Posted on 09/14/2005 7:11:42 AM PDT by stayout
As a resolute member of Free Republic since before the 2000 election, I must fess up to a dirty secret: I have subscribed to the Los Angeles Times. Reading its editorial pages invariably boiled my blood in the morning better than a cup of coffee. Moreover, my wife craves the massive stack of coupons they include on Sundays. Other than that, the paper meant nothing more than fishwrap for us.
In July, our subscription lapsed. I received renewal notice after renewal notice. I procratinated and dithered -- a big part of me is fed up with that paper's leftist slant.
Finally, I decided to pull the plug. Yesterday I called them up to cancel my subscription. After calling the 800 number, I finally got through to a customer service representative. I told him I wanted to cancel. His response should warm your hearts: "well, sir, I could do that, but your subscription already is complementary . . ."
Priceless! I wonder, how much of their reported paid subscription base is "complementary"? Wouldn't that make a good story for an intrepid leftwing consumer reporter?
I cancelled my local paper five years ago, but they are showing up in my yard again.
Akron Beacon Journal is same way. Useful as toilet paper, kindling for the fireplace, and for a few laughs.
a newspaper will continue to deliver to you even after your money has expired. they use that time to try to convince you to renew. they don't tend to call a subscription in that status "complimentary", but that's the most sense I can make of your tale.
You may have just observed a tiny corner of a fraud at the L.A. Times which could cause people to get fired, and ad rates to drop, at that "worthy" organization. LOL.
Congressman Billybob
And then what happened?
Did you continue to accept the paper? Or did you tell them to stop sending it?
The NYTimes starting sending me a complimentary subscription. I sent it back and told them to never again darken my doorstep.
I did get Newsweak in college. At the time I was as conservative as today but didn't yet realize just how left wing that rag was.
When my subscription expired, they kept sending them. I called to cancel, and they asked why...my response was that I bought toilet paper and no longer needed it.
LOL. Great answer.
Yesterday we got an offer from them for the same service for $99.
In Williamsburg, VA nothing my mother could do would end the newspaper subscription there. Multiple calls and a couple letters couldn't end it. Even when she passed away, and I notifed the paper in writing of her death, that rag kept coming. Having cleared my legal responsibilities, I told the next door neighbor he was welcome to it in return for picking up, until the house sold.
About the same as the slowly diing Washington Post, stayout.
The Washington Times has been murdering "Pravda On The Potomac" for years in subscription, store and machine sales.
The only way The Post can even keep in the market is by giving papers away to employees and others. Then counting those as sales.
Jack.
Its the only way I recieve the Wash. ComPost, except I pay for Sunday's. Sports page is good.
My response to our local paper was similar to yours, and came courtesy of something I read here on FR.
"I'm sorry, but the puppy is now housebroken and our bird died."
Best Regards
Sergio
My favorite thing about the Akron Beacon Journal is their description of the crimes. They go into very fine detail and many of them are hilarious.
Something to do with newspapers basically giving away their papers and counting it in circulation figures which was then quoted to advertisers.
LOL. When the unions shutdown both papers in Pittsburgh a number of years ago, I stated subscribing to the then "Greensburg" Tribune Review. After a number of months and behind the scene underhanded tactics by the unions, Post Gazette and local political hacks, the strike suddenly ended, but so did one of Pittsburgh's two papers -- the better of the two, The Press. Only the left-leaning Post Gazette remained. They tried many times to get me to subscribe again. They gave months of "free delivery". They still do from time to time. Meanwhile, the Greensburg paper opened a Pittsburgh news bureau, started a Pittsburgh edition, and instead of the city becoming another "one paper town" (the goal of the strike all the time) it still has two, and I still have my Trib subscription.
Not for doing it, but for getting caught, I'm sure.
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