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Business Profile

Newspaper

Gannett Newspaper Group

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Gannett Newspaper Group's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 376 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 35 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/08/2025

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I do not know what this is i goggled business and it says media news paper subscription i do not read newspapers never have and never signe up for anything. this is 100 percent fraud and theft of my money no i did not sign up for a promotional anything i hate news and papers and media and i do not subscribe to any and to get a trial u would have to give them your ingo i never gave anyone by this name my bank info and sure as h*** did not sign up for news of any kind there is to much free news what idiot would pay for it.

      Business Response

      Date: 02/10/2025

      This charge is associated with a ********* digital subscription started through our website.  We spoke with the customer and informed them the subscription has been cancelled, and we are issuing a refund of the latest charge.  We provided direct contact information in case further assistance is required.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/06/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Hello, in the fall of 2023-I. had moved to **********, ** and signed up online for a subscription to the online publication of ********************** (owned by Gannett Media). I elected to pay something along the lines of "$1 per month for the first 6mos, followed by $20 per month thereafter". In June of 2024, when I attempted to log onto their website, a pop up notice appeared saying that I would need to renew my subscription in order to read their paper. I logged off and retried 2 more times, only to receive the same message. I then trusted that my subscription had ended, and therefore subscribed, again, as it asked me to do-so that I could read the paper.Many months later (October, 2024), I was analyzing my bank statements and discovered that ************ was charging me TWICE in one month for 2 different subscriptions to **********************, equalling a total of $40 per month!! I never would have agreed to pay $40. per month for this paper under any circumstances. I have contacted the PJ customer service number 4 times since then, and have explained the situation to 4 different people who appear to be based in another country and have been anything but helpful in navigating this situation of overpayment. I have asked numerous times to speak to a supervisor, and they have repeatedly told me that I should hear from someone "within a week", and it has never happened. I am asking them to do the right thing-something that any good, honest business would do, and that is to refund me the $120 that I unknowingly overpaid them. Please can you assist, as dealing with this organization has been anything but pleasant. Thank you so much for your help, in advance :)

      Business Response

      Date: 02/10/2025

      February 10, 2025


      ***** ******
      ***********
      ********, MA 02025
      Daytime Phone: **************
      E-mail: ***************************


      Complaint #********

      Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding ***** ****** and her eNewspaper subscriptions to the ******************* account numbers #************* and *************. On 7/14/2023, Ms. ****** signed up for a digital promotion on our website for $1 for 6 months converting to $19.99 on 1/14/2024, account # *************. On **/**/2023, Ms. ****** signed up again on our website for another promotional offer of $1 for 6 months converting to $19.99 on 6/21/2024, account # *************, while the first was still an active account. On 12/9/2024, Ms. ****** received 2 refunds of $19.99 totaling $39.98 for the duplicate subscription. As a courtesy, we will refund 4 additional payments totaling $79.96. There were 6 payments total made to the duplicate account, of which, 2 have already been refunded as of 12/9/2024. Both accounts have already been canceled.

       

      DISCLAIMER:

      Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy.  It is the subscriber's responsibility to check their statements each month and notify us immediately when there is a problem. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term.

      We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.

      Thank you,
      Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/31/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This company fraudulently charged my card twice for a subscription. I signed up for a $1 a month 6 month subscription and forgot to cancel (my fault). Today, I look at my account and see I was charged $24.99 twice. This is a shady business. I've cancelled and want the second charge removed. Absolutely disgusting how this company operates. They're banking on you forgetting to cancel and not notice their egregious charges.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/02/2025

      The Journal Sentinel regrets this customer's poor experience.  We have initiated a refund for the disputed amount, which will be returned to the customer's card within the next few business days.  We emailed the customer to inform them of the pending refund and we provided direct contact information in case further assistance is required.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/30/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This company fraudulantly charged two recurring charges on my account from my debit card most likely which were not authorized. When calling in they claim they have not record of me via my email address or telephone number. I want this stopped immediately and refunded. When calling they claim they cannot find any accounts matching your information. So frustrating and annoying.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/10/2025

