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2.8 48 Reviews

NewspaperArchive.com Complaints Summary

22 Resolved
26 Unresolved
Our verdict: Dealing with NewspaperArchive.com, which has an average resolution rate, requires some diligence. Research their service in depth and read a variety of customer reviews for a balanced view. Approach any customer service interactions with detailed and well-prepared queries to facilitate a better resolution process.
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NewspaperArchive.com reviews & complaints 48

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Newest NewspaperArchive.com reviews & complaints

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11:58 am EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com Information

On March 9th I signed up for this service thinking I was signing up for a monthly charge
of 19.95. Instead I found when I went to pay for groceries they had taken out 99.95 which
was about all I had on my debit card. I called back the same day within hours and
explained to them what had happened. Oh, they were so nice. Yes, of course, we will
credit your account at once 99.95. It is now April the 14th and I have yet to get my money. I have talked to loads of people there and the last 2 said they would give me back part of the money since I had signed up for 19.95, which showed they have not put through the paper work for my 99.95. I have checked with my bank ongoing and still no money. I have now filed a complaint with the attorney general in IA, and they have
handled complaints about this company before and still. DO NOT DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY. They are not honest, they will cheat you and lie to you. DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE PEOPLE.

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12:39 pm EST
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NewspaperArchive.com Poor quality, low quantity

The quality of the newspaper images provided by NewspaperArchive.com is deplorable. Although the idea of providing scans of newspapers from all over the country is wonderful, when bringing up the scans and not being able to read the text or, in many, many cases, finding the scan cuts of the left or right side, making articles unreadable, is highly disappointing. Additionally, the website functionaity is very poor - once you select and view a particular newspaper, when you return to your search results or index, it places you back at the beginning instead of where you left off. Additionally, I have tried this service three times over the past several years, hoping the quality will improve and that the number of newspapers available will increase. No such luck. The company seems to pick a few towns in a particular state and once they're done, that's it. Also, I notice that they tend to provide ONE newspaper from an earlier date, then when you get the index for that paper, the dates will jump several or many years in the future. I don't believe this is because they found just one newspaper from the earlier date, rather, they are gaming their own system to make people think they have provide papers that go back that far. It's too coincidental that so many newspapers have just one early date and then jump to a much later date. Again, a great concept but very, very poor quality and content. Perhaps Ancestry.com should buy this company and add the quality and quantity we are used to from a good company.

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Kyle Hill
, US
Jan 25, 2017 11:32 am EST

In fact a lot of these websites since the Windows 8 era have stopped updating. Most of the ancestor stuff is also in big trouble trying to get followers and many have shut down. There is software for Linux you can do ancestor stuff on but is a steep learning curve and not for the faint of heart plus not very organized with no way to do it yourself.

Windows 8 and now 10 have screwed the whole computing industry around with MS thinking that it will appeal to phone people which they just shot themselves in the foot but they are not the first big corporation to go into failure mode due to people in charge that don't know what they are doing.

It's all collage grads now that run capitalism that don't know how to handle money.

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Kyle Hill
, US
Jan 25, 2017 11:30 am EST

I don't think anybody is actually running the site seeing since the Windows 8 era they haven't updated or scanned any new newspapers.

Nor would there be anyway to tell if they did.

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1:30 am EST
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NewspaperArchive.com Charging my account

1-15-13
9:50pm.

I just noticed that they charged my account $47.95 on January 14. Over a year ago I signed up for a free 7 day trial. I cancelled it within one day. The site was absolutely useless. It did not have ANY of the information I was looking for. What a joke this was. NOW after all this time they charge me out of the blue.. I called the ph# on their website, which stated they were open & available 24 hours Monday-Saturday. That is a bunch of BS also. No one was there to talk to. I got a quick message to leave a message I did that & have not heard anything back from them. I want, no demand that you credit my account 1st thing in the morning. DO NOT EVER CHARGE MY ACCOUNT FOR ANYTHING, EVER AGAIN. HOW DARE YOU!

