NewspaperArchive.com
reviews and complaints

As someone who values efficient customer service, my recent encounter with NewspaperArchive.com left me utterly frustrated. I found myself locked out of my account, seeking assistance that seemed elusive. The automated responses and delayed human interaction only added to my exasperation. It's disheartening when a service fails to meet basic expectations, especially in a field as important as genealogy research. In comparison to other platforms, this experience fell far short of satisfactory.

I kept getting the "chat with me" box showing up as I was researching - very annoying. So I decided to ask if there was a way to shut if off - I typed my question and hit "enter" - the question did not show up so I retyped it thinking it did not go through. The customer service agent then said:

Juan: "The whole reason you are asked question is so we may read it there is no read (spelled that way) to retype. The window keeps coming up because you don't have a subscription"
Me: That was kind of rude, I did not see my question again and thought it didn't go through. And yes, I do have a subscription - I am logged in right now.
Juan: There is nothing rude about providing you information so that you don't loose your time retyping all you need to do is click "x". You may translate it as you wish however, is simple information. Have a great day Barbara.
Then he quit the session. By the way - hitthing the X only closes it for a few minutes - it pops back up again in a short time. So when "Juan" shut me off there was a "rate me" thumbs up or down option. I chose down. Didn't really get my question answered and was shut down before I could clarify.

About 3mn later I get the following email from "Juan"

"To provide information to you the user is not to be rude.
Your question was answered but didnt take the time to read it since you were too busy translating the text which is plain and has no feeling or emphasis.
Please note that besides taking multiple chats we answer emails, process cancellations, renewals, etc.
Every chat that is rated as bad takes 5 % of our customer service percentage to make that up we need three good ratings with a comment.
That is a rarity since most users get assistance and just close the chat.
All bad rated chats are reviewed by the supervisor if rating seems unfair he will place a ban on the user for the amount of time at his discretion.
Thank you.
Juan Hensley.
Customer Service
***@newspaperarchive.com
***@newspaperarchive.com
Newspaperarchive.com
4023 Kennett Pike #***
Bloomington, Delaware ***"

If this is how this company operates - then I want my money back.

On October 2,2023 i was charged 169.52 for subscribing to your site. I am so sorry and embarrassed. I was shocked! Please dont charge me.. i just wanted to look once and couldnt even open it up.. there was no information.

I was at a friends house out of my country and it was a mistake! Oct 2, 2023

STRDNWSPPR* TRIAL

NEWS

HTTPSNEWSPAPEUT

$169.52

All of a sudden, my account is blocked and I'm unable to sign in. I tried many times to reset my password by clicking the link but I never receive an email to reset the password. I sent an email to them and it's been almost a week. They did send something back saying they would respond to me after they determined what my issue was. I want to cancel my account/subscription ASAP but I can't even access my account to do so. I've put a block on my credit card but I don't know what else to do. Please help.

Avoid this company at all costs... once they have your credit card details, they will "renew" your subscription without notice nor advise they have done so. My subcription was just auto renewed for $148... no notice, no receipt. Nothing. Then they lie and say I "didn't receive the notice." Nonsense... I get all their junk mail right enough.

This is totally dishonest and unprofessional company.

Their entire business revolves around this kind of deceptive billing practice. Indeed, the so called "terms" of subscribing tells you what they are really like. Absolutely the WORST web purchase experience I have ever had.

What a wretched, unprofessional company this is.

I had a one-year subscription and it was, without notice or receipt, renewed on my credit card on 28 November 2022.

Worse, the vendor name on my credit card bill is nothing like "Newspaperachives.com" and my bank tells me it's listed under "appraisals". So... we think it's a fraudulent charge, they cancel my credit card and start an investigation.

Then on 5 December 2022 I get an e-mail from Newspaperarchives.com telling me my subscription has been cancelled. I finally am able to deduce what the original charge was for which the bank refunded. So now, I have a new credit card, have to update all my accounts, the bank had to start an investigation... all because these people cannot advise their own customer of when their subscriptions are up for renewal or indeed provide a receipt at time of billing.

This is unacceptable business practice.

AVOID DOING BUSINESS WITH NEWSPAPER.COM

The headline should read: "DISHONEST SCAM WEBSITE"

I used the trial last week, around February 4, 2022 and was never informed that I'd be charged. I did not authorize the service to deduct $154.24 from my account and they do not answer their phone. Please, please investigate this CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. I need my money back. I saw the deduction yesterday, February 9, 2022, and felt scammed.

I paid for a month to see things that I know are available and they have NOTHING. I searched with a FULL name and more information and all that comes up are articles with the FIRST name. RIDICULOUS! I asked "support" for a refund and they actually responded saying they cant give me one since I searched before contacting them! WHY WOULD I CONTACT THEM BEFORE ? They stopped replying to me all together. I paid with Paypal so at least I am covered if they try to bill me again. THIS COMPANY IS POINTLESS AND A SCAM!