      We spoke with this customer on 12/31 and emailed them requesting they provide additional payment details so we can determine the source of these charges and work to resolve this matter.  We followed up via email and voicemail on 1/3 but have yet to hear back from this customer.  We hope to hear from them soon and would be happy to assist.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/08/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a one-month online subscription to the *********************** (Gannett ********* for $1 in February 2024 and cancelled it before the one-month subscription renewed. On Dec. 5, 2024 I was again charged $85.56 from Gannett ********. On Dec. 6 at 8:30 am I called Gannett ********* to refute the charge and get a refund. They said that amount represented 4 months of past due full service fees to their newspaper, which I had not ordered. The reason they said the four months was billed all at once was because they had tried for 4 months to bill me, but my account had insufficient funds. This is false. She said she could not refund my money, but she would send my request for a refund up the chain. One hour later I received 3 more charges on my credit card for $21.39 each from Gannett ********* As soon as I saw this I called my bank on Dec. 7 to refute the charges and cancelled my card so they could not continue this fraud with me.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/09/2024

      The ********Times regrets this customer's poor experience.  We confirmed this subscription has been cancelled and have initiated a refund which will be returned to the customer's card within the next few business days.  We left a voicemail for the customer, informing them of the pending refund.  Direct contact information was provided in case further assistance is required.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/09/2024


      Complaint: 22656678

      I am rejecting this response because I had to cancel my credit card due to these charges. Therefore, you will not be able to return the charges to my credit card. Please make a check to cover the 4 unauthorized charges made in December 2024 and mail to ******* ******, **************************************************


      Regards,

      ******* ******

      Business Response

      Date: 12/18/2024

      Upon review, our accounting team found that these charges were all disputed and charged back through the customer's credit card.  As the funds were returned to the card, we are unable to process refunds for these amounts.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/18/2024

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

      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.

      Regards,

      ******* ******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/11/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I had a subscription,(through Gannett ******* / publishing), for the local paper, Springfield State Journal Register. It was an introductory promo,(reduced), rate. When the promo expired, called them to cancel my subscription. The offered me a discount rate,(which I accepted). Instead of charging the agreed upon rate, they overcharged me $19.99 per month. I called and they apologized and said they would refund the payment and quit charging me. They offered me another discount,(which I refused), and told them to cancel my subscription. They said they would and refund the charges. Gannett continued to fraudulently charge me multiple times. I have contacted them numerous times,(calls/interactions are supposed to be recorded), to resolve the problem. Each time they told me they would stop charging me and issue a refund for the charges, would be issued. At the point, they owe me for 4 charges of $19.99 each,($79.96). They are continuing to,(fraudulently-without my permission/authorization). charge my account and have failed to issue the promised refund. After doing some research, I have discovered this is a common problem with Gannett and there are numerous victims still being fraudulently charged. I want them to stop charging my account,(they have confirmed multiple times my subscription has been cancelled), and issue the promised refund for the fraudulent charges.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/14/2024

      November 14, 2024

      **** *******

      *********************
      Daytime Phone: **************
      E-mail: ****************************************



      Complaint #********

      Please accept this as confirmation that we have received a complaint from your offices regarding ******* ******* and his eNewspaper subscription to the Springfield State Journal-Register, account number #*************. Per Mr. ********* request, the account has been stopped. We were able to locate a call on 8/20/2024 where a promotional offer of $4.99 was offered and accepted. The system did not fully process the offer and the system subsequently charged the customer the $19.99 rate instead. We are issuing a refund of $45.00, $15.00 for each of the charges dated 8/29, 9/29, and 10/29/2024.


      Dislcaimer:

      Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term.

      We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.

      Thank you,
      Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

      Customer Answer

      Date: 11/25/2024

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

      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. I am accepting this response contingent on Gannett actually paying the refund. They ***** promised a refund for months and never issued the refund.

      Regards,

      **** *******

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/05/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Gannett Newspaper used my OLD subscription information (including credit card information) and re-subscribed me to their digital newspaper. I did not sign up for this new subscription but I unknowingly paid for it for 6 months (that is my fault) since it was billed directly to my barely used credit card. At $9.99 a month most people do not relaize this charge. I did not use their online service. They could simply have looked this up and saw that I did not use their service in the last 6 months --- Because I did not subscribe. Gannett DID NOT issue me a refund even though I called and told them; I did not subscribe and I had cancelled my subscription years before. They did not listen to my complaint and accused me of not calling and cancelling this year (????). I did not have a recent subscription, a promotional subscription or anything - Gannett signed me up and used my credit card without my consent. Gannett Newspaper stole my money.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/06/2024

      November 6, 2024

      ***** *******
      ***************************************************************************************
      Daytime Phone: ************
      E-mail: **********************

      Complaint #********

      Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding ***** ******* and her eNewspaper subscription to the Savannah ******* ***** Per Ms. ********* request the account will be stopped on 11/09/24; billing and access will cease on this date.

