Complaints

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/18/2025

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Customers are charged for the continued delivery of the paper up to a month after their subscriptions end and the company calls to collect the money due. Customers aren't told this will happen when they subscribe to the paper. This is a dishonest practice and should be stopped.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/21/2025

  Response to BBB Complaint ID *********

  To Whom It May Concern,

  I am responding to Complaint ID *********, filed on March 17, 2025, regarding our subscription billing practices.

  I called the individual listed at the phone number provided on March 21, 2025, and explained I have reviewed the complaint, and asked if there was any additional information regarding the complaint he wished to share before I responded. He told me that he was not sure what I was talking about, and that he did not file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  He said he had no idea how this could have happened.  With that said, I will take this opportunity to explain our ***** policy for subscribers.
  

  Our subscription terms include a ***** period during which newspapers may continue to be delivered after the initial subscription period expires. This ensures a seamless experience for customers who choose to renew. If a renewal is not processed, an outstanding balance may be generated based on continued delivery during this ***** ******* Subscribers may cancel at any time prior to their subscription expiration, and any unused cash balance on their account will be refunded. These terms are always available at toledoblade.com/terms, and we make every effort to inform customers of this policy through our marketing materials, which include language directing them to our full terms and conditions. 
  Specifically, our terms state the following:
  

  Subscriptions renew automatically, and after the initial term expires print and online will continue and be billed at the then-applicable regular rate unless subscriber contacts The Blade ********************** to cancel.
  

  Additionally, we reinforce our ***** policy with every pay-by-mail subscriber by printing our full terms and conditions on their renewal notice, which is mailed approximately 28 days before their subscription expires. This information is plainly printed in standard-sized font. I have attached an example of the renewal notices our readers receive.  
  

  While we do call former subscribers with a past-due balance to remind them of their outstanding balances, we never refer them to a collection agency or take any other actions that could adversely impact a former subscribers credit rating. Additionally, our representatives who make these calls are provided with scripts instructing them to explain these terms at the time of subscription. These are merely reminder calls placed with the hope of regaining their business, and in fact, during these calls, we often waive part or all of the balance as an incentive to encourage the subscriber to return.
  

  We believe our policies align with industry standards and are designed to provide flexibility and convenience for our subscribers. Customers with any concerns about their accounts are encouraged to contact our ************* team at ************ or via email at ****************************************************************.
  

  I appreciate the opportunity to respond to this matter. Please let me know if further information is needed.
  

  *** ******
  Director of Audience and Digital Initiatives
  The Blade
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/01/2024

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 writing to The ****** Blade asking them to remove my personal information that they published without my consent and Ive called them a couple of times too to no avail. My data protection team at DeleteMe has also done the same but they have just not responded and this is highly unethical and goes against my right to privacy. I’ve successfully been able to remove these details from a competitor and am willing to provide proof of that as well.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/01/2024

  Dear ****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns with us. We understand that the publication of your marriage license information has caused you concern, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  
  Since 1873, The ****** Blade has published public records such as marriage licenses as part of our commitment to informing our readers and upholding the principles of journalism protected by the First Amendment. These records are legally accessible to the public and are published to keep our community informed.
  
  We strive to balance the public's right to information with individual privacy concerns. In cases involving sensitive matters, such as victims of certain crimes, we exercise discretion by withholding personal information. However, for public records like marriage licenses, we generally maintain their publication unless there are compelling reasons to do otherwise, such as a protective order.
  
  At The ****** Blade, we take privacy matters very seriously. For more information, you can review our full Privacy Policy at *********************************** and our Terms of Use at ******************************************** on our website.
  
  If you have any additional concerns or believe there are exceptional circumstances we should consider, please feel free to reach out to our Executive Editor, *** *****, who is available to discuss this matter further with you. 
  
  Thank you for your understanding.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******
  Director of Audience & Digital Initiatives
  The Blade
  *** ** ******** ***
  ******, ** *****
  ***** ********
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have reached out to *** ***** via email and I did not receive prompt response. The primary reason for this removal request is that both my wife and I hail from India and we had a registered ceremony here because it is an inter-faith marriage. My wife is a Hindu and I am a Christian and from the part of the country where she is from there is a practice of “honor killing” and families go to any extent to protect their name in society. I mentioned this to the ****** Legal News and they obliged and have since removed my information and address from their website, so I really see no reason for this to be published on your website and not removed. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** D

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/02/2024

  Dear ****,
  Thank you for providing us with additional information regarding your situation. We are deeply concerned to hear about the sensitive circumstances you've described, and we understand the importance of protecting your privacy.
  We apologize if our previous response did not fully address your concerns. Based on the information you provided at that time, we followed our standard policy regarding the publication of public records. Now that you have shared these exceptional circumstances with us, we will promptly remove your marriage license information from our website.
  Please be aware that while we will remove the information from our site immediately, it may take some time for this change to propagate across the internet. Cached versions of our pages or third-party websites may still display the information for a period of time beyond our control.
  Your safety and well-being are our top priority. If you feel that you or any family member is in danger, we strongly encourage you to notify local law enforcement immediately.
  We appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention and for giving us the opportunity to address it appropriately.
  If there's anything else we can assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  Sincerely,
  *** ******
  Director of Audience & Digital Initiatives
  The Blade
  *** ** ******** ***
  ******, ** *****
  ***** ********
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/02/2024

  
  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.
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/08/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Blue bags of advertisement is continuously being thrown in my yard and that is considered as being littering and I wanted to stop immediately or I will take further actions

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Thank you for letting us know about this so we could get it resolved.  I called and spoke with ********* ******* on 2/8.   She said she had contacted us previously "years ago" and she has never received it since.  I explained that--for whatever reason--we show no record of any prior contact or request from her, but we will be happy to stop it.  I have updated her address for no delivery of this product, and notified our delivery team in the field to please ensure there is no delivery here. She mentioned that she is on a corner lot (her address is on *****, but the house faces ********).  This could be contributing to the recent confusion for the carrier, so I am pointing that out to our delivery team as well. I explained this should resolve the problem, but to please contact me if she has any problems at all moving forward.  I offered her my phone number and she declined.