Another Dissatisfied NYT Delivery Customer Complaint

Another Dissatisfied subscriber case documented:

An update on Tin Mans' New York Times delivery problem - (http://www.tinmanic.com/archives/2005/03/13/new-york-times-delivery-problem-ii/):

I sent the following e-mail to circulation@nytimes.com:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to elaborate on a complaint I sent yesterday via the New York Times Customer Care website. My subscriber account number is XXXXXXXX.

I have been a New York Times delivery customer since the fall of 2001 and my delivery has usually been flawless. Starting with the weekend of February 5, 2005, I signed up to have my weekend newspapers delivered to a new address: XX XXX Street, Apt. XXX, New York, NY, 100XX. Since moving to my new address, I have had New York Times delivery problems every weekend.

Simply put, my newspaper does not arrive on Saturday or Sunday mornings. In fact, there are several New York Times subscribers in my building, and none of our newspapers arrive on the weekend. None of our copies of the Saturday and Sunday New York Times arrive until Monday morning. In fact, one Monday morning, at 8:30, I actually saw the deliveryman deliver the weekend newspapers and then go out to his delivery truck and drive away.

This is unacceptable.

Except for one day, I have had to call the customer hotline, 1-800-NYTIMES, every Saturday and Sunday since the beginning of February to register a complaint. Usually a credit is applied to my account and I am told that the carrier or the distributor will be called. On February 26 or 27 I was told that the distributor would be told to get a new carrier, and I thought my problem was solved. On Saturday morning, March 5, I received the Saturday and the Sunday advance sections. (Curiously, it was only my newspaper that arrived; nobody else’s did.) Then, on Sunday morning, March 6, I did not receive any newspaper at all. I called the hotline and received a credit.

This morning, as I left my building for work, I noticed a stack of Saturday and Sunday New York Times newspapers. They had just been delivered this morning - Monday, March 7.

It is clear that whichever carrier is assigned to deliver Saturday and Sunday copies of the New York Times to XX XXX Street has utterly failed in its job. Weekend newspapers should be delivered on the weekend, not on Monday morning. I would guess that this particular carrier does not do business on the weekend. In that case, a new carrier should be assigned delivery of the New York Times — one that can handle weekend newspaper delivery.

Starting next weekend, I expect my Saturday and Sunday newspapers, as well as those of the other subscribers in my building, to be delivered on Saturdays and Sundays.

Please keep me apprised of developments in regard to this matter. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[me]

P.S. I was informed by someone on the customer care hotline that the proper mailing address for complaints is: New York Times, P.O. Box 70, Northvale, NJ, 07647-0070. I am sending this to that address as well.

So what happens? This weekend I receive FOUR copies of the Sunday New York Times.

Yesterday morning I went to the lobby to find the Saturday paper and the Sunday advance sections with my name and addresses handwritten on them, and I brought them upstairs. Later in the day, Matt and I went out, and waiting for me in the lobby was another Saturday paper with the Sunday advance sections, also with my name and address on them (in a different person’s handwriting). This morning, I went downstairs and found one copy of the Sunday regular sections with my name and apartment written on them in yet another person’s handwriting, one copy of just the Sunday advance sections, with my name and apartment written on them in someone else’s handwriting, and one delivery of the entire Sunday paper (advance and regular sections), with a printed out name/address label.

So, um, I’ve got four copies of the Arts & Leisure section if anybody wants them.

Oh, and there have been no weekend New York Times deliveries for anyone else in the building. I guess those will come tomorrow.

This is ridiculous.

New Subscription to New York Times Results in NO PAPER DELIVERED!

A new subscriber in North Carolina reports that he subscribed to the New York Times, home delivery and when the first paper was supposed to arrive...well, it never did. and the carrier you wonder? So did I. I researched the carrier and surprise. It was The detested Times in Hendersonville actually owned by the New York Times.

He reported the problem to customer service who said it would take 72 hours to have an answer. I requested an update and will post it here as soon as I get more information.

The advice from a ex-subscriber in South Carolina that email me...."He should save himself the frustration like I dis and just cancel now. Who needs the headache?".

Depending on the resolution I might concur! Wait and see....

Financial Planner Weighs in on Poor Service

The following email has reached my desk and I felt that it should be shared for all. It was sent to Investor Relations, as you would expect. It helps to underline the exact issue I described in the first POST:

TO: ???@nytimes.com (email address recorded but suppressed for privacy reasons)

"

Hello,

I spoke with you today regarding concerns with North
Carolina subsidiaries such as Sun Times and Hendersonville Times, to name two prime examples out of 4 identified.

