Los Angeles Times Delivery Nightmare!

I bought a sunday gift subscription for my husband a month ago (mainly
for the coupons, calendar etc.. we just bought a new house, and I
though it might SAVE us some money, so so so wrong) We've yet to
receive a single paper. I call every sunday evening to request a
monday delivery, and the replacements never come. I've called and
complained and it just falls on deaf ears. I really don't understand.
I thought papers were in need of subscribers. I've never subscribed to
a paper before, and I don't think I ever will again. This is the worst
service I've EVER experienced. Four weeks, four chances..

Really can't understand why anyone would PAY to read the LA Times.
Don't you have a decent paper in that city?

Funny enough, there was NO PROBLEM in getting message to cancel
delivery correct. I did miss the paper, but navigating all the
different news sources online has not been difficult.

I swear, it really is NOT rocket science. I dont understand how they
have managed to make such a mess of such a simple process.

When we were kids, and I mean LITTLE, we had paper routes. We kept
notes on our customers.

things like 123 main wants it bagged and left on the chair on her
porch, 456 Green street wants it left inside the screen door, etc.

I even had a note about a nice lady who wanted us to come for monthly
collecting the last Saturday of the month, anytime after noon. She
always had some yummy baked goods ready for us, along with our payment
and a great tip.

If little kids can get it right, grown adults can. My paper is
delivered by a husband/wife team and I have never, ever had an issue
with them. I am sorry this has been such a mess for you.

Which explains the half-assed manner in which the job is being done.

If your paper arrives wet, keep calling the paper to complain and get
a refund for that day's delivery. I know it is a pain but it will be
the only way for them to listen since it is impacting their revenue.

I had a problem with my delivery not being delivered when it was
susposed to. I kept calling and requested a refund if the paper was
not delivered by the time I left for work. It took a week but I have
gotten my paper delivered on time since.

I couldn't live without my morning paper everyday. I love sharing the
funnies on Sunday, refilling my coupon holder, and having that hour or
so of peace and quiet before everyone gets up to read and have a cup
of coffee.

When we frst moved in, we were told that our town charges for porch
delivery unless you are disabled. I knew that wasn't true, but let it
go. We experienced wet papers, missing papers, and even a large plant
broken off at ground level. One day when I called in a wet paper, I
got accused of wetting my own paper! So here's what I did: I paid the
final bill to the tune of 65 cents ( this was an 8 week bill). I
enclosed a copy of my list of all the missing papers, wet papers, the
cost of the plant they sheared off ( w/photo)etc. I addressed it to
the head of our little agency ( each area of the state has a different
agency of this paper) and I also sent a copy of the letter and list to
the head of the circulation department for the whole state. I heard
from the agency right away- they were peeved, and sent me another
bill, minus the 65 cents. I sent it back to them, marked "already paid
in full."

This went on for about 6 weeks, and in that time I just walked up to
the hospital near us and bought my paper from the machine. Finally, I
got a call from the head of circulation, who was pretty nice. He said
he had read my letter, and he apologized for all the problems we'd
been having.He asked what he could do to get me to re-subscribe. I
told him I didn't think the agent would ever change, but he could make
sure my paper was double bagged, rain or shine, and far enough up the
driveway so it won't get stolen. He offered to porch it, and I told
him I wasn't willing to pay the extra, and he said "WHAT?!?"
Apparently the agent had been telling people there was an extra
charge, when there wasn't. I'm not disabled, I can walk out to my
driveway.

In short, keep good records, be persistent, and don't settle for less
than the good service you deserve. I would cancel it now, and when
they call you from the higher ups, be honest and tell them you aren't
paying for substandard service. Good luck!

Teresa C.,
You might copy and paste this site and share your letter complaint
directly with their Deilvery Department.
BillR.

https://myaccount.latimes.com/index.jsp

Teresa, I feel your pain. I MUCH prefer the printed newspaper over
the internet. I long ago gave up the delivered newspaper because of
the waste/recycling issue and I haven't looked back. But I don't
blame you for being frustrated. Good luck!

I'm going to echo the sentiment of those who say that maybe it's time
to just cancel the subscription and start reading your news online. If
they're not going to call you back now, they're not going to call you
back ever. Until you cancel; THEN they'll start calling you back,
begging you to re-subscribe to them.

A long time ago, my family used to subscribe to the Montreal Gazette,
and we had the "extra subscription", where the extra we paid yearly
was tacked on as a tip for our paperboy (or man, in our case). For
many years, he was prompt and efficient, delivering our paper at 6am,
bagged, on our front porch. The time was important; as we had to leave
for work/school at 6h30am, so getting the newspaper that early was why
we subscribed for the extra stuff in the first place. We would always
give him an extra Christmas present for his excellent service.

About eight or nine years ago, we got a new delivery guy who, needless
to say, was very half-assed in his delivery. He'd deliver our paper at
around 7am-7h15am instead of 6am, as to which by then, we'd all be at
work/school (and at school, I could get the newspaper for free
anyway), not bagged, and often half-assedly tossed into our shrubbery
or at the foot of our front steps (and in winter time, failing to get
it bagged on the porch after we're gone for the work day means that
our paper can end up snowlogged, which then melts and results in a
soggy paper). We complained numerous times, and nothing was done, not
even a single call-back from any supervisor/manager or whatever. So we
finally canceled our subscription and placated ourselves with reading
the news either online or watching the evening news after
work/school.

Nine years later (now), the Montreal Gazette still calls us, asking us
if we'd like to reinstate our subscription...

I don't know how reading a hard copy of the newspaper works with you
schedule or "routine," but have you considered just reading it online
if it's available? For one, it's cheaper. And it's not wet...

My paper was delivered bagged today, but still not porched. Of
course, no phone call either.

You don't say how the papers are getting wet. If it's due to your
sprinkler system, can you adjust the time that it goes off?

It's really a shame this is happening since the written news is such a
failing business these days anyway. With so many fewer subscribers
than 10 years ago, they really should make a better effort to help
you.

Also it's possible the distributor/dilivery person's changed and their
records were not updated.

Either way they should do right by you, especially since you're
willing to continue reading their paper.

While I like the idea of sitting at my breakfast table drinking my tea
and reading the newspaper, I can still do so at my computer every
morning...and the print is larger and much easier to read. Of course I
loose that ink on my fingers and the very slight noise of the page
being turned, but I like it better on the computer now.

Maybe its time to give it up...let the newspaper delivery service win
this one. Sit, enjoy your morning news in a more relaxing venue. If
you do not like this then go back to having the paper delivered.

I'm afraid you might be fighting a losing battle. I finally had to
cancel delivery of my local newspaper too because the delivery person
just refused to put it inside the box they nailed to my mailbox post,
without my permission! Even though the paper was in a plastic bag, it
almost always ended up in a pool of water in the driveway, leaving the
paper not only wet but dirty. It would go from the driveway to the
garbage can.

I complained numerous times but it didn't help, so I just canceled.
At one point I received a telephone call asking me to renew my
subscription, and when I told the representative why I canceled it,
she just said, "Oh, okay.. bye."

I joined the people who read their news online and will never turn
back.

I hope you have better luck than I did.