Sincerely,
Lori McDowel

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5:51 pm EST
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NewspaperArchive.com subscription issues

This is an online newspaper archives service. I was distressed one evening when their system told me that I had exceeded my page limit for the day! My account information states that I have been on a quarterly membership (with payment up to date). When I first subscribed, the quarterly fee was 29.97 -- it was then increased to 41.97 without any notice to me! I am appalled! The quarterly subscription expires February 10, 2013.
On exploring other subscription options with this service, I discovered that I could purchase a 'platinum' subscription for 65.89 per year, with a free month. That's a decided saving over what I had been paying. It would have been nice to have been advised that this option is available.
I immediately cancelled my quarterly membership (confirmed by company) and subscribed to a yearly membership, also confirmed. However, they elected to start the new subscription as of the transaction date (Dec 12, 2012), plus I didn't get the extra month promised.
I have sent 3 e-mails requesting that my two memberships be honoured AS ADVERTISED AND PAID FOR; my quarterly membership continues February 10, 2013, with the new membership to begin February 11, 2013 AND that I be given the promised extra month. According to my calculations, this would take me to April 10, 2014.
To this date, they have not acknowledged my e-mails, much less given me satisfaction.

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Terri59
La Salle, US
Mar 15, 2014 9:20 am EDT

I have been a long tome customer of Newspaper Archives. I was on automatic renewal, and that is fine what is not fine is that they raised their rates sky high through the roof and didn't give any notice that they were doing this.

I certainly did not want this subscription service any longer at the new high rates. I tried to cancel and was told there is a strict non refund policy and that I should have cancelled 72 hours before the automatic renewal period started. Also that as a responsible adult I should have known that my subscription was up. Also if you don't cancel and you don't pay what they tell you to pay through their bloated prices. They will take you to collection to get their money.

PLEASE READ THEIR POLICIES BEFORE SIGNING UP FOT THEIR PRODUCT... 6 MONTHE JUST COST ME A NON-REFUNDABLE $100.00 WHEN I FIRST SIGNED UP IT WAS LESS THAN THAT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR...

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12:08 pm EST
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NewspaperArchive.com Auto renewal/billing

I signed up for this service as I was willing to pay $29.95 for a trial membership to print the one article and photo I needed.

1). It wouldn't print properly. I tried absolutely everything I could think of to print it but couldn't. I taped four sheets of paper together in order to have the whole article and photo. Ironically, customer service is open from 9am-4.30pm CST, so if you are using this at night, as many people do, you cannot get help.

2). I cancelled immediately after using for the only time. My credit card was charged 8 days ago for a renewal of $41.97. I never received any advance 'warning' or reminder that my card was to be charged, it just went through. When I reviewed my statement, I noticed the charge last night. I sent an email and was told I never cancelled and the charge to my card still stands-they would not issue a refund. I called today, and they said the same thing: "When you signed up, you agreed to the terms and conditions of our company, so you do owe us this money." Interestingly, they could see I signed in only once, because I asked that be checked, but they couldn't find my email cancellation.

3). If you are not VERY diligent, you will be charged $29.95 once and then $41.97 3 times a year for this service, totalling $155.86. It is basically nothing but a SCAM. The service is not worth it, and customer service is nothing more than a clearing house.

BEWARE--THESE PEOPLE are unscrupulous!

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keixanson
Anytown, CA
Mar 28, 2015 11:53 pm EDT
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Unresponsive, repeated unauthorized charges...do not do business with this company

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11:43 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com Deceptive auto-renewal charges

Deceptive auto-renewal process. I signed up for a 3 month subscription and was generally pleased with the site but then noticed another charge on my credit card 3 months later. I called to dispute and no one answers their phones. I emailed customer service and they sent me a boiler plate response that said sorry, it was in the terms and conditions. It's one thing to try and trick you with hidden details, but once you're caught you should really give the refund. I filed a report with the better business bureau and called my credit card company. Visa is refunding the charges and taking the issue straight to this shady merchant.

It's too bad a good product has to be ruined by shady business practices.

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JERRY83
, MX
Aug 23, 2012 10:41 am EDT

PLEASE PLEASE READ before you purchased over the internet. Most of the websites use automatic renewals for memberships. This is not exclusive to newspaperarchive.com. I've been a member for a long time and when i want to cancel my account i just called or sent an email before my renewal date and thats it. All of this information was given on our activation email we received when we subscribed and always available in our account page, so please don't say you were never told or knew about this.

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Frug
, GB
Jul 02, 2012 2:22 pm EDT

I am experiencing the same problems as above. I have been billed multiple times and now reckon that they have overcharged me by nearly $300. No response to emails or phone calls. I am now at the stage of not only wanting my money back but also a deeper investigation into the operation of this outfit. They proport to have charitable links and some kind of Christiian ethic ! As I do not expect to have any luck in getting a response easily I have decide to inform the local Chamber of Commerce and the local newspapers and radio. Maybe if all dissatisfied customers did this then they would have no option but to settle up. maybe the authorities might even take alittle peek at their charitable activities?

