Bugged by my (fairly) local newspaper (Cookeville: lawsuits, moving, friendly)

[Wordy]

So I have a subscription to the (Fairly Local Paper). We get the paper Fri-Sat-Sun. I really only wanted it for Sunday but I think it was easier just to do it that way, so that's what I signed up for.

Ever since I started this subscription, the (Fairly Local Paper)'s telemarketing department has been out to get me. It is not an exaggeration to say that we receive a call from these people nearly EVERY day. Sometimes we receive more than one call a day. The callers either have no idea we subscribe, or if they DO know, they are trying to get us to change our subscription to a 7-day. I do not want that. We recently added caller ID to our phone service and so now we usually don't answer the phone when they call, but prior to that I would answer the phone and tell them I was not interested, to please take me off their list and stop calling. I did this several times. Did not make any difference. I understand the calls are automated and that nobody felt like removing us from the loop and that is why they have continued, but that understanding doesn't really help the feeling of being intruded upon and borderline harassed by this company. Which actually counts me as a customer...for now.

I did answer the phone the other day when they made their customary daily call and told the woman that I was sure she was very nice, but that I absolutely cannot abide these daily calls (and truly sometimes more than once a day), and asked why they cannot stop calling me. She hung up on me. I guess she wasn't that nice.

I have a new plan. I think I am going to go back through my caller ID data and write down the times and dates of the MANY calls. Then I will give it a week wherein I answer the phone every time they call and ask them to please take my number off their rotation, noting the names of who I speak to if I can. Then I will give it another week to see if the calls truly stop (I highly doubt they will--this has been going on for at least six months). Then I am going to write the editor in chief or the publisher (or both?) and tell them what has been happening. It's not quite to the point that I am seriously considering changing my number--but that's an option that's crossed my mind. I don't think blocking the calls will work because I believe I did that once and nothing happened, but I could try again, I suppose? We have a different phone service now. Maybe they have a better mechanism to block calls.

I can't be the only person who is experiencing this. What truly galls me is that I ACTUALLY SUBSCRIBE to their paper and they still won't leave me alone. Gahhhhhhhhhhh.

Happy New Year, by the way...

[hiknapster]

I would write to the publisher and tell him/her that you are on the DO NOT CALL LIST, and if they do not immediately cease and desist, that you will cancel your subscription AND sue. That should be the end of that.

[ania]

Unfortunately, the do not call list does not include companies that you do business with (i.e. you are a subscriber). You, may, however, be able to write to the paper as well as the better business bureau about their techniques. It sounds that you have all the data. Good luck on getting the phone calls to stop.

[Tinman313]

If you have caller ID and know the number by all means answer it, " Hello this is Pete your local IRS Agent how may I direct your call.......

[Wordy]

Awww I don't wanna sue 'em or threaten 'em or anything. What I really would like is for them to inject a bit of human intelligence into their automation so that there is a mechanism for the employee to take people out of the loop when they ask them to do so, you know?

If it doesn't stop, I probably will just encourage my children to answer the phone and tell the lucky callers about their teenager day including every minute detail of who dissed whom, who dumped whom, and what everyone wore that day. I don't mind hearing all of these minute details and I just know anyone who calls from the newspaper will be glad to listen as well. Wouldn't you?????

[marmac]

perhaps a letter to the editor?

[PickedTN]

Thanks for the warning! I was planning on subscribing to the Fairly Local Paper (probably the same one) tomorrow. I'll be sure to give them a fake phone number.

[alleycat]

Well, I'll name names. The Tennessean does something similar; however, no where near that often or that annoying. They were constantly trying to get me to subscribe to the daily; if that didn't work they would offer to give me six-months free (it was worth it to them so they could bump up the number of paid subscribers for their advertising rates). Sometimes they would start the free daily without telling me and I would have to call to tell them to knock it off. We get the daily at my office and I didn't even want to go pick up the newspaper out of my driveway. For several reasons, I decided to finally end my subscription to the newspaper (I should mention that I don't care for the Tennessean's political stance anyway).

Anyway, if you can't get someone there at the paper (someone in the business office) to stop the calls, then the best choice is probably to block the calls using one of the techniques available. Threatening lawsuits, letters to the editor and whatnot will probably not work and be more trouble than they're worth. You might even call them up and in your most friendly voice ask them to change your phone number in their records (and then give them the number of the local Time & Temperature).

[JMT]

Originally Posted by PickedTN

Thanks for the warning! I was planning on subscribing to the Fairly Local Paper (probably the same one) tomorrow. I'll be sure to give them a fake phone number.

I'm pretty sure Wordy was referring to the Tennessean and not Cookeville's Herald-Citizen since the H-C doesn't have a Saturday edition. And since the H-C is a more hometown paper and not some corporate rag like the Tennessean, I seriously doubt they have such predatory telemarketing policies. At least I hope not.

[alleycat]

Originally Posted by JMT

. . . and not some corporate rag like the Tennessean . . .

See, I was trying to be nice about it. It's one of my New Years Resolutions (good only for New Years Day! ;-).