The Washington Post vs. Me

[hkellick]

*fume*

So, while ecwoodburn has been having trouble with Verizon, I have been fighting with the Washington Post.
See, a couple weeks after moving in, the Washington Post called and asked if I wanted to receive the Post. At the time, Kristen was still looking for a job and I thought 'Sure. Maybe I'll read it or use it for the coupons." But I never read it and we never used it for the coupons. Then a month or so back they called to tell me that they were going to, for free, give me 7 papers a week, hoping to convert me to uying it, but I DEFINATELY don't have time during the week, so they started piling up. Not only that, but the paper boy had stopped dropping the paper towards my door and had started throwing it at my small patio, where it would smack the glass door and stay there. I don't care for that, especially when the banging of the paper against the door wakes me up.
Last Wednesday, I finally took the step and called the Post to cancel my subscription. They said I should get my last paper Friday. Fine. Saturday morning... I get a paper (?), so I call and they say that what they meant was that my last paper would be Saturday. Well, OK.. if you promise.
Sunday... got a paper! Call very angry and they confirmed that my subscription was ended as of the day before. They wrote up a complaint to give to the distributor and I HOPED that was that.
Nuh uh.
MONDAY... go to work, no paper. Come home... paper. What the hell?!?! Call the Post AGAIN who tell me that they've already logged a complaint and would log another and call the distributor. It probably wouldn't go into effect until yesterday (so I'd get a paper yesterday), but that should be it. Fine. It better be.
But, no, no it's not.
I went right from work to Kristen's yesterday (stressful day and never had the time to go home), sonever checked my machine. Come home from a nice dinner.. and there's a message on my machine from my Post distributor. Call her. She got the complaint from me. She's GOING TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER MY PAPER UNTIL SHE'S HEARD FROM ME! Oh, and she didn't bother to leave a number. (As it turns out, it was on the Washington Post bill, but still.. you could't leave the number?) It was, however, on my Caller ID so I called back. I had a VERY difficult time telling her I didn't want the paper without calling her a fucking moron. (This was supposed to have been dropped half a week ago.)
Will Howard actually stop receiving the paper? Will the idiots at the Post get their act together? Will Howard actually get a paper today?
Stay tune to find out.

Comments

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Right, so, uhm... they're giving you free papers, and it's a PROBLEM that you want them to stop?! I would have thought they were grateful that you didn't just keep the papers and not pay (because you had cancelled your subscription after all), but I guess they're just too desperate to keep their customers. Sad that they can't see this has the exact opposite effect.

[lite.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I believe the papers are free. And while the paper isn't that terribly expensive anymore, I simply don't want to pay for something I'm not reading.
Also, I suspect the distributor could turn around and tell the Post I've received the paper all week (she should know. She won't stop it.) and I should be billed for it.
I don't understand what her attitude and thought process is. it might be that she's trying to keep me on a customer. It might be that she's honestly just a moron. I have no idea.
I just want to have to stop filling my trash can with unwanted papers. Especially the big bulky Sunday thing :p

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

True - she could be sucky enough to do that. Never mind that you've been trying to get rid of the papers "you still got them and should pay for them!!!".

Sheesh! Some people! I hope you have more luck soon.

[hbbtrbbtbcnbt.livejournal.com]

Keep track of when you cancelled the subscription and if you've not erased the message, keep it on your machine til it's solved, just in case they decide to try and bill you for the 'free' papers. Matt and I had this happen, and we got stuck with a bill anyway.