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Eric B Williams
Renton, US
Jun 26, 2012 10:05 am EDT
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I've had the same problem since April 2012, I have two extra membership billing for $71.88 that I want reversed. I've call numerous times, left messages but no call backs. Tried emailing but got a generic response back saying that they will not auto renew my membership. That what I was asking about! In general I like what they have to offer, I've used them for several years with no problems. Its beyond my comprehension why they would treat their customers so poorly. I could see if it were some sleazy porn site or other questionable product! But this historic newspapers!

NewspaperArchives needs to be shut down!

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sbearden
Abernathy, US
Jun 07, 2012 2:27 pm EDT

I had the same thing happen to me. The charge for the next 3 months was higher than the first 3 months. They would not return your phone call. You never get a live person when you call even though they say all of their technicians are with someone else.

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4:48 am EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com Charged after cancelled service, would not return calls

Signed up for a 3-month subscription and generally satisfied. Followed instructions to cancel subscription on the day it expired but my credit card was still charged for the next three months. Repeated called customer service but never got past messages and they never called me back like the message promised they would. I sent emails with no response. The charge to my card for the second three months was $41.97 rather than the initial and advertized amount of $29.97.

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Carol Hunter Sullivan
Bullhead City, US
Oct 29, 2012 5:37 pm EDT
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I have cancelled this months ago and you have not taken care of my cancellation and refunded my debit the $29. This is very poor business. You will not acknowledge my requests through the email at all. This is not acceptable. Take care of this matter usap.

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10:07 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com Lousy customer service

I subscribed to Newspaperarchives.com last year because I'm employed as a military historian and I hoped that it would allow me to search for particular historic events in various newspapers. At least that's what they CLAIMED they would allow me to do.

I have had more difficulty than not in logging onto their site...most of the time the things I search for are NOT found, and here lately - for the past week or so - I try to log in and I get an error message that says their site is "corrupted" and they can't display anything and they can't give us a time when the site will be fixed. Meanwhile, we're STILL charged our fee to subscribe to their site and there is NO WAY to get a refund.

Emails and attempts to contact their customer service site have been fruitless...they never bother to respond.

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barbsnow
, US
Dec 12, 2012 7:09 am EST

I too have had difficulty with the service at newspaperarchive.com. The only contact they seem to want with customers is to debit the subscription fee from a bank account. Over the years I've had several problems with the site, including it being unusable for months at a time, but never a response to a query. I tried calling them once (a few years ago) and no one ever answered. Messages went unreturned. Just the other day I sent them an email about a viewing problem, but no response. It is especially frustrating because it is such a GOOD database of newspapers... I love the content. Now I would love to be able to consistently find and read the content.

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11:33 am EST
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NewspaperArchive.com Unauthorized Charges

Aside from making it impossible to cancel the subscription I only wanted the trial offer for, they just charged me $17.99 on 4 CONSECUTIVE DAYS! Meaning even beyond the regular monthly fee I can't seem to get out of, they charged me an additional 3 times in one month. This company/site is a complete scam, and I don't understand how with all of the complaints against them, they're still in business. BEWARE!

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Valerie
, US
Nov 15, 2008 4:02 am EST

This company took my money for a trial 1 month membership, let me log on once, then 4 days later when I tried to log in again they told me they didn't recognize my username and password. The 'e-mail me my username and password' function on their site was non-responsive. They have no voice customer service (that should have been my first clue), only fax, e-mail (which they do not answer, after repeated attempts) and snail mail. I've now paid for a service I can't access and customer service I can't reach. I've filed a report with the Iowa BBB, hoping that results in something. I now stand wondering whether or not that trial membership I can't exercise or cancel is going to go permanent and I'm going to see 10 bucks a month disappear from my bank account.

Don't do business with these guys. They are amateurs. Stick with the big geneoalogy pros on the web. They are professional and are responsive and committed to customer service.

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F&B
, US
Oct 07, 2012 4:14 pm EDT

I believe if it was published in a newspaper article it had already been released to the public, you do not have any issue with "newspaperarchive.com" which is merely re-publishing previously published items.

