Star Tribune Media Company, LLC

I responded to this customer on 2/22/18.  At that time, the Revdex.com indicated that no response was necessary.  Response to customer attached.

Our staff has phoned Ms. [redacted] and is continuing work to resolve her concerns.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/11/10) */
First, our apologies for any rude treatment by our customer service reps. Your calls were pulled and reviewed (all customer calls are recorded), and the appropriate reps coached regarding how the call could have been handled better.
Upon...

reviewing your account, the 7-day upgrade in question was entered on 8/21/15 and effective 8/24/15. This tells us that the telemarketing call was on 8/21 or up to 3 days earlier--not on 8/24/15. We do not have access to that call, so could not confirm any transaction. Your distribution schedule was immediately changed and you were credited for the daily papers you did not want, plus an addition 2 Sundays.
Again, we are sorry for any misunderstanding on our part and appreciate the years that you were a Star Tribune subscriber.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 10, 2015/11/10) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
I did receive the last two Sunday papers which were part of the original subscription I had paid for and as far as I can tell they are not saying I owe them anything. I wish that they would stop sending me statements for future service. I have made it very clear I'm no longer a subscriber. I do not want to receive any marketing, paper, email or telephone from the Star Tribune.
The reason why they could not find the telemarketing tape is because it does not exist. I was not home on the 21st and I would have never accepted to upgrade my service to daily - the papers were thrown away.
I hope that they really did coach Deena and Nathan. I was appalled at the way I was treated for reporting an error that the Star Tribune made. I had to call twice in order to finally get a resolution and while I was finally given the balance of the original subscription I had purchased and approved, I never received any admission of error on the part of the Star Tribune. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but someone entered in an order on our account that we never approved.
I am accepting this response because it seems genuine and I want to be done with this situation. I will also note that it is a day late. They had until 11/9 to respond, but didn't until today, 11/10.

November 28, 2017
 
 
 
[redacted] E. [redacted]...

[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55426
 
Re:      Revdex.com Minnesota Case No:  [redacted]
            Star Tribune Acct:  # [redacted]
 
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
 
Thank you for your patience during our investigation and resolution of your property damage claim.  I’m certain the damage was caused by an inadvertent toss of a newspaper – we’re naturally sorry this occurred.
 
I understand from my colleague, Steve [redacted], that you will forward the door repair claim ($170.45) to his attention.  He will expedite reimbursement once the invoice arrives.
 
I’m sorry for the miscue but am pleased we can look forward to your continued readership! Our best wishes to you for a happy holiday season.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
John [redacted]
Department Administrator, Circulation
 
 
cc:       [redacted], Revdex.com Minnesota and North Dakota
           Steve [redacted], Star Tribune

Dear Ms. [redacted]:   We are in receipt of your complaint regarding the continued delivery of Twin Cities Values (TCV) after several requests to stop. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution.    Upon reviewing your address in our system,...

it was already marked for “NO TCV DELIVERY”.  We contacted the Distributor for your area regarding the continued delivery issue and the Verification & Quality Assurance Manager.  The Distributor is working with the new carrier to make sure no TCV is delivered to your address.  I believe Franklin [redacted] from our customer service center has also been working with you on the problem.   We believe all the appropriate steps have been taken to make sure that your address no longer receives any unwanted Star Tribune products.   We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you.   Sincerely,         Arden [redacted] Senior Vice President, Circulation

June 14, 2017     Dear Ms. [redacted]:   We are in receipt of your complaint regarding the continued delivery and billing past the expire date of your subscription and being sent to collections. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution.  ...

  First, it is important you understand all Star Tribune invoices advise that service and billing do not automatically stop at the end of the subscription term and that the subscriber should contact the Star Tribune if they wish to stop their subscription.  We provide this grace period as a courtesy to our subscribers to prevent an unnecessary interruption in their delivery should their payment be sent after the due date.  This information is also noted on all marketing communications including but not limited to direct mail, kiosk sales forms, and website solicitations for new subscribers.    After reviewing your accounts, we see you were a subscriber since 2014, and you used the above grace period when payments were not by the expire date.  Your most recent expire date was 12/25/16.  Invoices were sent to you on 12/4/16 (three weeks prior to the expire date), 1/8/17, 2/5/17, and a final invoice on 3/25/17 when service was stopped in our system for non-payment--all requesting that you call to stop delivery.  There is no indication of you calling or contacting us to stop delivery or questioning the final past due bill.  Your account also indicates that you received credit for several of the missed papers, which extended your expire date.   As a one-time courtesy, we have written off the past due balance and pulled the account from collections.  We apologize for any for any inconvenience that this issue caused you.    The Star Tribune does not report past due accounts for newspaper delivery to the credit bureaus, so you do not have to worry about your credit rating on this transaction.   Sincerely,       Arden [redacted] Senior Vice President, Circulation

