Houston Chronicle (Post: credit card, home, live)

[Altuve]

Any subscribers on here? I've gotten home delivery for many years. Didn't read it every day, so changed to Sunday only delivery about 3 or 4 years back. Anyway, over the last 18 months or so, the delivery fee has skyrocketed. I believe I used to pay $5/month. The most recent renewal told me it was $20/month. So I decided I wouldn't renew.

Anyway, they kept delivering the paper. I just got a call and was told I owe $50 (I always paid in advance by check). I laughed and told them to stop calling me, that I never agreed to pay for papers after my payment period ended. I actually tried to cancel a couple times but ended up on hold for 20 minutes, so gave up.

So the lady tells me that she will credit the past amount due, and can also get me the Sunday paper for $6/month for the next six months. But they need my credit card. Sniffing a scam, but liking the price, I told her that I would agree, but I needed something in writing, i.e., an email, a letter, anything, but that I would agree. Was afraid that they would charge me $6 the first month then start charging me $20/month on my credit card. Alternatively, I told her I would pay by check. She said I had to pay by credit card, and she could not send me anything in writing. Told her no thanks.

I guess my question is, what happened to the Chronicle? Seems like it's dying a slow death. The paper has gotten worse, and the price has quadrupled over a couple years. And it's not like there's a whole lot of competition.

[predatorprey]

Why pay for a news paper with news hours old when you can get news online for free that's constantly updated. There is a lot of competition.

Not to mention the quality of reporting is just junk

[War Beagle]

The Chronicle pulls those scams on everyone. It's happened to both me and my parents.

The media is having trouble catching on to the fact that about 80% of the population is suspicious of what is reported. They also seem oblivious to the fact that a lot of people consider prostitution a more noble profession than journalism.

[Altuve]

Originally Posted by predatorprey

Why pay for a news paper with news hours old when you can get news online for free that's constantly updated. There is a lot of competition.

Not to mention the quality of reporting is just junk

Yeah, I guess I should have clarified there's not a lot of competition for junky day old news.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Altuve

Yeah, I guess I should have clarified there's not a lot of competition for junky day old news.

chron.com, the free site is pretty useless. houstonchronicle.com has all the content that's in the paper, and it's a lot cheaper than home delivery.

[Altuve]

Originally Posted by WRM20

chron.com, the free site is pretty useless. houstonchronicle.com has all the content that's in the paper, and it's a lot cheaper than home delivery.

I was getting full access to the Chron app and houstonchronicle.com with my Sunday delivery, but was told that access to houstonchronicle.com was $20/month. Are you paying less? Again, I'd pay the $6/month fee, but I refuse to give those jokers my credit card number.

[fnh]

I pay $18/mo for online access to houstonchronicle.com. Just saw the pending charge on my account. The free Chron.com site is pure junk.

I pay $45/mo for Sunday home delivery of the NY Times and full online access. We used to get daily home delivery ($80/mo) but our new delivery person started delivering too late for DH to read the paper before work during the week.

I pay $14/mo for a digital subscription to the Seattle Times.

I pay $12/mo for the national digital edition of the Washington Post.

I pay $20/mo for the digital edition of the Wall Street Journal.

To be well-informed (and not misinformed) requires good journalism which frankly costs money. You get what you pay for.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by Altuve

I was getting full access to the Chron app and houstonchronicle.com with my Sunday delivery, but was told that access to houstonchronicle.com was $20/month. Are you paying less? Again, I'd pay the $6/month fee, but I refuse to give those jokers my credit card number.

I don't have an account right now. My brother is paying $1 per week, the same offer that's on the website for digital only https://myaccount.houstonchronicle.c...id=chronheader

[PeteyC]

We have always paid for the year/7 days per week home delivery. When my bill came in December the price was much higher so I called to cancel. Got a much better rather for this year after choosing to opt out of three magazine inserts. Just tames a bit of dickering and a firm stanch. I enjoy the daily paper and the on line paper. May be a generational thing.

[astrohip]

Originally Posted by Altuve

I guess my question is, what happened to the Chronicle?

I started a thread a couple months ago, with some similar observations. It's not the Chronicle we all knew, that's for sure.

//www.city-data.com/forum/houst...bscribers.html

And this is being noticed by more people. One of the local news stations, either KPRC or KHOU (can't remember which), did a segment just a couple weeks ago on how the Chronicle is taking advantage of people with their new subscription gimmicks. The Chronicle promised to "make changes", but I doubt they will.