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cyber-privacy
Madison, US
Jul 10, 2012 9:00 am EDT

This service allowed several newspaper articles to appear on the internet, that delt with personal information, that was never
to be released to the public. It would be simple for them to redac, or remove these articles, but they are more worried about the public's
"right to know". Personal privacy is not important. The legal system has not caught up with the legal issues concerning personal privacy.It will, and services such as "newspaperarchive.com" will be forced to respect the right of personal privacy, or be sued!

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cyber-privacy
Madison, US
Jul 10, 2012 8:59 am EDT

This service allowed several newspaper articles to appear on the internet, that delt with personal information, that was never
to be released to the public. It would be simple for them to redac, or remove these articles, but they are more worried about the public's
"right to know". Personal privacy is not important. The legal system has not caught up with the legal issues concerning personal privacy.It will, and services such as "newspaperarchive.com" will be forced to respect the right of personal privacy, or be sued!

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Julie Yancey Brennan
Stephens City, US
Apr 21, 2011 5:14 pm EDT

So sorry this has happened to you - it just happened to me too. I wish I would have check them out. I had less than 12 hours before I was kicked off the system.

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J.Eagen
, US
Feb 20, 2011 9:06 pm EST
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I have the exact same situation and am logging my complaint. I was not advised of the recurring charge on my credit card, and when I thought since they charged it, I am going to use it then it said I couldn't log in to the website. What a scam, I am going to lodge a complaint with our states attorney general and news media. Maybe someone can get to the bottom of this. I cannot get a refund either. J.Eagen / MN.

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vindog
Irvine, US
Sep 18, 2009 5:30 pm EDT

I too have a similar situation, and have logged my complaint here. I was not advised that the billing was recurring, and that they would not even let me know when they were going to rebill me. They have refused to refund the "new year" even though I haven't used it for a full year.

THEY ARE SCUMS.

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Steve
, US
Dec 10, 2008 9:22 pm EST

Same issue here. I was able to login the same day I purchased the one month and never since. Has anyone made any progress? If not, I am going to follow Mike's lead and file a report with the Iowa BBB and issue a charge back against my CC card.

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Gus Wright
,
Nov 28, 2008 6:36 pm EST

I am having difficulties as well. I was very excited by the product, however I have signed up, and have not received any ability to log in. Good grief, how many people are being suckered for this one. In my opinion they have three days to make it right, or I will personally spread my message to all of my contacts, and to their contacts. This is no way to do business. I cannot believe in this day and age that people can get away with this. I am so unbelievably disappointed.

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nick
,
Nov 23, 2008 2:06 am EST

Same exact problem. WTF?!?

ComplaintsBoard
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4:48 am EST
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NewspaperArchive.com refund

I requested a cancellation of my membership, then the drama begins:

They wrote:
We have received your request of cancellation. I wasn’t able to call because there is no number to contact on your account page. Your account is closed, however there is an issue with the amount refunded. The amount was supposed to be refunded $83.88; However, the refund amount is completely wrong of $7, 188.00 so we are going to be charge you $7104.12 to make the accounts balance out. I apologize for any confusion may have caused.

I wrote:
Please advise the refund method. The amount you charge back is over my credit card limit, so i don't think you can charge it. Please clarify and get back to me at your early convenience. Thank you very much.

They wrote:
We have tried to charge your card several times to get this sorted out, however, it is not working. We were able to charge $1, 000 so we still need to charge $6, 104.12. We are now getting an error message that suggests your account has been closed? Can you please let me know as soon as possible what changes you have made to your card and if you have had any conversations with your bank? I would like to get this resolved and if there is anything we need to do, please let us know.

I wrote:
Thank you very much for your email. I know your company accidently refunded $7104.12 to me. I sent an email to Valerie to advise I have contacted my bank. My bank says your company need to contact your own bank to reverse the transaction and you cannot just charge my card back. There is nothing I can do at that stage. And also, I have checked my account. There is no transaction history of $7104.12. It is a credit card account, so I don't think you can put any money into this account. The only transaction I saw is your company charged $1000 on my credit card without my authorisation. In this case, I have reported my bank about this matter and they will investigate this transaction.

If I have received the amount your company sent to me, I am pleased to return all to you. However, I didn't received any money at all. Please kindly contact your bank to reserve the money to you and refund the $1000 to me as soon as possible. Thank you very much.

They wrote:
I have spoken to several different banking institutions but none of them are willing to assist me as the merchant, basically they keep telling me that you need to call your bank and get this reversed—has this shown up on your transaction history yet?
I apologize for the inconvenience.