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/28) */
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
We are in receipt of your complaint regarding poor service especially with your placement requests. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution.
Upon reviewing your account,...

we see you have several complaint calls to our customer service center about placement and missed papers.
We contacted the Distributor in your area requesting that the carrier for your route put your paper in a bag and in the tube every Sunday. He responded that he spoke to the carrier who said he was putting it in the tube. The Distributor requested that he take a picture and make sure he is delivering to the correct tube. I did not see a complaint for this past Sunday, so hope that your issue has been resolved. Please let us know if it has not.
Your account has also been credited for four weeks of service. Again, I'm very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, and thank you for your many years as a loyal Star Tribune subscriber.
Sincerely,
Arden [redacted]
Senior Vice President, Circulation

Your address will continue to be on the NO TCV Delivery List and continue checking.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/28) */
Star Tribune Acct: #[redacted]
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
We are in receipt of your complaint to the Revdex.com regarding continued delivery and billing past the expire date. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Better...

Business Bureau for resolution.
First, it is important you understand all Star Tribune invoices advise that service and billing do not automatically stop at the end of the subscription term and that the subscriber should contact the Star Tribune if they wish to stop their subscription. We provide this grace period as a courtesy to our subscribers to prevent an unnecessary interruption in their delivery should their payment be sent after the due date. This information is also noted on all marketing communications including but not limited to direct mail, kiosk sales forms, and website solicitations for new subscribers.
Upon reviewing your account, we see you were a subscriber for a few months in 2008 and then took advantage of a 52-week, Sunday-only subscription offer on Groupon started on March 26, 2014. The expire date was April 6, 2015. Renewal invoices were sent to you on March 22 (over two weeks prior to the expire date), April 26, May 24, and a final bill on July 5, when delivery was stopped for non-payment (copies available upon request). All invoices clearly and prominently stated that customer needs to call to stop delivery. A customer service rep also tried to call you on May 31 and left you a voicemail regarding your subscription and past due bill.
As a one-time courtesy, we have written off the past due amount. Also as you requested, we have removed you address and phone number from our marketing lists. Please understand that these could already be on mail ready to be sent, and we are unable to stop it.
Thank you for trying the Star Tribune.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Vice President, Circulation

Dear Mr. [redacted]:   We are in receipt of your complaint regarding your poor and erratic newspaper delivery service—especially 14 missed Sunday papers and the paper not being in the tube. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution.    Upon...

review of your account, we see all the times that you have called in regarding poor service, especially Sundays.  You stated that your weekday service has improved again.  Immediately upon receipt of your complaint, the new Distributor for your area was contacted and the carrier(s) for your area instructed to make sure you received a paper every day and it was in the tube.  I believe that you did receive your Sunday paper this past weekend.  We are confident that the carrier will continue to deliver it every Sunday.   Your account also showed that you have been credited for a total of $51.11 since March 2016.  This equals credit for 14 Sunday papers and 5 daily papers.  We have credited your account for an additional two weeks because of all the problems and the length of time it took to correct your delivery.   Again, our sincere apologies for all the service problems you experienced recently.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention and the many years subscribing to the Star Tribune.    Sincerely,         Arden [redacted] Senior Vice President, Circulation

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/15) */
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
We are in receipt of your complaint regarding the continued delivery/billing past the expire date and being sent to collections. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution. ...


First, it is important you understand all Star Tribune invoices advise that service and billing do not automatically stop at the end of the subscription term and that the subscriber should contact the Star Tribune if they wish to stop their subscription. We provide this grace period as a courtesy to our subscribers to prevent an unnecessary interruption in their delivery should their payment be sent after the due date. This information is also noted on all marketing communications including but not limited to direct mail, kiosk sales forms, and website solicitations for new subscribers.
Upon reviewing your account, we see that you started a 26-week Sunday print subscription on 11/9/2014 at a low introductory rate. We sent renewal invoices on 3/29/15 (four weeks prior to the expire date), 5/3/15, 5/24/15, and a final invoice on 7/11/15, when deliver was stopped for non-payment. All clearly indicated that subscriber needed to call to stop delivery (copies provide upon request). We also called and left a voicemail for you on 5/29/15 regarding your account being past due and did not hear back from you.
According to our records, you should have received a Sunday paper until 7/11/15, when your delivery was stopped in our records. You stated that you had not received a paper since April. We will discuss this with the Distributor. Based on the information that you did not receive papers, we have written off your past due balance and pulled the account from collections.
Your concerns regarding our marketing practices were passed on to the Marketing Department.
The Star Tribune does not report past due accounts for newspaper delivery to the credit bureaus, so you do not have to worry about your credit rating on this transaction.
Sincerely,
Arden [redacted]
Senior Vice President, Circulation

