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:12/05/2023

  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 wednesday november 15th 2023 at 828 am i called18888849026 the dispatchs cust service number and canceled my subscription because they refused to deliver the paper to my front porch in which im on a porch route . they told me i have to take the paper until my payment had run out. i told them no i wanted a refund and i would sue to get it they told me to go ahead and sue them i at 835 am i called 6144615100 the main office talked to someone who told me since ive had so many issue s with my service they would refund my 57.62 which they normally wouldnt do she said i would have a check i 7 to 10 days well its been 19 days days and i want my refund nothing else

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  December 5, 2023
  
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Earlier this year, the Columbus Dispatch went to a "no porch delivery" policy for all subscribers. The decision was made to make this policy due to the number of porch delivery requests and the additional time it was taking the carriers to be able to make this accommodation. It became impossible for them to get their routes delivered by the deadline causing more issues. Mr. REMOVEDs paper was canceled per his request on 11/16/2023 and a refund of $57.62 was issued by check on 11/29/2023.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/08/2023

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  i havent received anything from the dispatch except soliciting calls if they could show a copy or check number  and when i receive it ill be satisfied thank you 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  REMOVED

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2024

  January 3, 2024
  
  
  We have verified through our finance department that Mr. Estep did receive the refund check and cashed it on 12/18/2023. We would be happy to provide a copy of the endorsed canceled check to Mr. Estep if he needs for us to. Per his response, he would be satisfied with the refund issued.
  
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  
  GANNETT, Inc.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/04/2024

  
  
  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.   The check was not issued november 29th  they lied to you and me the check was issued december 5th in which i didnt receive it until the 12th 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/04/2023

  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.

  Please refer to below document detailing the service issues with the Columbus Dispatch. Paid for a full year subscription for my 90 year old father in law and after a month with very few papers delivered and the ongoing run around from their customer service dept. I cancelled the paper requesting a full refund. They pro-rated the amount paid from $309 to $250.47. Only received a few papers during the month and upon each call to customer service they extended the subscription due to papers not being delivered. How do they justify $60 reduced refund for less than a week of papers. I called at least 5 times over the month to report the problems and was told they would be resolved. There is no way to contact the Dispatch except through their customer service number and the foreign customer. service reps are inept. Could never get a supervisor on the phone.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/04/2023

  December 4, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVED (via REMOVED) and the delivery of the paper, account #REMOVED. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. We have reached out to Mr. REMOVEDafter reviewing the account and analyzing what has taken place. It appears that Mr. REMOVEDs paper was set up to be delivered by mail on the restart and was supposed to be delivered by the local post office. Mr. REMOVEDs paper had been stopped on 10/20/2023 for nonpayment with a grace owing of $60.10. When Mr. REMOVEDcalled on 10/26 to restart the paper on 10/29/2023, he made a payment of $309.00 of which, $60.10 was applied to the grace amount due. This left $248.90 to go toward the new subscription starting on 10/29. When the account was canceled due to delivery problems, we refunded Mr. REMOVED's credit card for $250.47, $1.57 more than the amount paid for the new subscription start.
  
  We truly apologize for all of the hassle and inconvenience this has caused. 
  
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  Gannett

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/13/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.

  Regards,
  
  
  
  REMOVED REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2023

  Type:Delivery 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 had a daily subscription to the Columbus Dispatch for over a decade. The last daily paper delivered to my house was 11/13/23. I did not get a newspaper delivered on 11/14 11/15 11/16 11/17 11/20 11/21 11/24 or 11/27. Only on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was a daily paper delivered. There are no longer Saturday newspapers. I only get Sunday newspapers delivered the past 2 weeks. I am suspicious that it because my neighbor gets only the Sunday paper. I have contacted the Dispatch every day I have been forgotten. Every time someone assures me they have contacted the delivery person and fixed the problem. Today I asked them if they were lying to me about having a daily carrier. At first the person told me that I don’t have a carrier. Then I was told I have a new carrier who started 2 weeks ago and is still learning the route. When I complained that it shouldn’t take 2 weeks and daily reminders to learn to deliver my paper, I was told that I can access the e-edition and then I was hung up on. I am upset. I think they are lying to me. I think there is not a person hired to deliver my newspaper on M-F. I think the Dispatch needs to find a way to get my daily newspaper to me and stop lying to me. I think it should not take 2 weeks to fix this problem. When I ask if I can speak to a person I am given a number for an automated system which I use daily to report my non-delivered paper and get credit applied. Credits are not a readable newspaper.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  November 27, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Mr. REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Our automated services are designed to be user-friendly and help avoid holding the line for an agent. There are no local numbers available for customer service-related issues such as missed deliveries. Essentially, they both add the same complaints to an account. Any complaints lodged against a carrier are placed on the account automatically if subscribers use our automated services and our agents are diligent in placing missed delivery complaints and escalating excessive complaints.
  