I wrote:
Thank you very much for your email. My bank advised me that the transaction ($7xxx) has been shown on my credit card account. And they said they need to close my case as they are not able to reverse the money to your company because it's a credit card account. They said you have to contract your own bank to make the reverse. They will not help me to do this matter.

I sincerely want to return the money to you and you refund $1000 to me, then everything is work out. I am very sorry about that and can you please contact your bank again?

They wrote:
I am still working on this and have been told that the only way to resolve this is to charge your card the remaining $5104.12– have you received the funds to your credit card account? From what I can tell, you have been issued a new credit card number, can you please pass that on so we can resolve this?

I wrote:
I am sorry that I cannot give you the new credit card number. The amount you return to me is stucked in my old credit card account and I am not able to use it ( Of course I won't use it as it's not my money). I think you still need to deal with your bank to reverse the transaction. Thank you very much.

The company owner, Debora Gill wrote:
I am Debora Gill, the owner of NewspaperArchive.com

We are STILL...after 6 weeks trying to get the $7, 188 refunded.

I just spoke with the Australian Bank.
They asked to have the customer call back during "Business hours" .
They said that (Me) needs to call [protected] and ask for the Credit Card Solutions Manager and then will get us to Dispute Resolutions...

I am very frustrated that NOTHING has been accomplished...it seems that since it isn't everyone else's $7, 188 it doesn't matter...it is A LOT of money that we depend on to pay our own company bills.

I think if we ALL put some focus in this...we can get it resolved...it seems crazy that something so simple has become so difficult.

Can you e-mail us a response AS SOON as you have contacted them and let us know what they have said?

The owner wrote again:
have been trying to get ahold of you in regards to this unresolved issue with the refund of $7, 188 too much.

I have spoken with your bank and ours.

Both have said that you need to contact your bank and explain the situation in order for us to resolve this matter in a timely fashion.

This is the second e-mail I have sent with no response from you.

Please understand that...since you have closed your credit card account and gotten a new one, it seems as though you might be considering spending these funds that are clearly not yours. This is a great deal of money and these are necessary funds for us to be able to pay our bills.

If we do not hear from you soon, please know that we will be forced to pursue this matter legally and take you to court. Should we have to take this route, please note that you will not only be responsable for returning these funds to us...but also pay the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars for Lawyers fees.

I expect to hear from you before January 30th.

I wrote:
Dear Debora,

First of all, your emails make me feel uncomfortable. It seems that is my fault and I 'stolen' the money from your company. Your staff made a mistake and I have tried to contact my bank several times to help your company. But you do not appericate what I did and sent an email to me in such bad manner.

After the refund of $7188 has been made, your staff charged $1000 back from my credit card without my authorisation. So I talked to my bank about this and they said they needed to close my credit card for security reason. It does not mean I intend to spend the money. Are you slandering me? Actually, I have no respondsibility to deal with this matter as it is not my fault at all. I have contacted with your staff, Heather, by email many times to slove it. After the investigation, my bank says we cannot do anything here as it's a credit card account and we cannot take the money out or reverse it. The only way is: you guys need to contact your bank to reverse the payment. I am trying my best to help your company but you threaten me by taking me to court. Which regulation I against?

I need to work 10 hours and look after my kids every day. I really do not have time to deal with it. And it was public holiday on Thursday and the bank was closed. I went to the branch yesterday. The staff says the bank will get back to me next week. Please understand it's weekend here now as well as the time difference. I am not able to get back to you by 30 January. Actually, I don't understand why you give me a deadline to do something for you. Please remember I am not your staff. I am your customer.

I do not know where I can complain about your manner as you are the boss of the company. I also think your staff is lack of training. You are better to review the management strategy rather than blame your customers. I will send an email to Heather after the bank has replied me. I hope it will be the ending of this case. Anyway, please remember the time difference. I am not able to do what you want by the deadline you set. Please also remember it is not my fault at all and It is not my respondsibility to help you. I have no time to deal with it. I have never considering to spend the money your company refund to me. Please don't slander me. Oppositely, I really want your company reverse the transaction as my credit card statement is in a complete mess.