Both as a personal investor and as a financial planner, I have concerns
over recent information from colleagues, my own employees in that area and now personal research involving reports that the local subsidiaries do not want delivery contracts for such things as the Wall Street Journal. And believe it or not, the actual New York Times.

As this provides additional revenue streams in an already competitive and difficult industry there are obvious concerns! I never take things at face value and have talked directly to my employees that emailed me, the Wall Street Journal and a few local subscribers. The Hendersonville Times did not return my call.

A source within the Wall Street Journal that deals with the delivery by such subsidiaries confirmed that, "Yes, the companies I mentioned are likely to have the contract terminated because there have been so many complaints by subscribers about delivery.". I was also told that, "These papers just don't want the contracts so they are not going to give the service needed.".

This was disconcerting to say the least. I also spoke with a long time Wall Street Journal Subscriber and NY Times subscriber, Mary Schneider. She told me that Mr. Luftis of the Hendersonville Times told her and her husband that "He did not have to even deliver their paper if he didn't want to.", This was said while Mr. Luftis personally delivered a "paper tube".

Because of weather conditions in the area and her paper being wet so often, she requested that it be delivered daily in a plastic bag. Mr. Luftis indicated to her that that would be to much trouble and he wasn't going to lose carriers over her or any other subscriber. The request was made via communications from the Wall Street Journal to the Hendersonville Times management.

I was contacted by her today, where she told me that even though she (a)lives on a paved road, (b) has a paved pull off (the same one that the mail carrier uses), (c) is not in any secure or gated community and (d)does not have any plantings or obstructions that Mr. Luftis had contacted the Journal and the New York Times and arranged for mail delivery since he is "unable to deliver the paper without it getting wet due to obstructions.". After close to 8 years of either her or her
husband as a subscriber they are among others that are seriously considering canceling their subscriptions.

Mr. Schneider said that he contacted Howard Huffman, a Director at Dow Jones who relayed his own concerns about the area. He also seemed to indicate that unfortunately, the whole area may be having to have their papers delivered by mail. Mr. Huffmans' direct number is 609.520.4765.

I have since obtained photos of Mrs. Schneider's delivery area and it is very clear that Mr. Luftis is simply not telling the truth and apparently simply does not wish to deliver her paper in a plastic bag. Like her, I can come to no other conclusion.

I am in the process of gathering information regarding other subscribers in Brevard which claim to be having similar delivery issues with that carrier. Others have been reported regarding the Sun Times, in the Asheville area.

It is very apparent that the carriers do not value the revenue stream and that concerns me greatly as I am sure it does you. Prior to publishing any of my own findings to my employees and customers I wanted to give you a chance to investigate the situation, satisfy people like Mrs. Schneider and of course to respond to me with more information.

Please feel free to contact me and I have also spoken with Mrs. Schneider who has given me permission to pass her contact information on if it would help.

Again, your assistance in understanding this is greatly appreciated. I respect your company and find this to be outside of anything I would expect you would tolerate.


Thanks,
Michael Strail "

I think the email above says it all....


HNW Investing, LLC

NY Times No Longer Wants Revenue from DOW Jones For Delivering Wall Street Journal - Hendersonville Times

It has become apparent that the New York Times has no control over their subsidiaries around the country and are not concerned about disconnects with their readership.

It is also very disturbing as an investor that there is no real concern about loss of revenue by subsidiaries independently deciding not to deliver paper such as the Wall Street Journal to paid subscribers. These subscribers are within the published home delivery area and meet all of their delivery criteria. As some one inside the Wall Street Journal said; "They simply do not want the contract.". and "We have no real control over them.". This type of incident is prevalant across the US and especially in the southeastern US. The case sited was in North Carolina, in fact multiple readers in two counties, Hendersonville and Brevard were contacted and reiterated very similar complaints. The complaints included:

1. Consistent mis-delivery or damaged papers (that were never replaced)
2. Actual refusal to deliver to a residence because they compained about the condition of the paper received.
3. Annoying and abusive phone calls from delivery management within the local papers such as in Hendersonville.
4. Refusal to comply with parent or contract companies request for sinple things such as placing the papers in plastic bags to prevent product damage.

The complaints were all brought to the attention of the Wall Street Journal customer service department, and in some cases the New York Times management. Not one customer interviewed ever received a satisfactory resolution and some never even received call backs.

Please, think twice before investing in such companies and forget about subscribing. If yo enjoy frustrating service and ZERO customer support, the New York Times, particularly Times News in Hendersonville, under Mr. Luftis is the paper for you!