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/02) */
Mr. & Mrs. [redacted]:
First, I'm sorry that you needed to take your complaint to the Revdex.com for resolution.
I checked your address and the Strib Express that you had opted in for on 3/16/2014 was stopped as of 5/17/2015. Your...

address was also marked as DO NOT Deliver TCV.
[redacted], Verification Manager has contacted the Distributor for the TCV in your area to make sure that your address is not delivered to going forward.
I'm sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Vice President, Circulation
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/06/04) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The reply states "that you(I) had opted in for on 3/16/2014". I did not. I would like to know where this came from and what "opted in" means.
I too am sorry that this had to end up at the Revdex.com, but after 5 communications and still no resolution, I knew of no other options. If Arden has any ideas on how this could be prevented in the future for others, it may be helpful to know. It seems that customer service at Star Media, respectfully, failed.
Thanks, [redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2015/06/10) */
Mr. [redacted]:
According to the information on your address, we can see the following:
- 3/6/14 - Someone in your household spoke to a telemarketer for our Strib Express advertising product that was delivered on Thursday and Sunday at no cost to the customer.
- 11/2/15 StribExpress delivery schedule change to Sunday only
- 5/17/15 StribExpress stopped via the Internet with a note: "I'm unable to fill in your form--kind of hard to opt out."
Your communications regarding stopping the TCV product were entered on your address as NO DELIVERY.
Again, our apologies for how long it took to get this resolved.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2015/10/27) */
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
We are in receipt of your complaint regarding the missed delivery and missed redelivery of your TV Weekly Magazine. We apologize for the poor service and that you needed to take this to the Minnesota Attorney General's...

Office and the Revdex.com for resolution.
Upon receiving your complaint, we immediately contacted the Distribution Company responsible for delivery in your area. We understand that Mr. [redacted] contacted you directly in mid-October to discuss the situation, and he listed the steps he is taking to make sure the carrier delivers your TV Weekly every Sunday. He also gave you his direct number if you had any further issues.
We believe that all the proper steps have been taken to assure your TV Weekly is now delivered every Sunday and you have a direct contact number if any issues arise.
Thank you for being a loyal, long-time Star Tribune subscriber.
Sincerely,
Arden [redacted]
Senior Vice President, Circulation
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 10, 2015/10/28) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
While I accept the paper's response, they do not seem to be taking responsibility for the problem. I am the one who ASKED for the Distribution Company's number and I am the one who called him. The paper-including a supervisor-repeatedly told me to call the magazine, promised it would be delivered either later in the day and/or the following week or tried to place the blame on the magazine not delivering enough copies. I find that the customer service I have gotten toward resolving this issue-that has been going on for months-has been inadequate and would still like someone in management to better address this issue for future complaints like this from other customers. And I would like to suggest that the show some respect for their customers by not trying to brush them off. Telling me that there were distribution problems and giving me the Distribution Center's number months ago would have given me someone to talk to who knew exactly what the problem was and could do something about it.

Star Tribune Acct:  # [redacted]   Dear Ms. [redacted]:   We are in receipt of your complaint regarding your poor newspaper delivery service and incorrect refund amount. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution.    Upon review of...

your account, we see that you started a Sunday print subscription on 7/24/2016, from a discounted direct mail offer, which you paid for on 8/9/2016.  After not starting and several missed deliveries, you canceled your subscription and requested a full refund.  Due to a system error $1.00 was subtracted from your account prior to the refund check being issued.    Enclosed is the $1.00 that was shorted on your refund check.  I’ve also enclosed a $5.00 Caribou card for you to enjoy a coffee or treat on us.    Again, our sincere apologies for all the service problems you experienced.  This is totally unacceptable, and we will be working with the Distributor on the poor service.  Thank you for bringing this to our attention and attempting to try the Star Tribune.    Sincerely,         Arden [redacted] Senior Vice President, Circulation   Enclosures (2)

December 4, 2017
 
 
 
[redacted]
[redacted]
St Louis Park, MN 55416
 
Re:      Revdex.com Minnesota Case No:  [redacted]
            Star Tribune Acct:  #...

[redacted]
 
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
 
As discussed by telephone today, I’m very sorry about the poor results with Thanksgiving service in recent years.  Your frustration expressed in your complaint with the Revdex.com was understandable.
 
In addition to the credit you received for the missed paper on 11/23, I have credited your account in the amount of $15.92, adding 4 months of Sunday service for your inconvenience.
 
I would be happy to contact our distributor in advance of next year’s edition – I’m confident we can do better job than recent history suggests.  Feel free to let me know.
 
