TwinCities.com / St. Paul Pioneer Press
Reviews and Complaints

I canceled the Pioneer press over six months ago and continued to get bills in spite of not receiving the newspaper. I have contacted customer service over three times. They have reassured me that I am not to be receiving any additional bills. But yesterday I got another bill. This is bordering on harassment. It requires me to make a phone call to customer service O has assured me over three times at this is been fixed. What can be done to get these subscription Department on the same page as a billing Department to stop these harassing bills coming to my home?

I purchases a subscription to the Pioneer Press Sunday edition back in May and I've only received my paper a handful of times. I've contacted customer service multiple times regarding this issue, and even though I am repeatedly told "Hello, I apologize that you didn't receive the paper on Sunday. I did give you credit for the missing paper and notified the person delivering as well. I also contacted the carrier's supervisor again regarding these issues so it can get resolved" it has yet to be resolved.

Why is it SO HARD to get my paper delivered? My neighbors get it so I know there's a driver.

This is the 3rd time over the last few years that I've tried. This time it took 3 weeks and I got it on one Thursday and one Sunday and now AGAIN it has stopped. No paper last Thursday and no paper today (Sunday)!

It's impossible to speak to anyone. I've never worked so hard to spend my money!

I canceled my paper because it never got delivered. A month later I received a bill for 4.09. I called to pay the 4.09 and was told that I didn't really owe the money. They send those out to get people to call. I stated that I wanted to pay it so that my credit wasn't ruined for 4.09. She said that I didn't owe any money. About a month later I received another bill for 4.09. This time I wrote a check for the 4.09. Today I received a bill for 77.88, due on receipt. I did not reorder the paper. It was canceled.

I have put my newspaper on Vacation Pay for about 6 months for numerous year. You keep charging me for my newspaper that I am not receiving. I also get the Mpls Tribune and they DO NOT CHARGE anything for Vacation Pay. Why do you? You told my husband on the phone that if I called you guys on the phone and put it on Vacation Hold I would not be charged. I did it online. NO WHERE on your website do you state that I need to call in for Vacation Hold instead of doing it online or I will be charged for putting it on Vacation Hold if I do the work myself online. This is total crap and not very good customer service at all. I wish to file a formal complaint on the way that the Pioneer Press does this Vacation Hold. In my opinion Pioneer Press owes me a lot of money to reimburse me for ALL of the times that I have put my paper online in the past and been charged. This is the most ridiculous practice I have EVER heard of.

My current subscription is paid in full until Dec. 8, 2017. I wish to cancel my subscription as of 12/9/17. I will NO LONGER ORDER THE ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS EVER AGAIN. I feel that I have been financially ripped off for years by your company. I will DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMEND your newspaper to anyone who asks what I think about your company. I will DEFINITELY tell them about my experience with your company. I should be compensated for this mess you created.

I read in a very small section of the paper that there is a new Things we Make section coming out of Friday. If we do not call and opt out, our subscription deadline will be shortened to compensate for the new section. This was a very small notification, which lends me to think that you are attempting to slip it by everyone. Get more $$$ by reducing the months that are already paid and once again challenge us Why do I need to get a daily paper!
Please explain!

How is it that your paper cannot publish the final results of a twins home game that finishes after 9:00 p.m.?

The Star Tribune published the final score of their road game last evening in Los Angeles and the game STARTED at 9:00 p.m. twin cities time.

It's embarrassing. You don't need to go to press that early. I used to love your sports page.

Not any more.

Sorry

This is a really [censor], classless way to go about trying to sell newspapers..

Here's what happened to me..

I signed up for the paper on a promotion a few years back. I canceled the subscribtion. All of a sudden a year later it starts up again out of the blue, and I get a bill in the mail for my new "subscription" (which I never requested or ordered in the first place.)

I cancel said unwanted subscription, yet continue to get bills for subscription. I call four seperate times to cancel and each time the person I talk to lies and says its been canceled.

During these last two phone calls I ask to be taken off the call list, as the ENTIRE time since I first ordered the promotion I've been getting harrased with multiple phone calls per week from different numbers trying to get me to sign up.

Disgusting, harrassing business practice.

I am now getting in contact with pertinent authorities in the State of Minnesota so that they are held accountable for this shameless sales tactics, and I encourage everyone who's had a similar issue to do the same.

First part of the week, we did not get a paper I didn't complain because the weather was very bad.
Then we got a paper
Now 7-14 7-15 and now Sunday 7-16 we have not gotten a paper at all and I am upset.
Is it because I paid my bill and gave the paper person a tip ?
As long as I am complaining, We never get all of the ads and we do want them, especially in the Sunday paper

Michael and Jean Ebert
1714 70th Street
Balsam Lake
WI 54810
[protected]@lakeland.ws
[protected]

Before my move, I called customer service early one morning and provided my new address more than once to a very sleepy gentleman who answered the phone. He assured me that my address would be updated and that my paper would be delivered to my new home.
After my move, I waited each Sunday in anticipation but did not receive the paper and called at least 4 occasions to report this. I was told each time that my account would be credited for the missing papers and that the delivery person would be notified. One even said they’d charge it to the delivery person.
I think it was my fourth call that I was told that my city was never updated from St. Paul to Hastings, which likely seemed to be the issue. And once again, I received yet another apology and was told I’d receive the paper shortly.
I felt relieved and joy, when after weeks of not getting a paper, I spotted a newspaper in my front yard on a Sunday morning. The disappointment returned when I picked it up and discovered that it was a free copy of the Star Tribune for me to try. They did find me.
Although I had been receiving the Pioneer Press for years for a great price and still wanted to do so, it appeared that was never going to happen. So, I subscribed to the Star Tribune at a much higher cost, because I figured that a paper for a higher cost was much more useful than no paper at a low cost.
I recently started getting daily calls about renewing my subscription. After I mentioned that I haven't received a paper for months, she said she'd have her manager contact me. I have yet to receive a call . . . . .