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Update by my goodness
Jan 28, 2012 6:33 am EST

Same case here

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CATHERINE MCCLELLAN
, US
Jan 22, 2010 11:01 am EST
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THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY A COMPLAINT. i JUST SUBSCRIBED TO NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES BY MISTAKE. I WOULD LIKE TO BE
CREDITED BACK TO MY ACCOUNT THE MONEY THAT WAS TAKEN

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7:21 pm EST

NewspaperArchive.com Totaly useless

Buyers beware: avoid newspaperarchive.com. It is a complete scam. Once you sign up, they make it near impossible for you to cancel. I signed up for a year, but almost immediately realized my mistake. Unfortunately, as I said they make nearly impossible for you to cancel. I tried calling for a refund, but they refused and actually dared me to go to the State Attorney General. Obviously this company isn’t interested in keeping customers, only in suckering in new ones.once they have you money, they couldn’t care less.

They did however, “generously” agree not to auto renew my subscription. How nice. They might have got me this time, I can assure you it will not happen again and I want to make sure no one else makes this same mistake.

I know I have stopped at least 20 people from succumbing to their scam. I hope to help more people avoid it. I have spread the word at The Family History Center and intend on spreading it further. Avoid this website. Your subscription is practically worthless for all the information there is one that site. Save your money!

I am out 120 dollars for the year. I have to keep it, so I try and make use of it by dong searches for people for free. I might as well not. It is ridiculous how little information is offered on that site. Totally worthless.

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fookoffvictoria
, US
May 18, 2020 2:09 am EDT

They charged me $5.42 today. Way before my subscription was up. I signed up for a month free trial and I was going to cancel it 2 days before my account gets billed for the monthly paid subscription. I have emailed them about it and this lady named Veronica told me my card wasn’t billed at all but my incoming bank statements says I was billed $5.42 from Newspaper Archive! She also told me that she cancelled my subscription for next month and asked me my last 4 digits of my credit card so I answered them back. What should I do next? I’m afraid they’ll bill me for the next month coming or maybe sooner. Please help!

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NewspaperArchive.com misleading

Newspaperarchives.com are liars and very misleading. I was looking for a particular newspaper which when I asked newspaper archives they responded they have (1) article found. When I subscribed with my credit card I was billed 71.88. I immediately contacted my credit card company to stop the payment which they did. Exactly 8 minutes later newspaper archives went back into the credit card and processed the transaction and now I'm stuck with this subscription for (1) year and cannot find the newspaper article that i was looking for. In Canada, they (newspaperarchives) only offers newspapers from Manitoba, Alberta provinces not Quebec or Ontario (which was what I wanted). Too Bad I haven't any use for this subscription I am stuck with for one year. Daphne Knott

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Terri L.
, US
Feb 14, 2013 11:56 pm EST
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I subscribed to this site in May of 2012. If you go to the website to see what their prices are it shows $29.97 per quarter, $47.94 per 6 months or $71.89 per year. I signed up for the quarterly option. The first quarter I paid $29.97, after that it renewed at $41.97.

You have to read the paperwork to find out it isn't really $29.97. I called to find out why the website gives one price and doesn't say on the pricing page that it goes up after the first period. He just kept telling me it was in the paperwork 3 times if I had read it. I tried to find out why they mislead you on the subscription price page, but he just kept repeating the same thing over and over.

It may be on the page below the information that you card will be charged $29.97 that it goes up, but when you look at the page that shows the prices to suck you in, it isn't there. It should say that it goes up after the first period, but it doesn't. It should say choose the price that is right for you, but that really isn't what you will be paying if you let it auto renew.

I will probably cancel when this period is up, I have signed up on another site that gave ancestry.com members a discounted price.

I hope it is a joke, when I used spell check here, it showed no incorrectly spelt words instead of spelled words.

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4:18 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com site barely functions, no customer support

In the past few years I got a lot of enjoyment out of this large archive of old newspapers, and the archive end of it is good. But the functionality of the site, especially login, has been getting bad and getting worse. Customer support has never sent me a solution of substance, always blaming my computer, telling me to delete cookies, try a different browser, or call them during business hours. I have no problem with any other member site. I think they might have blocked me which is illegal since I paid for the service, blocked me because I live in the Philippines. If so they are going to have to give me back my money. But I don't want my money back, I want the site to be usable again like it used to be. This site went from awesome to bad to broken and I tried today one more time to get a response of substance from their tech support, but I have no hope. Another reason they might have blocked me is that I took advantage of a low price offer for a year and I think my account is now being treated as a last priority when the site is busy.