I sign up for their free 7 day trial on 4/07/2021, I cancelled the subscription on 4/14/2021, on 4/16/2021 NewspaperArchive.com charged my debit card in the amount of $80.95. I have emailed them twice about this error and yet to have recieved a reply back. I also tried to call a toll free number that was listed for them on the internet, but got some medical device company. I just simply want them to reverse that charge back to my card.

NewspaperArchive.com made unauthorized charges to my debit card in the amount of $159.60 from June 2020 to January 2021 at $19.95 a month for 8 months of a suposed subscription which again, I did not authorize. I have emailed them and called them @ [protected]. The phone # continually rings a busy signal and the responding email response provides a "cat" line which is unavailable.
Muriel Campbell
758 Main St.
Wakefield, MA 01880

I haven't used or accessed Newspaper Archives at all in 2020. I don't understand this charge and I in no way am responsible for it. Please have it credited back to my credit card immediately. Additionally, please contact me once this has been done so I will have confirmation that it is resolved. I'd wanted to give you the opportunity to correct this problem before having to get my credit card company involved.
Thank you,
Janie Austin

My membership was included in my ancestry.com membership and should not be billed separately. This is the second time I have had to get this charge to my card reversed. On May 4 you charged my card 148.29. I would like this reversed as I did not authorize it. I didn't really get much use out of the membership because every time I tried to print something it requested that I update and spend more money. I declined each time. I cancelled my Ancestry membership in April 2020 and newspaperarchive.com should have cancelled at the same time. the email I used was jemccully and my ancestry login was jemcully141.

My complaint to this BBB, Nov. 2017, was dismissed as beyond their purview, because newspaperarchive.com emailed: the First Amendment protects the right to free speech for newspapers. My name and high school name were listed below an article in a 1975 newspaper. Newspaperarchive.com used that page as a URL and image on the web. I requested removal of the URL and image below my name only. They banned my email. If Heritage World Archives SEZC is searched, a pdf of a blank agreement for libraries to digitize microfilm of newspapers can be found. If listing a person's name is not advertisement based, to get you to read the newspaper and make a purchase, then that person should be able to send comments to that newspaper around that date. Forty plus years later, they should not have to advocate an archived web page from an extinct newspaper as newsworthy, or be the one who exposes others.

I signed up and paid for a subscription, and did a search. I turned up two results. I put them in my treasure box. When I clicked on both of them, the links turned up totally unrelated clippings. I spoke on live chat to Leticia, and she said that she said she would contact customer service. And I also emailed customer service 28th December at 1.36pm.

Sofia Valdez wrote back an email asking for the problem links on 31st December, three days later. And yet Leticia already had those details because she tried the link while we were chatting.

I had my computer packed, and it was 3am, but I got up to find the links. When I had my treasure box open, with the two links, I contacted live chat. It was Sofia Valdez, the very girl who had emailed me asking for the links. So the live chat consultant, and customer service, are the same person. So Leticia could have helped me originally.

Just now when I asked Sofia these questions, she terminated the live chat because she didn't want to be questioned about the quality of customer service. I was not abusive and there was no reason to hang up. I simply wanted answers about why the original customer service girl did not give the second customer service girl the links.

I find this totally unacceptable. I paid my subscription in good faith, and have not been helped when the only two links I signed up for do not work. Not only that, but I had the equivalent of Sofia hanging up on me. Very poor customer service indeed.

There is no email address for complaints on their website. This seems to be the only way I can complain to anyone! All I want is what I paid for.

I kept getting the "chat with me" box showing up as I was researching - very annoying. So I decided to ask if there was a way to shut if off - I typed my question and hit "enter" - the question did not show up so I retyped it thinking it did not go through. The customer service agent then said:

Juan: "The whole reason you are asked question is so we may read it there is no read (spelled that way) to retype. The window keeps coming up because you don't have a subscription"
Me: That was kind of rude, I did not see my question again and thought it didn't go through. And yes, I do have a subscription - I am logged in right now.
Juan: There is nothing rude about providing you information so that you don't loose your time retyping all you need to do is click "x". You may translate it as you wish however, is simple information. Have a great day Barbara.
Then he quit the session. By the way - hitthing the X only closes it for a few minutes - it pops back up again in a short time. So when "Juan" shut me off there was a "rate me" thumbs up or down option. I chose down. Didn't really get my question answered and was shut down before I could clarify.

About 3mn later I get the following email from "Juan"

"To provide information to you the user is not to be rude.
Your question was answered but didn’t take the time to read it since you were too busy translating the text which is plain and has no feeling or emphasis.
Please note that besides taking multiple chats we answer emails, process cancellations, renewals, etc.
Every chat that is rated as bad takes 5 % of our customer service percentage to make that up we need three good ratings with a comment.
That is a rarity since most users get assistance and just close the chat.
All bad rated chats are reviewed by the supervisor if rating seems unfair he will place a ban on the user for the amount of time at his discretion.
Thank you.
Juan Hensley.
Customer Service
[protected]@newspaperarchive.com
juan.[protected]@newspaperarchive.com
Newspaperarchive.com
4023 Kennett Pike #50005
Bloomington, Delaware 19807"

If this is how this company operates - then I want my money back.