  The only explanation customer service receives regarding delayed delivery is in the event of a carrier, production, editorial, or weather issue. This affects an entire route, and the notice is displayed online and, when calling the customer service number. More than not, missed deliveries are due to human error and/or the loss of a carrier. In the event, a route is without a carrier, substitute carriers and members of management deliver the route to ensure delivery is executed. Carriers are held accountable when the proper complaints are placed on accounts. This is the reason it is important that missed deliveries are reported as they happen. It appears that Mr. REMOVEDhas a new carrier as of the date of the first missed delivery and that the carrier has missed his address from the beginning of taking over the route. We apologize and have made sure that he has received credit for the dates in question. We have also reached out to the District Managers and their management team to ensure that this is resolved immediately.
  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2023

  Type:Delivery 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 been a subscriber for years. For the last 3 weeks they have not delivered the paper. I cannot reach anyone when I call. We've gotten 5 in the last 3 weeks, no Sunday papers at all. There's a machine which says they will look into the problem but nothing changes. 

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2023

  November 21, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  Evening Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  
  Complaint  #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding the account of REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. 
  
  More than not, missed deliveries are due to human error and/or the loss of a carrier. In the event, a route is without a carrier, substitute carriers and members of management deliver the route to ensure delivery is executed. 
  
  REMOVEDaccount has been documented and credited accurately based on the choice made using the automated systems. We notified the carrier and their manager of the concerns and asked for an immediate correction. This will generate a resolution.  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/13/2023

  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 August 2023 I signed up for the Columbus Dispatch’s on-line offer of $1 for 6 month trial. In September, having been confused about whether my sign up had been accepted I signed up again for what I thought was the same offer. Both the $1/6 charge and the new charge appeared on my AmEx. But the second charge was for $15.63 made on 10/2/23. As soon as I noticed the charge, I called the Dispatch and ask for a credit acknowledging my mistake. They said it would take 7-10 days for the credit to appear. It didn't and I called again. They said it would be reversed. It wasn't. I called last week and, again was told it wold take 7-10 days. It wasn’t credited. I called again today, 11/13/23, and they told me they could no longer credit my account because I waited too long to correct the error. Every contact with the Dispatch call center gave me feeling they either wouldn't correct it or didn't know how to correct. I found out today they couldn't, wouldn't and really didn't care. I rate this a surprisingly disappointing outcome for one of Ohio's leading newspapers. In the 50+ years I've been using the AmEx card, I've never had a merchant refuse a request to reverse a transaction for any reason.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2023

  November 14, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDn and his eNewspaper subscription to the Columbus Dispatch. Per Mr. REMOVED's request for account #REMOVEDwhich was stopped on his paid-through date of 10/30/23; billing and access will cease on this date. 
  
  While researching for Mr. REMOVED's account we located another account using his email REMOVEDcom under the name Steven Edward. It is an active account #REMOVED. It is also a $1.00 for 6 months followed by $19.99 per month.  These offers are for new customers only as noted on the website.
  
  Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy.  It is the subscriber's responsibility to check their statements each month and notify us immediately when there is a problem. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term. On account#REMOVEDwe will refund last payment of $15.63 back to his American Express card ending in REMOVED 
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/13/2024

  August 12, 2024
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding Mr. REMOVEDand his eNewspaper subscription to the  Columbus Dispatch. We contacted Mr. REMOVEDand added his mailing address to the account. We explained that the credit card was removed from his account when canceled and therefore the refund would be completed by check. We are reissuing the refund and will mail it via USPS. Mr. REMOVEDhas my direct number to contact me should he have any further issues. 
  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/06/2024

  REMOVED, on 8/13 Gannett called to inform me that they would be sending a check for $20.85.  They said it would take some time to actually receive it estimated to be ˜ 10-21 days.

  As of today, It’s not arrived.  The person who called me wa REMOVEDand she gave me her phone# as REMOVED  I called that today at ˜ 1:30 ET and discovered it was the general number for customer service AND that I called after business hours and should call back during normal hours.  But,of course, the auto attendant did not offer up those hours.

  I’ll try again next week and let you know where this stands.  thanks . . . REMOVED

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2024

  REMOVEDthe complaint has been satisfied.  I’ve received a check refunding the the disputed charge.