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Update by Mr Research
Jul 15, 2011 2:17 am EDT

Here's the robot email I got, same as always, with no indication that any human being read my complaint:
Dear [name filled in by robot],
Thank you for contacting us. To resolve your login issue, we recommend one of two options.
• Delete your temporary internet files. OR
• Use FireFox as your internet browser, which can be downloaded for free from www.firefox.com.
If neither one of these solutions works for you, please let us know so we can assist with further with trouble shooting. If you would like to speak to a Customer Service Representative about your account, please feel free to call us at [protected] (M-F 8am-4:30pm CST).
Sincerely,
Customer Service
NewspaperARCHIVE.com®
customerservice@NewspaperARCHIVE.com

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S.C.S.
Atlanta, US
Nov 21, 2012 12:16 pm EST
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JERRY83,

SCRUPULOUS companies send you an email reminding you that your account is going to be renewed and the renewal date, usually a week after the email, so you have time to cancel. Not newspaperARCHIVE. I'm guessing you have money to burn, since you said you've been a member for a long time. I don't. I used it once and cancelled. They can't find the cancellation. Even my credit card statement didn't have their complete phone number-it was missing the last digit. I'm sure that was due to customer complaints.

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Gavreeayl A. Yisrael
, US
Oct 22, 2012 9:10 am EDT

Please cancel my subscription to NewspaperARCHIVE.com immediately. my account number is Acct. #794764. NewspaperARCHIVE.com is totaly useless to me. I subscribed last night on 10/21/12 and am canceling today 10/22/12. THANKS, Gavreeayl A. Yisrael. I tryed to contact you by phone but was not successfull.

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JERRY83
, MX
Aug 23, 2012 10:31 am EDT

I am a current member of newspaperarchive.com and i am so pleased with the service. I've never have any problems about recurring billings and stuff like that. I must say that i had some tech issues in the past that got fixed but that was it. The recurring billing is very common in most websites, if you don't call before your renewal date it will charge your card. As for unauthorized by the time you agree the terms you are authorizing them to charge your credit card. People PLEASE READ before you purchase from internet so you wont feel like you were rip off!

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4:44 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com subscription policy

I signed up for a four month session. There is a VERY VERY VERY small print point about canceling before a certain time frame or it will be automatically renewed. I did not look at this or remember. I was not notified that this was coming up. There was no call or email that money would be due. I called customer service. The woman there refused to do anything but kept repeating contract information. She also was rude and talking to the woman next to her. I told her I can hear you! I have been a victim of bank fraud. I am trying to straighten thinks out. She would not set me free. I felt trapped in a contract I no longer needed or wanted. She was very curt. She mentioned very proudly that this has been going on for four years. I then asked her if a problem went on this long why would it not be fixed? She thanked me for my impute with a sigh. Nothing has been changed and I did not receive my money back. This is a scam. When print is that small and lengthy the policy of letting people know needs to be updated. I would not recommend this sneaky group.

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3:42 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com bad business practices

These people have alot of nerve charging other peoples cards! They had me do marketing for them for months and then after my job was finished decided to have the cc company charge back for unrendered services! I can't believe the card company is holding it in dispute still. NewspaperArchive knows full well I did all that work for them! They are cheats.

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NewspaperArchive.com no way to cancel subscription

There is no way to cancel a subscription to this website. I subscribed in order to do some research, chose the monthly debit option, and intended to cancel after one month, but the Customer Service phone number has a recording stating that there is no one there, leaving messages does not help nor does contacting them by e-mail. I suppose I will have to close my bank account in order to stop them from debiting my account monthly.

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Julius9199
Shorewood, US
Aug 02, 2016 4:05 am EDT

This website is a total scam. I got my on-line 7 day trial and then it automatically has been renewing since. I should have paid more attention to the fine print but it shouldn't be allowed in the first place. The first renewal was for a year at 71.86. The second automatic renewal was for 6 MONTHS at $99.95! That is for just 6 Months! It is $200 a year! I guess that figured they had me when I failed to catch the first automatic renewal. Please don't try the trial either. It is very hard to get a hold of them to cancel it once you sign up for it. I tried and then just gave up, thinking I would try again later...which is what they figure is going to happen. Just a very clever and successful scam...

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PastMstr
, US
Aug 02, 2016 4:05 am EDT

NewspaperArchives.com is the worst database resource I have ever used. I paid money and got nothing. I tried to contact their customer service numerous times and no one picked the tube during weeks. My emails left without answer too.

