By: Diane Benjamin
I bet some lawyer would take this case as a class action suit against the Pantagraph for fraudulent selling of subscriptions.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this story, but now I hear it so often it’s worth writing. If you are stupid enough to still be a subscriber, read this email I received today:
I am outraged! Last year our annual subscription for the Pantagraph was $373.07. The bill specifically stated “52 weeks” and “Your account is paid through 9/09/16”. We thought about cancelling then but went ahead and paid for another year. On Friday, June 30th we received a bill for “52 weeks” for $447.68. That is a 20% increase. This time the bill did not tell me through what date my subscription was paid. Of course, we decided that there is no way we are paying $447.68 for a few sheets of paper with no news but only politically correct, feel good stories. But I was very suspicious as to why we received a bill in June that shouldn’t be due until September.
This morning I called “Customer Service”. After going through the automated system, I finally got a human being who is located in Indiana. I told her we were not renewing but that I expected to continue to receive the paper through 9/09/17. She informed me that because of special inserts throughout this subscription period that our subscription will expire on 7/21/17. So when they send out a puzzle insert, or “places to go in Illinois” insert, etc., those are counted as an extra day’s worth of paper and a day is subtracted from the years’ worth that we paid for. I guess there have been enough of those to equal 6 or 7 weeks’ worth!!! Good grief!!!! I told her we paid for 52 weeks and it didn’t matter how much extra paper they printed, 52 weeks is 52 weeks. Isn’t that a breach of contract?
I then tried calling the local Pantagraph number and got the same automated phone tree which sent me back to the same woman in Indiana. She said she knows how unhappy I am so she will try to “extend” our subscription and will have her supervisor call me. This is outrageous but you can’t speak to a real live local person to resolve the issue.
I know a guy who went in person to their office downtown. The receptionist had obviously heard the same complaints many times before. She all but apologized for the ripoff. If this isn’t outright fraud Mike Madigan is really a nice guy who cares deeply about the people of Illinois (other than the illegal ones).
The Pantagraph would rather quit printing the paper and go all digital.
Advertisers: I hope you realize nobody reads those pop-up ads. You are wasting your money!
On another note:
Can someone explain . .
why bikes aren’t allowed in Miller Park on the 4th of July? I find it even funnier this year since Bike Blono thinks they are capable of riding safely on busy E. Washington.
Could it be:
- bike riders are dangerous to be around?
- bike riders don’t follow rules?
- bike riders aren’t courteous enough to coexist?
- Bike Blono doesn’t attend fireworks?
- Bike Blono forgot to meet with the right people to get dispensation?
- Normal allows bikes so bikers go to Fairview? (I don’t know if they do or not)
Other ideas?
Happy 4th. Even more freedom has slipped away since last year. Enjoy what’s left.
Q: Bike riders don’t follow rules? A: Well I used to ride a bicycle and I (like many others) frequently disobeyed the rules of the road because it would slow me down and force me to peddle harder thus stealing my energy. It’s not fair I thought and it’s my life if I got hurt so yeah I took chances. In regards to the few bicyclists I see on todays roads (more on sidewalks) the same mindset seems to prevail as rules of the road are constantly broken by bicyclists. I seriously cannot remember the last time I saw a bicyclist follow all of the rules. Adults do it. Kids do it. Now let’s paint a white stripe on the busy streets which will encourage children to ride there. Dumb. Real dumb. The simple logic concludes that more motorized vehicles, more chance for accidents and more chances for serious accidents for bicycle riders. Nice job BloNo as any accidents happen in B-N on bike lane busy streets, it’s on your hands. Parents tell their kids to stay off the busy streets for good reason.
I believe last year cyclists could ride TO Miller Park but had to park their bike or walk with them while in the park. Bikes are now considered to be vehicles. Cars cannot go “off road” in Miller Park. Let Bike BloNo throw a hissy fit if they want to change the rules.
Common sense and the laws of nature dictate that the more objects in a confined space exponentially increase the likelihood of collisions. Add to the fact that firework displays occur after dark and are distractions. Bike lanes on Washington are of the same nature.
Regarding the Pantagraph, if you have an online only subscription, the webpage has changed to having to log in every time a news story is published. Pain in the neck!!
The Pantagraph isn’t even printed in Bloomington anymore. It’s printed at the Journal Star in Peoria and very trucked into Bloomington.
What is it now lawn clippings and such can’t go into the landfill yet all of that newspaper printed trash ads can. Honestly they should be fined for all those ads. My mother still gets that worthless newspaper and on Sunday I think the thickness of the ads exceed the newspaper thickness by at least 2X. I tell her why are you paying for that trash. There is nothing in it! Their web site has nothing but annoying ads that pop up. After x number of viewing articles you get that subscription page and can’t view anything. Duh if anyone hasn’t figured out how to delete their internet browser cookies and history I feel sorry for you. Well not really because they have nothing worth reading about.
Try incognito instead
Duh. Bikes are discouraged because high pedestrian traffic. Simple. Not a conspiracy. It’s why bikes don’t belong on the sidewalk, either. It’s why they DO belong on the street in a designated space…on Washington.
All those people walked there! I didn’t know that. I guess the high volume of vehicles are just abandoned there.
Bob–there is less pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk along Washington Street than car traffic on the road. Cyclists can and have been allowed to ride on any street in Bloomington they choose with or without bike lanes. Washington Street is a main arterial with a vehicle count of 11,000. Grove Street is chosen for the bike plan because of the lower traffic volume. The real reason Bike BloNo wants lanes on Washington is because Grove Street won’t be resurfaced until the sewers are repaired. The Council has not allocated sufficient funds to repair Grove Street in a timely fashion. Lobbing the Council for road repair on Grove would be a better use of their time.
I thought the number of 20,000 a day was thrown out at the Planning commission meeting.
The number 20,000 is the cut off number. Supposedly, Washington Street can handle bike lanes since the traffic count is less than that.
BTW — RennerIsATard for a user name is offensive. As the admin, you should request the user change their screen name.
1st Amendment. It isn’t offensive to everyone – like most of your comments are
Well, the n-word isn’t offensive to everyone either. So by that logic…
There are developmentally disabled who struggle everyday to integrate into society and improve their lives. It’s too bad (but not surprised) you don’t recognize how that screen name diminishes them and their efforts. #sad
Good thing you are leaving on your own ROB – even though I doubt you really are. You are backed to being banned. Stupidity is for government, not here. It’s Rob folks, pretending to be Bob.
It isn’t offensive until YOU are offended. You can trot your First Amendment mantra but we all know once something vile is said about YOU, we can expect a week’s worth of how bad liberals are and how many posts/tweets you have to block. If it only matters when Bike Blono does it, the anti-Diane trolls do it, or any one of the countless provocateurs, then you have only proven yourself a hack. For someone who claims to have a personal relationship with God you have inconsistent standards about treating your neighbor as your brother.
You are so funny! You should see the comments I file away and never post. They are truly vile. I’m offended by government stealing from the people who’s freedom and liberty they are charged with protecting. Sticks and stones doesn’t phase me. Bring it on.
Rob–imagine how offended a military veteran or their families are when the American Flag is trampled and burned by US citizens. The First Amended guarantees their right to defame that flag. In this country, we have the right to choose as long as our actions don’t impede the rights of others.