ComplaintsforThe New York Times Company

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I subscribed to the New York Times on 7/2/24, and immediately started receiving massive volumes of emails from their organization. I clicked the 'unsubscribe' button on the bottom of these email, to end the fire hose of communications. The emails persisted - sometimes from the Times, sometimes from their subsidiaries. One such subsidiary, some sports thing... required that I unsubscribe by chatting with an ai chatbot, which could not confirm why or how I was signed up for the emails in the first place. In the end, I spent hours communicating with Times employees and robots - only to finally be provided with the Data Subject Request form, which apparently will cease all further communications. I would like a representative of the Times to confirm that my email has been purged from all of their systems in finality. I'd also like an explanation as to why their marketing strategy is to vomit emails on their paying customers, without consideration of their stated opt in/ opt out preferences.

  

  Business response

  07/16/2024

  Hello, 

  We are unable to locate an account in our systems with the email address provided. This should serve as proof that the Data Subject request was received and processed. Furthermore, transactional emails are sent to users who have purchased a new NYT subscription. While they do not have an unsubscribe option, they are meant to educate users on their entitlements and run for a 2 week period. Afterwhich, they stop entirely. 

  Please let us know if there is any further assistance required. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  07/19/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  I thank the Times for their response, but they are not correct - I continue to receive emails at *****************.  I just received another this morning titled "Your guide to New York Times Cooking."  When the offending emails started, I cancelled my subscription to the TImes and changed the email address on my account to ***************************************************************************************.  I am still receiving emails at *****************.  The Times seemingly cannot control their own email communications.  I would like all emails from the New York Times - and anyone else they gave my email to (Athletic or otherwise) - to cease, permanently.  Thank you.
  

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Business response

  07/30/2024

  In further review of our records, we found that the consumer's email address had been added to a secondary onboarding email list, which is why he continued to receive communication from us post his original account removal. We have emailed the customer to advise him of these findings, and let him know that we have placed him on indefinite suppression from all lists so no further communications have been sent. We can also confirm that the consumer's email address has been deleted from our account records management system.

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I did not receive notification from The New York Times ** that my NYT Games annual subscription would be renewing ahead of the charge period, nor did I receive information from them that I had then paid. I contacted the email address they have listed in their PayPal transaction information, as I was only aware of this charge thanks to PayPal's notification, and received an automated response that this is not an email they monitor. I was charged 2 days before the new period would start, July 16th, and their support team is not available on Sundays - I was charged on Sunday July 14th and cannot contact support in a timely manner. I was intending to cancel my subscription, waiting to receive notice of impending renewal to do so. I did check my junk and spam email inbox to confirm I was not contacted about this.They also changed the rate from $40 to $50 and the message sent about it was unclear how and when the change would take place. Saying it is effective 7/16 but charging me on 7/14 would mean to me that my plan would stay $40 but instead I was charged $50. That is not the root issue here but I want it to be shared as feedback for unclear notification.I am expecting a refund and cancellation of my service. I will not access the service once the new period starts on 7/16 except to review account information, will not interact with any of the games and puzzles to show it is not being used.

  

  Business response

  07/17/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advised that according to our Terms Of Sale (see link below), the subscription will automatically renew at the full rate, unless the customer contact us to cancel. That said, we do try to address our subscribers concerns, and, as a good-faith gesture, we have refunded the $50 charge back to Paypal.

  ************************************************************************-Terms-of-Sale 

   

  Customer response

  07/17/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Money is being withdraw from my account. I keep changing debit cards but somehow they get the number. I called and talked to them and had been told twice that they would fix it to no avail. Their phone number is ************.

  

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Hello, 

  Please be advised that this complaint has been resolved.  With the customer help we were able to locate the subscription and confirmed it has been cancelled.

   

• Initial Complaint

  07/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I renewed my subscription for the Athletic and as part of the renewal I was offered a free year of NYT Games.I waited a month and never received a code for it nor did it apply to my account. I contacted service and they said that they needed my email address (in an email?) ultimately they could not help but would forward it to the technical team.I waited a month and no one contacted **** contacted the service email and asked for either the code for a free year (that was part of my purchase agreement) or a refund. They said they do not offer refunds and cancelled my subscription. I would either like my Athletic subscription reinstated with a free year of NYT Games or a full refund.

  

  Business response

  07/13/2024

  Hello, 

  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. A complimentary, one year Games subscription has been added to the account in question and contact has been attempted to this customer via the email provided. 

  Thank you

  Customer response

  07/15/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I changed my subscription to the *** approximately 6 weeks ago to include home delivery of the Sunday newspaper. I have never received the paper, and I've reported the problem every weekend. I have called customer service once, and I've corresponded with online customer service one week ago. No one can tell me why my paper hasn't been delivered or if it ever will be. Even though I'm "credited" the $5 every weekend I report a missing paper, I do not understand what the problem is or if I should cancel the home delivery part of my subscription. I am told that the *** is "working on the problem," but I've heard no update nor had any reconciliation of this issue.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  We sincerely apologize for this ongoing Delivery issue. We have reached out to the ******************* and will continue to work closely with them to get the issue resolved. Your patience is appreciated. Thank you

  Customer response

  07/01/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  After several years of receiving the Sunday ** Times, we cancelled our subscription because of dubious subscription/billing practices (I've been reading the Times for 40-plus years). Our previous subscription expired in September of 2023, yet the Sunday Times continued to be delivered for three more months (I've never had a subscription - magazine, newspaper, or otherwise - that continued to be delivered after it expired). We renewed our subscription to the Sunday ** times in January of 2024.Imagine our surprise when we received an invoice for $150.93 for the Sunday Times billing us for several months after our September 2023 subscription had expired! Outrageous! If this was supposed to be some form of courtesy then the ** Times is flatly mistaken. Our September 2023 subscription expired. We did not request that the paper continue to be delivered, although I'm sure there was some fine print that we missed that justified this along with the bill that followed. The invoice of $150.93 was paid in full, but we find that The Times subscription/billing practices lack transparency. For that reason we can no longer support the ** Times.

  

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advised that this complaint ahs been resolved.  We have refunded $150.93 back to the credit card on file and informed the customer.  

  Customer response

  07/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  I did receive a call from the *** from telephone number, ************, on June 25th at 12:41 EST from a representative stating that a credit had been issued to the credit card on file and to expect a refund in 7-10 days. Clearly, that time has passed. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Business response

  07/22/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advise that this matter has been resolved.  We have reached out to the customer and received confirmation that the refund was received.

  Customer response

  07/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The New York Times has sent me 22 emails with no way to unsubscribe. Hello, for weeks Ive been trying to get The New York Times to stop sending me emails. Ive confirmed with their customer service that its emails from them. Ive responded back and forth via multiple emails, Ive chatted, downloaded their app to select (opt out) of emails, emailed asking them to delete my data per their privacy policy, sent them screenshots, and they continue sending emails that contain no unsubscribe option. **Times has claimed they removed me from their mailing list and that the initial emails were coming as a marketing promotion when I became an online subscriber. I closed my account and ended my subscription because of these emails, so Im also no longer a customer. Its all about how to make the most of your subscription, which is something someone could learn simply by visiting the site. Even the instructions to unsubscribe through their site are complicated as the athletic is something I was getting emails about but is managed through a different group. If I merely blocked The ** Times then that might stop the emails, but if there were a problem such as getting charged again, I wouldnt be able to receive emails about those. This is frustrating and inappropriate, and again, was enough to make me cancel my subscription

  

  Business response

  06/21/2024

  Hello,

  Please be advised that the customer has been added to our Do Not Contact list and should not receive any more solicitation emails moving forward.  

   

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a subscription to NY times and I paid the bill in March. I couldn't pay the bill that was due in February and hence I paid it in March on 3/4/24 - $13.57 on demand by NY times. Then I made a payment on 3/18/24 but subsequently paused the subscription because I wasn't getting income to pay for that. I contacted them in May and they offered me a new subscription for $4 every month. I agreed, but they didn't charge my card on account. They seem to charge for the service in advance. I noticed that they billed on June 6,2024 but didn't debit the card I had on file. So I contacted them to pay the bill. They refused to accept payment stating that they transferred credits from previous payment I made in march 2024. But I signed a new contract in May 2024. So they should accept payment. Since they didn't I have again paused my subscription.

  

  Business response

  06/23/2024

  The user had leftover credit from their previous subscription after upgrading to a new, lower monthly rate. We explained to the customer that they would begin to be charged after their credit is exhausted first.

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I subscribed for a year for about 2$ a week for a year (canadian plan). When the year was up, I called to cancel the subscription. The rep tried to keep me subscribed. I was very explicit that I wanted to unsubscribe, was told that it was done. Now I'm charged 28$ a month for "all-access" plan. Called, was promised that it would be "elevated to a supervisor". It's obvious that the ** Times is using the same "can't-unsubscribe" method than your local gym. It says a lot about what kind of company this is. Either it's a company policy or call-center employees in ***** have an incentive to upsell to premium and ** Times, fully aware of this, just closes its eyes. I want my money back.

  

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Hello,

  Please accept our apology for the troubles with cancelling the subscription.  We can confirm the account has been cancelled and last 2 charges refunded back to the credit card on file.

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been a **T subscriber for over 30 years, largely without any delivery problems until now. I moved about a month ago, and promptly advised the Times of my change of address. They said it would take a few days to implement the delivery change from the old address to the new, but it should be done by 5/3/24. It is now 5/21/24,, and they are still delivering the paper to my old address, while I am not receiving any paper at my new address. I have spoken with **************** numerous ********************** to complain about this. Each time, they acknowledge that they have my correct new address, and that this is a "distribution issue" that they will work very hard to correct. However, the problem has obviously not been corrected, necessitating a nearly daily complaint to ****************. Each time they promise to "escalate" the issue to someone at a higher level, which I have now come to realize is a meaninless commitment. The last time I called, I spoke to *******, who gave me a "ticket number" *** *** *, that was presumably intended to show how seriously they were taking the complaint. Needless to say, notwithstanding the promised escalation, the paper continues to be delivered to my old home address. It's impossible to understand why a company like the ** Times cannot resolve a simple delivery issue. I'd very much appreciate the help of the BBB in getting this matter resolved.

  

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Hello,

  Please accept our apology for the delivery issues.  We have reached out to our distribution partner and received confirmation that they will make sure the paper is delivered to the correct address moving forward.

  Customer response

  05/31/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved. ****** at the Times was very helpful and I have been receiving the paper at my new address for about a week now.  It's not clear why the five or six NYT customer service reps I spoke to before filing this complaint could not get this done, but I am grateful that ****** was able to make it happen.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