I have a subscription for the Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday St Paul Pioneer Press paper and have not received the Sunday paper for over 2 months. I have called every week to complain and have been told it will be corrected but still no paper. I have even reached out to the better business bureau and because the Pioneeer Press told them they would correct the problem they closed the complaint but still no paper
When I asked for a refund and a cancellation they said they could not provide a refund.

I have been getting a paper delivered for about 20 years now.. however they have the worst billing system in the world. I have a yearly subscription that I renew every July.. 52 weeks of delivery !- no holiday or premium contents wanted and I communicate that every time I talk to their customer service. I get a bill last week due on receipt - so I called them on 4/22 - first the rep tells me to throw away the bill because it was sent in error. Once I started asking more question s he tells me to now pay the bill but cant tell me what it is for. This is a yearly event with this company - very frustrating Never fails they bill me early saying (in fact they have me past due right now and it is the end of April) - After a 1/2 hour conversation with this cs rep - he tells me he has me extended to June (not reflected on line) but his supervisor Matt will move my sub out to July - guess I will be calling this customer service again next week. Also none of the links work on the website to contact CS and on the bill says they are available on Sat 8-11am however when you call the 651 number they say they are closed. Very frustrating to work with this company - might be time to cancel completely and go with another local paper company for my paper delivery

I ordered the pioneer press on feb 14 2017 for the price of 9.95 for 26 weeks and i get a bill in the mail for 11.36 after i already paid the 9.95 which should bring me through august. i called and emailed them because according to the terms future prices could change anytime after the current subscription. i was told that the billing has changed and there was nothing they can do that prices are subject to change anytime. this is false advertising. i will attach the agreement which i agreed to. the customer service is horrible !
26
Weeks
Print + digital access
Smtwtfs $0.19
Per week
94 %
Discount
$9.95
Total
A one-time activation fee of $4.95 is included in the total price.
★★ best deal - sunday delivery + digital access! ★★

13
Weeks
Print + digital access
Smtwtfs $3.00
Per week
27 %
Discount
$43.95
Total
★★ bill me later - thurs & sun delivery + digital access! ★★
1important information

Start this subscription as soon as possible. delivery will begin within the next 3-5 business days.
Start this subscription at a later date. select start date from this calendar.
Calendar
St. paul pioneer press delivers by 8:00 am on sundays.
After the initial selected subscription period your weekly subscription rate will continue at the then current renewal rate.
2payment information

Credit or debit card
Amexdiscovermastercardvisa
Card number

New subscribers only. this subscription to the pioneer press is a continuous subscription, which means it will automatically renew at the end of this term. you may cancel or modify your subscription at any time by calling customer service at [protected]. you will be billed at the interval that you have selected, which shall be your ‘subscription term’. you must cancel before your subscription term in order to avoid charges for an additional subscription term. no unused portion of a subscription term will be refunded. all home delivery subscriptions will include the thanksgiving edition, which will be charged at a rate equal to or greater than their regular sunday rate. in addition, all home delivery subscriptions will include no more than three (3) other special content editions annually, which will be charged to the subscriber’s account at a rate equal to or greater than their regular sunday rate. this will result in shortening the length of your subscription term unless you notify us that you do not want to receive special editions. to opt out of all special editions, including thanksgiving, please call customer service at [protected]. future subscription term prices are subject to change. by entering into this subscription, you elect to have disputes resolved by arbitration; complete terms of arbitration can be found at http://local.digitalfirstmedia.com/common/dfm/arbitration.pdf. no credit is offered for vacation interruptions. standard delivery is to subscriber’s driveway. all delivery frequencies, including those less than 7-day service, will receive delivery on the following holidays: new year’s day, memorial day, independence day, labor day, day after thanksgiving and christmas. the terms of this subscription agreement supersedes all other subscription agreements.

Whenever there are extremely good coupons in the Sunday paper, I do not receive a paper. On 12/20/15, Cub Foods had a $10 off coupon if you spend $100 at Cub Foods. This coupon was only in Sunday edition of Pioneer Press/Star Tribune subscribers. Several of my neighbors were missing either the whole paper of the section that had the $10 coupon. I suspect the delivery person is stealing the coupons. This has happened too many times now to be a simple delivery problem. I’ve complained to the Pioneer Press, but just get the standard – “I’m sorry for the delivery problem”.

I have called in at least 30 complaints that my newspaper is left in the wrong place the district manager is suppose to fix the problem, he has not i think he may have a personal problem with my complaints.

We stopped subscribing to the paper. When we were subscribers, they could never figure out auto bill pay. They'd call us and harass us for not paying our bills, while we thought it was automatic. This happened at least three times.

Now they call us repeatedly with subscriber specials. We tell them to stop calling, but they won't. Like we would take them back after all that? It's just getting to be like a stalker ex-boyfriend!