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The Print Subscription Billing Practices of the Los Angeles Times

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Just the facts ma am, Mar 22, 2017.

  1. Just the facts ma am

    Just the facts ma am Well-Known Member

    I've been a LAT print subscriber for the last twenty years at the same address. A few years ago I switched from paper billing to "ezpay"; they automatically bill your credit card.

    I don't know why I never noticed this earlier, but I never received email bills from them, just emails telling me how much they charged my credit card. Curious, I went to manage my account online and there was no way for me to see what I was billed, what I paid or for what period, either current or historic.

    So I called them up and they were able to provide me billing information over the phone. During this conversation I discovered two changes to my account, there was a price increase and I no longer received a money credit for a vacation hold on paper deliveries. I had not been notified of these changes.

    Somewhat irate, I cancelled "ezpay" and opted for paper bills in the mail, even though I do no other financial transactions that way.

    I get the paper bill in the mail today. It does not show my last payment. It does not show my unit cost. It does not show the billing start period. It gives me four options to pay in advance starting through May 2017, and the last being March 2018.

    Also the paper bill states they charge you $3.99 without telling you for the special issues (Best Restaurants, The Envelope, Baseball Preview, etc.). The bill states that prices on future issues could be higher (i.e. they won't tell you in advance).

    This does not seem to be a good business model for the LAT print business. I would recommend transparency in billing for the diehards like me who appreciate the thump on our doorstep at 5:30 every morning.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
  2. Doc Holliday

    Doc Holliday Well-Known Member

    Words escape me.
     
  3. Old Time Hockey

    Old Time Hockey Active Member

    Finally! A newspaper that keeps customers just as well informed as employees!
     
    Bronco77, sgreenwell, wicked and 2 others like this.
  4. WriteThinking

    WriteThinking Well-Known Member

    Not that it's good, but this is getting to be just par for the course. The onus of knowing/finding out information is all on the person being billed. Yet the financial/card control is all given to the one doing the billing. This is largely why I still do most of my bill-paying the old-fashioned way.

    E-pay options these days often provide just emails, with nothing more than whether and how much your attached credit card is being charged. Additionally, paper bills, and even paper bank statements, have less information in them these days than they used to.

    And, the warning, right at the start, that you will be charged $3.99 for special editions, and that the prices could change in the future, is your ahead-of-time notice about such charges and changes.

    It's weak, and wrong. But it's common, and not likely to change, except to only get worse, as everyone, more and more, takes the easiest way to do things.
     
  5. Ice9

    Ice9 Active Member

    Cancel your subscription, vote with your feet
     
  6. Just the facts ma am

    Just the facts ma am Well-Known Member

    I cancelled my LAT print subscription. Lord knows it wasn't easy. You can not do this with a computer. You can only do this by telephone to an East Asian call center that reads from scripts from a computer screen based on what objections you raise. They kept coming back with offers for a lower subscription price.

    Finally, I had to go to the "cancel my subscription asshole, I am hanging up" card. They cancelled my subscription, the last paper received 12/25. As I had paid through Jan 1, I later called and asked for a refund. Even though the weekly rate was $12.99 they are only sending me a refund of a dollar and change for a full week.

    I also cancelled Netflix because I do not regularly watch it and use it only for binge viewing. I was able to do this with a couple of clicks and rather than being asked why I was breaking up with them they simply stated I could come back whenever I want with no judgement. This is a better business model.
     
  7. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I love the Netflix "we're on a break" model. I got to a point a few years back where the only movies I hadn't seen were in the the three-star range and yes - the Netflix algorithm is very accurate - figured I'd take a pause for a couple of years to allow me to "get behind" a bit. Since then, I've been heavily using Netflix (I'm on the DVD and streaming plan for about $12 a month) it's a steal.
     
  8. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    I love the "use your buddy's Netflix password while he uses your HBO info" model.
     
    Tweener and Just the facts ma am like this.
  9. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    That works too.
     
  10. Dyno

    Dyno Well-Known Member

    I had a digital subscription to the Chicago Tribune for a few months for a project I was doing at work. When I called to cancel, I got the East Asian call center.

    Me: I'd like to cancel my digital subscription.
    Them: I am sorry to hear that and I respect your decision. I can offer you (some price lower than I was paying).
    Me: No, thank you. I really don't need the subscription anymore.
    Them: I respect your decision. I can offer you (some package involving a print subscription, too).
    Me: No, really, it's not a question of price. I really don't need it anymore and I just want to cancel.
    Them: I respect your decision...
    Me (interrupting): If you respected my decision, you'd allow me to cancel and stop making more offers.
    Them: I respect your decision...
    Me (raising voice): Enough already. I know you're reading from a script and it's not your fault but you need to stop saying you respect my decision and just cancel my subscription.
    Them: Long pause. OK, ma'am.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2018
  11. Bud_Bundy

    Bud_Bundy Well-Known Member

    Geez, Tribune (whoops, Tronc) is still using overseas call centers? Well, it's better than when they outsourced technical support to God knows where.

    In heavily accented English: "Hello, my name is Chip. How may I help you?"
     
  12. BTExpress

    BTExpress Well-Known Member

    I need to find a Rosetta Stone IT edition so I can actually communicate with my place's help desk.
     
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