  Thank you for your help.  I apologize for not getting back to you sooner.

  Thanks for all your time and support . . . REMOVED

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2023

  Type:Delivery 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 subscribe to the Columbus Dispatch for 6 day a week home delivery. In the past 2 years the paper is usually never delivered on time, if at all. I just lately...as of 06/16/2023 started keeping a record of missed deliveries. I have spoken/ chatted with the Dispatch about this issue repeatedly. I call their automated line and file complaints for non delivery, so they have records of the frequency of this problem. I am always promised the issue will be corrected. It never is. Since 06/16/2023 the paper has been delivered on time a total of 26 days. I have also been told my subscription will be extended to cover lost days. It never has been. The Dispatch contracted with me to deliver a paper 6 days a week. It has not honored that contract. First and foremost I want to see this corrected. Second, I want an accounting from the Dispatch reflecting extension of my subscription for papers not delivered on the day they were supposed to be delivered, or not delivered at all. I have not found a way to contact a human being at the Dispatch. So I hope the BBB can help resolve this issue of non performance by the Columbus Dispatch.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/10/2023

  November 10, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Our automated services are designed to be user-friendly and help avoid holding the line for an agent.  Essentially, they both add the same complaints to an account. Any complaints lodged against a carrier are placed on the account automatically if subscribers use our automated services and our agents are diligent in placing missed delivery complaints and escalating excessive complaints. When a subscriber requests a credit for a missed delivery, the expiration date of the account is extended by one day; this is not reflected in renewal notices or online. In this case, Mr. REMOVEDchose the option to have the paper redelivered the next day since we do not have redelivery on the same day any longer. When that option is chosen, instead of missed credit, there is no credit issued as it is intended to be redelivered. When calling in a complaint for a missed delivery, that option has to be chosen for immediate credit. Since we are not sure how many copies were late and how many were not delivered (or redelivered) to determine the correct amount of credit that should be issued, we will credit Mr. REMOVEDs account for each of the complaints on the system at this time. The payment made on Mr. REMOVEDs account on 6/15/2023 was paying his subscription from 5/11/2023 until 5/16/2024. With the extension of credit, his new expiration date will be 7/3/2024.
  
  The only explanation customer service receives regarding delayed delivery is in the event of a carrier, production, editorial, or weather issue. It is not our policy to issue credit for a late or delayed delivery since the product is still being delivered. This affects the entire route when this is the case. More than not, missed deliveries are due to human error and/or the loss of a carrier. In the event, a route is without a carrier, substitute carriers and members of management deliver the route to ensure delivery is executed. Carriers are held accountable when the proper complaints are placed on accounts. This is the reason it is important that missed deliveries are reported as they happen.  
  
  We notified the carrier and their manager of the concerns and have asked for an immediate correction. This will generate a resolution.  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:

  Thank you BBB for getting this process started. And thank you Columbus Dispatch for your timely reply to my complaint. I have a few things to say regarding your response.

  This delivery issue has been ongoing for years now. It seems that it arose when the Dispatch was bought by Gannett. These automated complaints I have been registering are a result of years of frustration. I have been a seven day a week customer of the Dispatch since I moved to Columbus in the 80s. Then to six days a week after the Dispatch was sold to Gannett. I have been a rural customer for 30 years. No rural delivery issues until the sale. And it wasn't until the last couple of years that I began registering complaints. The subscription price climbs steadily each year, and the service seems to worsen with each year. But I digress........

  I know for a fact that, when my paper is not delivered, I can go one mile down the road and see that deliveries were made in that area. So a missed delivery to my address is NOT an entire route issue as you maintain in your reply. Simply put, the delivery person chooses a point on the route where he or she no longer is willing to make further deliveries.

  On the subject of crediting my account for late or missed papers, the Dispatch well understands the following concept......... News is a perishable product. Period. your reporters and printers have deadlines for that reason. When I get a delivery of 4 papers in one day, three of them are old news and past the "use by" date. It is not acceptable to me for you to maintain that, since you delivered a 4 day old paper, it counts as "product delivered". Further, as you say in your reply, "since we are not sure how many copies were late and how many were not delivered ( or redelivered ) to determine the correct amount of credit that should be issued....." The simple way to determine credit due is to credit missed deliveries. When papers are not delivered in a timely manner, they are no longer news. They are history. I DO report missed deliveries as they happen. The reason I report them the next day is to give the delivery person the benefit of a doubt that the paper may have been delivered at 10:00 P.M. and still technically on the same day it was printed.