      We have received Ms. ********* account using **************** The account was started online 06/09/22 on a promotional offer of $22.00 for 24 months then converting to $9.99 per month. 

      Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy.  It is the subscriber's responsibility to check their statements each month and notify us immediately when there is a problem. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term.

      We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.

      Thank you,
      Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/11/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Multiple dates(four) this past week. I cancelled my news journal subscription on October 1, but the company keeps billing me over and over starting with $33 dollars (denied by card) $4 dollars (accepted by card) then refunded, then $15 dollars (accepted by card, then $9 dollars (accepted by card) which used up the balance on my card. I've contacted Gannett 4 times, and they insist that they only charged my card $3.15 on September first which is a bald face LIE!!!! Two calls ago, the agent said they would remove my credit card info from their records and refund the charges, but low and behold, another charge appeared today (10/11/2024) for the aforementioned $9 dollars which used up the remaining balance on the card! They treat the consumer with disdain and disrespect. Please intercede in this matter, get my money back, and get them to remove my credit card info and remove my name, address phone number, and all pectinate information so I can permanently sever all ties and marketing phone calls and telemarketing. Thank you for your time and help!!

      Business Response

      Date: 10/22/2024

      The ************ regrets this customer's poor experience.  We confirmed this subscription has been cancelled and we've waived any balance due to avoid any further charge attempts.  We spoke with the customer, informed them of the steps taken to resolve this matter and provided direct contact information in case further assistance is required.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/03/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have been charged numerous times from this company on my debit card. I do not and never had an account with them not any of their newspapers. I have tried contacting the company on several occasions and never get to speak to anyone. I want my money back asap and them delete my information idc how they got it

      Business Response

      Date: 09/11/2024

      September 11, 2024

      ******* *****
      ****************
      *********************
      Daytime Phone: **************
      E-mail: *********************************



      Complaint #********

      Please accept this as confirmation we have received a complaint from your offices regarding ******* ***** and the digital subscription to the *** Today Crosswords. There were 2 accounts located under the name of ***** ***** in the same city as Ms. ****** The account numbers are *************, ************** Both were started the same day several hours apart (12:55 am and 4:06 pm) with the email address of ************************* Ms. ***** says she does not know this person so we have canceled the accounts and requested a refund. The only way to have started these accounts would be for someone to have all of her credit card information, including her security information. It all has to be entered for the subscription to have become active. We recommend that she contact her banking facility and file a report of fraud with the local authorities.

      Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term.

      We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.

      Thank you,
      Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/12/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Subscribed to ********* ***** for 6 months for $1. Cancelledx at end of 6 months. But I have been billed twice by Gannett for $14.99 , for wqhat I do not know. Also I am being billed on a credit card they should not have access to since I used a different card for the $1 subscription. Gannett says they have no record of a subscription yet they have billed me twice. My crdit card com[any has not processed the payment but it should not be happening.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/13/2024

      August 13, 2024

      ***********************
      ******************************************************************************************
      Daytime Phone: **************
      E-mail: **********************

      Complaint #********

      Please accept this as confirmation that we have received a complaint from your offices regarding *********************** and his eNewspaper subscription to the Metrowest Daily News, account #**********. While **************** did cancel his subscription to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, on 1/11/2024, he also subscribed to The Metrowest Daily News under the email address ********************* The promotion subscribed to was $1 for 6 months converting to $14.99 on 7/11/2024. We have canceled this subscription effective 9/11/2024, the paid to date of the last charge. All charges and access will cease on that date.

      Digital subscriptions are a non-refundable service. The only way to start a digital subscription is to provide the full credit card or bank account information and to accept the terms of service, which state the non-refundable policy. If a cancellation is requested, it is processed at the end of the current subscription term.

      We appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns.

      Thank you,
      Subscription Management Specialist Team Lead

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/13/2024

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

      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.

      Regards,

      ***********************

    Gannett Newspaper Group is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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