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Neal R Wooley
,
Aug 02, 2016 4:05 am EDT

Swimming upstream would be easier than trying to use this web site.
I got absolutely nowhere!
I'll be opting out and kiss my money goodby.

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marilyn samet
,
Aug 02, 2016 4:05 am EDT

had a 1 yr subscription (and gave another as a gift. It was impossible to access anyof the teasers that they sent via E Mail;...I was blocked by ads. And logging in was never remembered..and always a problem. I sent may messages about my resentment of their navigation system...but nothing changed.

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11:43 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com - Fraudulent billing

I signed up for a trial membership. The terms of this agreement were that I could cancel the subscription within a certain time frame, which I did. Despite that, this company has billed me anyway for every single year in the last four years. That's nearly $100 a year. I have provided written documentation of my cancellation, which indicates that I would...

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5:27 pm EST
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NewspaperArchive.com deceptive billing practices

I signed up for 3 month subscription and assumed I would get an e-mail communication about renewal (they claimed to have sent one, which is false). I never received an e-mail informing me of the renewal information, nor of the one unsuccessful billing of my credit card when the expiration date changed, nor of the change they made from my original service from 3 months to the more expensive 1 month billing. All of these billings and adjustments were done with no contact to the consumer. My husband reviews our credit statements and didn't ask me about the charge. It never occurred to me that the subscription service could continue to charge me in this way without any contact! Avoid using this service! They tell me I agreed to the recurring charges when I signed up (believe me, this is NOT clear in their terms of agreement) and they claim they contacted me which is an outright fabrication. Underhanded, shady business practices, at best. Downright dishonest in my book!

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my goodness
, AT
Jan 28, 2012 6:39 am EST

They are suck!

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fig333
, US
Dec 01, 2011 5:30 pm EST

Newspaper Achieve is stealing peoples money by charging their credit cards, then by not answering the phone to allow you to cancel your sub.

They should be put in Jail.

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Here2do
Tampa, US
Jan 24, 2010 5:07 pm EST

Unless you're brand new to the internet you should know that this is a VERY common practice. Any time you subscribe to a service assume that you will have to cancel the service, prior to the next billing date and sometimes several days prior, in order not to be billed the following billing period. I feel for anyone who isn't used to this type of practice and agree that you should have to opt in, not opt out, but again it is very common. Always assume that you will be re-billed after the first billing cycle. If you can't confirm the cancellation procedure prior to subscribing, I would suggest that you not subscribe.

Sincerely,
Savvy Internet User

PS: I found this site while trying to figure out exactly how to cancel and whether anyone has had problems canceling, within the stated time frames.

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4:22 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com total waste of money

Total scam, when you try to cancel, 18 minutes after signing up and they won't let you, you know that they are not on the level. They got me this time but not again. They said I signed up for a year and they will not renew automatically. Big of them, right? But they will not refund and dare you to call the State Attorney General, that is not the way to win customers and keep them. I have stopped at least 20 people from signing up with them at the Family History Center in SLC and intend to spread the word. Since I am forced to keep it, I do look ups for people for free. It is laughable how litte you can find for $120 a year. They are a joke and a bad one, stay away.

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William Beasley
, US
Jan 30, 2019 2:31 pm EST

Had a similar experience...they are a scam

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12:33 pm EDT
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NewspaperArchive.com fraud

WITHOUT NOTICE VIA EMAIL, NewspaperArchives.com automatically renewed my subscription. Two days after the renewal became effective, I contacted this company to ask for refund (I rarely used service and found is substandard even for obituary searches). They denied my request. I've contacted Pam Williams, the Customer Service Director and have yet to receive a respond. This company is engaged in manipulation and deceit. I recommend that anyone who has been ripped off by this company, contact BBB and Iowa Attorney General.

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Update by blondiespenard
Oct 14, 2009 1:37 pm EDT

After being initially denied a refund, I contacted Pam Williams who stated that the automatic renewal was to prevent lapses in subscription. I explained to her I no longer wanted, nor could afford to renew my subscription and asked for a refund. She told me that because I cancelled two days after the renewal term began, I would receive a refund for the remaining 11 months only. Although I believe that the automatic renewal policy tends to take advantage of subscribers' inattention, I did receive a refund to the 11 months.

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JWT1962
, US
Apr 19, 2021 12:42 pm EDT
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Where did you get a contact number for them? I have emailed them twice and have yet to receive a response. I can't find a contact number for them anywhere.

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