  The basis of a home delivery agreement is easy. I pay the bill. You deliver a paper 6 days a week, excepting non-issue days. Anything less than that is not fulfilling the agreement, and should result in a credit. And a written statement should be issued to reflect those credits. I will be glad to provide my email address so these credits can be sent making me aware they were in fact done.

   Regards,

  
  
  REMOVED

  Business Response

  Date: 01/02/2024

  January 2, 2024
  
  We are responding to the rejection of this complaint. We had previously issued credit for all of the complaints that were reported to us since June 2023. If there are no complaints documented, credit is generally not issued except for those on record. In this case, upper management has approved 1 additional month of credit to be issued to Mr. REMOVEDfor $70.20 (1 month) as a courtesy. In the future, all missed deliveries have to be reported to have credit issued so that there is proper documentation of the delivery issues that he is having and the frequency with which they occur. The account has been issued the additional credit at this time.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: Thanks Columbus Dispatch for your attention and reply. I am wondering what is the best way to report missed deliveries to get them on record. Last November I spoke to Chris ?. I assume he is a regional delivery person. He asked me to call him when there was a missed delivery, and I have done this instead of using the automated Dispatch line. He has always gotten the deliveries taken care of the following day. However, since talking to Chris, and contacting the BBB regarding delivery issues, my paper delivery schedule has fallen into a 3 day a week pattern, with 2 papers being delivered upon delivery. I have quit calling the automated number, and quit calling Chris, as this seems to be the best the Dispatch can do in my case. Should I be expected to accept this as normal and acceptable? Should I resume calling either Chris or the automated line with every missed delivery? I still maintain that a missed delivery day is just that. Aged news is history, and does not count as "product delivered" in my book. Thank you for the "courtesy" credit. But how should I proceed, given that the delivery schedule normally results in 3 missed deliveries per week?
  
  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/04/2024

  January 4, 2024
  
  We are responding to the latest correspondence from Mr. REMOVEDAll complaints must go through customer service so that they can be properly recorded. This way, more than one person has access to the history and can see the problems and the length of time that it has been occurring at higher levels. We understand that this is very frustrating and we will do everything we can to get this issue resolved quickly. We have already contacted upper-level management with the new information that it is still ongoing after our last contact with them. We will be reaching out to Mr. REMOVEDso that he will have a secondary contact with any further issues.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  Repeated non-deliveey of paper. No effort to get past undelivered papers. Repeatedly told they will rectify the situation but to date no missing papers have been delivered

  Business Response

  Date: 11/09/2023

  November 9, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDi and the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Our automated services are designed to be user-friendly and help avoid holding the line for an agent. Any complaints lodged against a carrier are placed on the account automatically if subscribers use our automated services and our agents are diligent in placing missed delivery complaints and escalating excessive complaints. When a subscriber requests a credit for a missed delivery, the expiration date of the account is extended by one day; this is not reflected in renewal notices or online. 
  
  Mr. Brauchi's account has been documented and credited accurately based on the choice made using the automated systems. We have notified the District Manager and their staff of the concerns and asked for an immediate correction. This will generate a resolution.  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/29/2023

  Type:Delivery 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 not been receiving my daily dispatch. I have contacted customer service and still are not receiving them. I have called and complained about the delivery issue many times over the past year and still it is not resolved! I cancelled my daily subscription and just kept the Sunday delivery and they still can't deliver that! Representatives keep telling me that they will send the complaint to the upper management but still no results! You think they could get it together for a "one day" delivery!

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2023

  November 2, 2023
   
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
   
  Complaint #20797029
   
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Any complaints lodged against a carrier are placed on the account automatically if subscribers use our automated services and our agents are diligent in placing missed delivery complaints and escalating excessive complaints. We have reached out to the District Manager and their management team to have this issue addressed. They have already responded that it will be addressed immediately by management with this carrier. We truly apologize that this has not been corrected already.
   
