In this era of newspapers bleeding red ink, cutting staff and losing subscribers, one would think these old media entities would do all they could to keep what they have.
That was why it was a particularly rude awakening as a longtime Los Angeles Times subscriber to come back from vacation – a rather lengthy one at that – to find out some really bad news over my morning coffee. (The good news was that they had caught the arsonist that had been terrorizing parts of the city for four days.)
Over the years, and the countless times I’ve left town, the process has been simple. You called the easy to remember toll-free number (1-800-LA-TIMES) and put in for vacation stop on the days you’d be gone. Then, through the automated system, you were given the option of having your account credited, having the newspapers saved and delivered upon your return or having your papers donated to the public schools. I normally opted for the donation, but sometimes went for the account credit.
But now the new policy is no option for credit or for donation. You just pay the full rate, which was recently increased by a substantial percentage, no matter if you’re gone 29 of 31 days a month. I found that out from the lovely person I spoke to on the phone after my return when I noticed the rate had been raised, thinking I could renegotiate it to the previous rate.
This is always been possible in the past. There’s always been some sort of promotion they can put you on, especially when you’re a seven day a week, long time subscriber. The operator insisted that the only way I can do that was to pay the full amount for a year, up front, which I refused to do. (Normally, billing is for a two-month period.)
Striking out there, after my request to speak with a supervisor was ignored, I then turned to the issue of confirming that my account was credited for the time I was gone over the holidays, and that’s when I was told the customer-unfriendly new policy– that even if you don’t take the paper, you pay for it anyway.
Not a good way to do business, LA Times. I now have to evaluate whether the risk of spilling coffee all over my keyboard is worth giving up an old habit that I have fondly enjoyed: waking up to home delivery of my hometown newspaper.
Meanwhile, on the other coast, I had ordered home delivery of the New York Times at my temporary Manhattan abode. When my Sunday paper did not come. I called the not-so-easy to remember but handily written down number. (I previously had called several times when the paper wasn’t there, presumably taken by another resident, but redelivered in short order.) The automated voice promptly told me that my account would be credited, for which the Sunday newspaper—the big one– had been the last day of my subscription.
It’s difficult for me to give up this newspaper habit, but now all have to check the Gray Lady’s delivery rates compared to the LAT. It could be an option.