Sorry again for the holiday vexation – may the balance of this holiday season be bright.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
John [redacted]
Department Administrator, Circulation

I am rejecting this response because:
I feel that there was no resolution to the problem.  The response that I received was not only condescending but insinuated that I am old and do not under stand the increase prices that are necessary in some cases. I never expected to stay at the same rate for the rest of my life.  I just wanted a fair price, not two or three times the rate I paid before. I do appreciate the thank for you being a customer for over thirty years.  I will not be subscribing to the Star and Tribune again.  [redacted] Spring Lake Park, Mn55432

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/10/15) */
Dear Ms. [redacted]:
We are in receipt of your complaint regarding the continued delivery/billing past the expire date and being sent to collections. We apologize that you needed to take this to the Revdex.com for resolution. ...


First, it is important you understand all Star Tribune invoices advise that service and billing do not automatically stop at the end of the subscription term and that the subscriber should contact the Star Tribune if they wish to stop their subscription. We provide this grace period as a courtesy to our subscribers to prevent an unnecessary interruption in their delivery should their payment be sent after the due date. This information is also noted on all marketing communications including but not limited to direct mail, kiosk sales forms, and website solicitations for new subscribers.
Upon reviewing your account, we see the most recent subscription was a 26-week Sunday print + eEdition subscription started on 11/9/2014 from a direct mail offer (dcd443e--copy attached) at a low introductory rate, plus gift card. The direct mail offer stated that delivery and billing continued. You would also have checked a box saying that you understood this when you entered your order and payment on the internet. We sent renewal invoices on 3/29/15 (four weeks prior to the expire date), 5/3/15, 5/24/15, and a final invoice on 7/11/15, when deliver was stopped for non-payment. All clearly indicated that subscriber needed to call to stop delivery (copies provide upon request). We also called and left a voicemail for you on 5/10/15 and 6/2/15 regarding your account being past due and did not hear back from you.
There was a prior 52-week Sunday print subscription started in late 2011 from a direct mail offer that had the same conditions and as a one-time courtesy was written off in 2013.
Based on the past write-off, and the numerous notices and communications to you and no response from you, we thank you for your payment and will not be refunding it.
Your concerns regarding our marketing practices were passed on to the Marketing Department.
The Star Tribune does not report past due accounts for newspaper delivery to the credit bureaus, so you do not have to worry about your credit rating on this transaction.
Sincerely,
Arden [redacted]
Senior Vice President, Circulation

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. I will continue to reach out to Glenn [redacted] through email and explore social media options until adjustments can be made on the current mailings. This is regarding the hidden extra charges listed on the back page, which the customer are not fully aware of. No need to send back any monies and appreciate no further calls for paper renewal.

Subscriber Number:  [redacted]Farmington, MN 55024-9030 Re:  Revdex.com Case [redacted]  Dear [redacted], We are in receipt of your complaint through the Revdex.com regarding the $25 gift card we promised you with your paid...

subscription. I am sorry about all the problems you’ve encountered regarding the gift card.  There’s no good reason it should take that many phone calls and emails (and especially to still not get satisfaction). Your issue was escalated again this week with the fulfillment company, so you may still get an additional contact or instructions to get your card.  Feel free to take advantage of that, but in the meantime I am sending you a $25 VISA rewards card.  Once you have called to activate it, you can use it like a credit card at most any location where VISA is accepted. Per your request, we have amended your subscription to stop upon expire.  I hope we do enough to earn your loyalty by then to get you to change your mind. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  You are a valued subscriber and we appreciate the opportunity to correct this to your satisfaction.  Please don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be of further assistance. Regards,  Laura [redacted]Director of Consumer Marketing Card being sent via US Mail

December 1, 2017
 
 
[redacted]
Minneapolis, MN 55448
 
Re:      Star Tribune Acct:  # [redacted]
            Revdex.com Complaint ID: [redacted]
 
Dear Mr....

[redacted]:
 
I am responding to your complaint to the MN Revdex.com concerning reinstating the promotional rate you originally accepted on 9/29/2017.  I apologize for the inconvenience you encountered in resolving this question.
 
Due to service problems you encountered in receiving the Friday edition of your Star Tribune subscription, you chose to stop Friday service.  As we have discussed, this inadvertently removed you from the special rate you had originally agreed to.
 
We will certainly honor the rate and service you originally signed up for at no additional cost to you.  Friday through Sunday service will be restored beyond your original expiration date of February 4th, 2018 to reflect those Friday editions you did not receive.  I have spoken with our distributor serving Cn Rapids – he will remind your carrier to restart Friday service on December 8th.
 
Thanks for sticking with us during this frustrating experience.  Do not hesitate to contact me should you have questions regarding this resolution or any service related matters.  My best wishes for a happy holiday season.
 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
John [redacted]
Department Administrator, Circulation
 
 
cc:       [redacted], Revdex.com Minnesota and North Dakota