card ending in 4320 was charged $19.96 on June 25 and 26, 2025 ($39.92 total), which I didnt authorize, violating terms and California law (effective July 1, 2025) requiring cancellations via the subscription method. I canceled my card due to this fraud, causing significant inconvenience, stress, and time spent resolving unauthorized charges. After my bank dispute, they emailed on June 29, 2025, claiming they extended my subscription, which I never approved. This was their first response, ignoring prior attempts, further evidencing their deceptive practices. Their actions are fraudulent, as they charged me after confirming expiration and ignored my attempts to resolve this, leaving me feeling cheated and frustrated. I tried calling again, but reached only voicemail, underscoring their refusal to engage. Similar complaints on BBB and Reddit suggest a pattern of unauthorized charges, unresponsiveness, and deceptive billing by the Chronicle, harming consumers and eroding trust in their business practices. This ongoing issue has caused me undue financial burden and emotional distress, as I had to cancel my card and pursue disputes to protect my finances.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  Hello Mr. ********************* you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience.

  I was unable to find any info on the cancellation made in April. The log in history connected to your subscription indicates that the subscriber portal hasn't been accessed since January 2025. Regardless of this, I've gone ahead and credited the account and we'll issue a refund of the full amount paid ($39.92) back to the card used to purchase the subscription.

  Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/02/2025

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/21/2025

  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.

  I had a subscription with SF Chronicle that was 99 cents a year. When the year was up, I never received an email, mailing, text or any kind of notification that it was to be auto-renewed. I had since moved out of the ** Bay Area, and no longer needed the subscription so when the charge of ***** came up in my account, I immediately called their **************** to both cancel and refund the charge. I was told by the initial customer service agent it wasnt possible to refund, I told him I had worked in news/media subscription services for most of my career and I know it is possible if you notify in the beginning of the service period if you havent and no longer using the service, if it isnt then that is very bad practices. I asked to speak to a manager and I was transferred to an individual who sounded like they were at an overseas customer service provider and was told the same thing, that it was in the initial contract no refunds. But I never received any notification about my subscription expiring and I hadnt logged in for at least 2 to 3 months. If havent and wont use the service in the beginning of the billing cycle, then I should receive a refund especially with zero notification about renewal.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  Hello *****,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience with your subscription.

  According to our records, an auto-renewal notification email was sent to ******************************** on May 30, 2025. Regardless, I will go ahead and credit the account and refund the full amount of $19.96 back to the card that was used to start the subscription.

  Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/17/2025

  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.

  Complaint: Unauthorized Charges and Lack of Service for SF Chronicle Subscription I am writing to formally complain about a "ghost" subscription to the San Francisco Chronicle. Despite being charged a recurring $27.72 monthly fee, I have never been able to access the subscription services.Every time I attempt to log into the Chronicle app on my iPhone, I am met with a message stating that I do not have an active subscription. This is particularly frustrating as the $27.72 charge is supposedly for an "online only" subscription specifically for mobile ********** further complicate matters, I was eligible for a free subscription through T-Mobile, which never successfully registered.I contacted the San Francisco Chronicle / ************ to resolve this issue. During the call, the sales representative attempted to retain my business, but I declined, explaining that I had never received any service in the first place. The representative then stated they would cancel my subscription a month later, which I found unacceptable given that I don't even have an active subscription to cancel. They also promised to send a link to the online subscription, but I never received any ************ a result, I have no assurance that the unauthorized charges have been terminated, nor have I received any credit for the significant overcharges. I request an immediate resolution to this matter, including a full refund for all unauthorized charges and confirmation of the subscription's termination.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/09/2025

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  San Francisco Chronicle offered a special 99 cent 26 week trial subscription offer that was charged to my card with automatic renewals. The terms stated I could cancel anytime and would be notified, although this notification did not happen, I did attempt to cancel prior to the full price subscription, however the screen to manage your subscription was frozen and stuck on the loading page. I have received no correspondence to my support requests, and have no confirmation that my subscription has been cancelled. Very deceptive, very shady, SCAM.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/10/2025

  Hello,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the trouble with your subscription.