   
  Mr. REMOVED account has been documented and credited accurately based on the complaints added to the account by either a call to a customer service agent or through the automated system,
   
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
   
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/25/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  Since the last week of November 2022 I have called every week about the same problem sometimes as many as 4 times in a week! I use a cane to get around, painfully. I simply ask for my paper to be on my front porch, as I no longer am able to get up and down my porch steps. It ends up on the steps where I cannot reach it or my flower beds, under the pine tree, down by the retaining wall, on the sidewalk, in the grass or even on my porch roof. This is Wednesday and for the second time this week I have called. We are coming up on a year soon and I think someone needs to start doing their job! Trust me, if I weren't in so much pain this would not be an issue, and I don't know why it suddenly became one. Up until Thanksgiving 2022 it was almost always on the porch. When I call they assure me that the carrier is being notified and even the district manager ( if that person exists). I have been told the district manager would call me. Never have gotten a phone call from anyone! All I want is my paper on my porch.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/01/2023

  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. Earlier this year, we went to a driveway-only delivery policy. Our carriers are independent contractors and are only required to deliver the papers to the driveway or paper box. This change was necessary to cut back on the time that it takes the carriers to deliver their routes by our delivery deadlines. Unfortunately, special accommodations and requests hinder us from delivering the paper to all of our customers in a timely manner.  Although we would like to be able to accommodate all of our customer's requests, it is just not possible to ensure all customers get their delivery on time. We truly apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/06/2023

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This issue went on for 11 months with no response to my weekly calls, many times multiple calls a week!  Just before the company's response I was told they stopped delivering to the porch in February.  That person asked if I got a letter telling me that, which I did not or I would not have wasted ALL my time on ALL those calls. Many times I was told they would have someone call me about my problem,  but of course no one did!  No on had the common curtesy to call me or even email me to inform me that it was no longer required to be delivered to my porch! If in fact it was February, why did it start at the end of November? Does this mean I have to pay someone to install a driveway going nowhere so they have some place to toss the paper? Since I feel you are very dense, that was sarcasm! Your communication skills leave much to be desired!

  
  
  Regards,
  

  
  
  REMOVED

  Business Response

  Date: 11/08/2023

  
  As previously noted in our response, we no longer have porch delivery and have not had it for quite some time. There were notifications sent regarding this change so we are not sure why Ms. REMOVEDdid not receive hers. We got calls from other customers after receiving their letters. The customer's last payment that was made to her account on 4/14/2023 covered the delivery dates from 4/28/2023 until 7/2/2023. Each and every time Ms. REMOVEDcalled in to make a complaint about the location where the paper was placed, she was issued a credit or in some instances, several days of credit by customer service against our policy. As a result of this, her account was extended from 7/2/2023 until 11/15/2023. She has received four and a half months of credit for the inconvenience. The product was delivered to the customer, just not in the desired location. If there is no driveway or paper box available, then it would be up to the carrier's discretion as to the most convenient placement location.
  
  Again, we apologize for the inconvenience.
  
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead
  GANNETT
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2023

  Type:Delivery 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.

  About 9 mons. ago my Mother started having delivery problems. I tried to get in touch with the Columbus Dispatch & got a robo answer. I filed a complaint each & every day. I finally got a hold of someone. they suggested getting our newspaper in the USPS. But we wouldn't receive them for up to a week later. Then our paper just stopped coming. We called and they said the bill was paid up until November. They had changed back to home delivery. But we only received 2 different Monday deliveries. Deliveries are spotty. I called & talked to a lady named CJ she promised the problem would be taken care of. It was not. I called back & talked to Joe he said he would pass this up to the upper management. Still have received no papers.Our bill is paid has been paid up until November but we haven;t gotten a paper forever. I want our subscription extended out the proper amount of time that we have not regularly received our newspaper & want the paper resumed & regularly delivered to our home address immediately. My Mother is 84 yrs old & looks forward to her morning Dispatch to ready with breakfast this is not asking too much.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/26/2023

  September 26, 2023
  
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  REMOVED
  Daytime Phone: REMOVED
  E-mail: REMOVED
  
  
  Complaint #REMOVED
  
  Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding REMOVEDand the delivery of the paper. We apologize for any frustration this may have caused. I have reviewed the account and can see that upon the most recent start, there have been numerous complaints called in for no delivery. I have addressed this with the District Managers and their team. Prior to the new start of 9/6/2023, the account had 12 days of delivery complaints made in December 2022 of which 30 days of credit was issued extending the subscription from the paid date of 5/26/2023 to 6/25/2023. The account was stopped on 8/27/2023 for nonpayment with no visible complaints called in between 12/20/2022 and the stop date of 8/27/2023. At this time, since the restart on 9/6/2023, there have been 8 complaints called in and 15 days of credit issued.
  
  Carriers are held accountable when the proper complaints are placed on accounts. This is the reason it is important that missed deliveries are reported as they happen.  
  
  REMOVED's account has been documented and credited accurately based on the choice made using the automated systems. We notified the carrier and their manager of the concerns and asked for an immediate correction. This will generate a resolution.  
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.
  
  Thank you,
  Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead