News Today's Battle With the KC Star - Page 4

**gblowfish** · 05:23 PM

I got my newspaper bill in the mail yesterday. Started looking at it today over my lunch hour, it's due for payment the first part of Feb. The price went up by about ten bucks for 13 weeks, from around $68 to around $78 for 7-day service. Why? So I call up their customer service -which will connect you with the friendly customer service agents in THE PHILIPPINES- and ask why is it $10 more?

"Bob" the phillipino says "well, you're getting the added benefit of being able to read the Kansas City Star on line, and you can manage your account on line." I tell Bob I don't give a shit about reading the KC Star online, and it was free anyway until they changed the rules on December 5th. And they send me a bill in the mail, and I pay it with online banking, so I don't need to "manage my account online." So please, just take me off the "free online reading lists" and I'll just read the copy they throw in my front yard. After much hemming and hawing, Bob says, OK, and I'm back to $68 for 13 weeks. Fine.

So I hang up with Bob, and start wondering if other Star subscribers have had the same issues. I do some googling, and find this site:

http://www.discountednewspapers.com

These guys offer to give me 26 weeks of the KC Star (twice as long) for $81, with the exact same home delivery. Currently I'll be paying the Star $136 for that same time frame. So I call up the Star Customer Service in the Phillipines again, and get Bob's cousin Juan. I ask Juan how come I'm getting reamed up the ass by the Star, when I can buy twice as many newspapers for $55 less by contracting with an online vendor? Juan says "I don't think that's legal." I tell him, "They carry six Missouri papers, including the Star, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the Columbia Tribune. Don't think it's a hoax." So Juan says, "Oh Surprise, we have a "Special" today, where we'll sign you up for an introductory rate of 26 weeks for $72!" I asked him to send that offer to me in writing. So we'll see. Man, I'm tired of playing footsie with these assholes to get their best deal. I've had a seven day subscription since 1978.

Anyway, if you take the Star, you may want to call their customer service and re-negotiate your deal. Or buy it online from a different vendor.

ChiefsCountry · 01-25-2013, 12:21 PM

Hard hitting news that people want on the fly is going bye bye for newspapers, but if they change their model to more human intrest and community type events stories, they would do well.

**Fire Me Boy!** · 01-25-2013, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Newspapers are pretty much screwed in the modern world.

I don't totally agree. The giant newspapers and the tiny newspapers I think will survive. The tiny papers are the only ones covering small town politics and are the only ones serving the needs of small communities.

ChiefsCountry · 01-25-2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

I don't totally agree. The giant newspapers and the tiny newspapers I think will survive. The tiny papers are the only ones covering small town politics and are the only ones serving the needs of small communities.

This.

**gblowfish** · 01-25-2013, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChiefsOne

Man that's a lot of trees!

We've also recycled all of them since around 1985.

01-24-2013, 05:05 PM
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $17686178 VARSITY	Today's Battle With the KC Star I got my newspaper bill in the mail yesterday. Started looking at it today over my lunch hour, it's due for payment the first part of Feb. The price went up by about ten bucks for 13 weeks, from around $68 to around $78 for 7-day service. Why? So I call up their customer service -which will connect you with the friendly customer service agents in THE PHILIPPINES- and ask why is it $10 more? "Bob" the phillipino says "well, you're getting the added benefit of being able to read the Kansas City Star on line, and you can manage your account on line." I tell Bob I don't give a shit about reading the KC Star online, and it was free anyway until they changed the rules on December 5th. And they send me a bill in the mail, and I pay it with online banking, so I don't need to "manage my account online." So please, just take me off the "free online reading lists" and I'll just read the copy they throw in my front yard. After much hemming and hawing, Bob says, OK, and I'm back to $68 for 13 weeks. Fine. So I hang up with Bob, and start wondering if other Star subscribers have had the same issues. I do some googling, and find this site: http://www.discountednewspapers.com These guys offer to give me 26 weeks of the KC Star (twice as long) for $81, with the exact same home delivery. Currently I'll be paying the Star $136 for that same time frame. So I call up the Star Customer Service in the Phillipines again, and get Bob's cousin Juan. I ask Juan how come I'm getting reamed up the ass by the Star, when I can buy twice as many newspapers for $55 less by contracting with an online vendor? Juan says "I don't think that's legal." I tell him, "They carry six Missouri papers, including the Star, The St. Louis Post Dispatch, and the Columbia Tribune. Don't think it's a hoax." So Juan says, "Oh Surprise, we have a "Special" today, where we'll sign you up for an introductory rate of 26 weeks for $72!" I asked him to send that offer to me in writing. So we'll see. Man, I'm tired of playing footsie with these assholes to get their best deal. I've had a seven day subscription since 1978. Anyway, if you take the Star, you may want to call their customer service and re-negotiate your deal. Or buy it online from a different vendor. Last edited by gblowfish; 01-24-2013 at 05:23 PM..
Posts: 40,830

01-25-2013, 12:21 PM	#46
ChiefsCountry The Insider Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Lake of the Ozarks Casino cash: $2348752	Hard hitting news that people want on the fly is going bye bye for newspapers, but if they change their model to more human intrest and community type events stories, they would do well.
Posts: 49,581