  Please note that we sent a renewal notice to your email on file (*****************************) on May 9, 2025. In any case, I've gone ahead and credited the $27.72 and the refund will be issued tot he same card the payment was taken from. You should receive the funds within 10 business days.
  
  Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/15/2025

  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.

  On November 12, 2024 the San Francisco Chronicle offered a special 99 cent 26 week trial subscription offer that was charged to my **** card with automatic renewals. The terms stated I could cancel anytime and would be notified PRIOR to automatic renewals. The notification did not occur, only that my subscription had renewed for another period on May 14, 2025. When I called to cancel the renewal subscription that had already been charged to my **** card I was told it was non refundable. This is a subscription scam, billing credit cards without prior notifications.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2025

  Hello Mr. ****************** you for reaching out to the San Francisco Chronicle.

  According to our records a renewal notice was sent to your email **************************** on May 2, 2025. Nevertheless, I will go ahead and issue the refund of $19.96 back to the card the card your subscription was purchased with. Please let me know if you have any other questions and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/17/2025

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** A. *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/12/2025

  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.

  I've been working on this problem for months and have not gotten a sensible answer from the San Francisco Chronicle. My mother, ***** ***, died in October 2024. I cancelled her subscription to the San Francisco Chronicle on 12/5/24, effective 12/13/24. The paper did stop being delivered but we haven't received the promised refund check. We paid $741 on 7/2/24, check # **** and were told we would receive a refund check in the amount of $414.46 for the unused portion of the subscription. We never received the check. I have written to the Chronicle about not receiving the check a few times, and called. They said, "the account was closed", or "ask your bank". The mailing address was **** ***** ***** **** ******** ** *****, and the account was under the name of ***** ***. I don't know what the account number is but they can track the account using the mailing address.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/12/2025

  Hello Ms. M*****,

  Thank you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle. I apologize for the inconvenience with receiving your refund.
  
  I can confirm that a refund check for $414.46 was issued on December 13, 2024. Since you have yet to receive it, I will follow up with our finance department to verify that the check has not yet been cashed and then we can re-issue it. I will go ahead and update you via the email address you provided once I have more information. 

  Please let me know if you have and other questions and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/12/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because (actually I'm not rejecting it, I'm thrilled with your response, but I would like the case to stay open until I have a refund check in hand. I trust that will happen in due time but in case there's another glitch I don't want to have to start over with the BBB.)

  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Elaine M*****

  Business Response

  Date: 03/13/2025

  Hello Ms. M*****,

  Thank you for the update. I have been notified by our finance department that we can void the previous check and reissue it under your name and the new address:
  
  **** ****** ***
  ********* ** *****
  
  Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with and I would be happy to help. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/13/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  I'm rejecting your response ONLY because I would like the case to stay open until I have a refund check in hand. I trust that will happen in due time but in case there's another glitch I don't want to have to start over with the BBB.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Elaine M*****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/27/2025

  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.

  See Attachment

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2025

  Hello Ms. ******************* you for contacting the San Francisco Chronicle regarding your subscription billing.
  
  I apologize for the incorrect explanation that was given to you regarding our rates. When you started your account in 2018. You were at a discounted rate of $12.40 per week. (For context, the full price of a 7-day subscription currently is $28.45 per week.) You were not being charged for the full price during the entire period from 2018 to 2024. The promotional rate your subscription was on are only valid for one billing cycle, after that, instead of reverting you to a full price subscription, we instead offer the next best available discount. At the time of your call to switch to a digital only subscription in 2023, you were being charged at $17.25 per week. Our digital only subscriptions are price very differently from our print products and are much cheaper. 
  
  In an effort to retain your account, the agent you spoke with approved a rate of $7.00 per week. This is not a valid offer and we do not have subscribers priced at this rate. I will review this matter with this agent to prevent any further occurrences, but we cannot offer any refunds because your account was not overcharged. We can refund the most recent payment on the account a cancel the subscription at your request.
  
  Please let me know what you decide to do and I would be happy to assist. Thank you!

  Regards,

  San Francisco Chronicle Support