I signed up with newspaperarchives.com with a one week free trial. I realized that it was not worth $49.95 and emailed them to go ahead and cancel, and to notify me of such by e-mail. They did not, so I sent another e-mail asking them to call me. They did not. I sent many e-mails over the next few days, and they never answered. The only thing I heard from them was that on april 10 they would charge me the 49.95. Despite another e-mail expressly telling them not to do that, the charge was made on my credit card. I had a stop put on my credit card, which is quite inconvenient. THEY ARE CROOKS ! Do not do business with these people.

NEWSPAPERARCHIVES.COM ARE CROOKS ! BEWARE !
Google and you will see several articles about their dishonesty.

Scam.
Original email came from Ancestry Support. Then Archive.com who is also Archives.com and NewspaperArchives.com
Yesterday I received a closed support ticket email from ancestrysupport.com

I cancelled my account 3 times and it keeps getting opened and they keep taking $49.95.
Emails from 2 people in support on 8/4 and 8/5 stating they can't find my info. The exact same email sent twice.
I have been trying to resolve this issue for quite some time.

This morning I was able to contact customer support and have been told my account is now canceled, even though it states it's a limited account, meaning closed, and I will be getting this years payment returned.
However, you will see below that my account was canceled in 2014 and 2015 after they took $49.95 from my account.
I want the 2014, 2015 2016 payments returned. I canceled my account immediently after opening as it was no use to me.
I was told that returns prior to 2016 need to be handled online through [protected]@archives.com.
I emailed then and it was returned undeliverable.

I then got an email yesterday stating my support ticket was closed.
The woman I spoke to today said she found my account and all info is there in the notes.

Hello Gina,
Thank you for contacting Archives.com in regard to your difficulty cancelling your subscription. We apologize for the frustration caused, but we're more than happy to assist you in locating and cancelling this account.

Unfortunately, we're not able to locate your account or purchase with the information you provided. We searched for the email address you indicated, [protected]@gmail.com, but it's not linked to your account. Do you have another email address you might have used to establish your account?

We also searched using Gina xxxx, the name you provided, but it didn't match any accounts. Is it possible you used a different name?

Can you locate the email confirmation you received when you opened the account? That email will contain the order and/or receipt number along with the date of purchase.

Any additional information you can provide us to help locate your account is most appreciated.

If you need additional assistance, please feel free to reply to this message or call us at [protected] between the hours of 9 AM to 11 PM Eastern, seven days a week.
Sincerely,
Patrick
Customer Solutions Associate
Archives.com
For more information regarding our products, please follow the links listed below.
Online Help | Learn from Experts | Blog

Gina Hinckley
Aug 5 (4 days ago)
to archivessupport
No I can't. I do't have an acctive account because I canceled it three times. Once just after I opened it for the FREE Access, closing it on the very same day. I then canceled it again, even though it said the account was inactive after you took the $49.99 in July 2015, I then canceled the inactive account recently after receiving a renewal nitification. I CAN send you the payment from my statement showing that you took the money. If my account is inactive and doesn't exist why would I yet get another renewell email? This is all crazy!
Gina xxxxxx

On Thu, Aug 4, 2016 at 7:05 PM, [protected]@archives.com wrote:
Hello Gina,
Thank you for contacting Archives.com in regard to canceling your subscription.
When reviewing your account, we don't show an active subscription. We've searched for the email address you indicated, [protected]@outlook.com, but it's not linked to your account. Do you have another email address you might have used to establish your account?

We also searched using gina xxxxx, the name you provided, but it didn't match any accounts. Is it possible you used a different name?

Can you locate the email confirmation you received when you opened the account? That email will contain the order and/or receipt number along with the date of purchase.
Any additional information you can provide us to help locate your account is most appreciated.
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to reply to this message or call us at [protected] between the hours of 9 AM to 11 PM Eastern, seven days a week.
Sincerely,
Amber
Customer Solutions Associate
Archives.com
For more information regarding our products, please follow the links listed below.
Online Help | Learn from Experts | Blog
ref:_00D15EQ03._50015V6yMz:ref

Reply
ORDER CONFIRMATION WITH CORRECT INFO.
Aug 5 (4 days ago)
to archivessupport
Here is the info on your site about my acct.

Account Information

First Name:
gina

Last Name:
xxxxxx
Email:
[protected]@outlook.com
ZIP Code:
01890
Password:

*********

Here is the transcript from me last year. I tried to contact you regarding the debit from my account. I canceled immidiately after opening the account.
Please return my $49.95 and do not charge my account again.

Gina xxxxxx

8/28/15
to accessinfo

Hello,

Last year I did a trial membership and canceled. In August you charged my account $49.95. When I received the email stating I was going to be charged an annual fee, I went to your site and tried to log on. I was sent a new password to do so. My account showed NULL under membership. To make sure it was in fact NULL, I tried to search for something. It was indeed NULL. Since I was charged I decided to try to use your site. It is still NULL. It askes me to sign up. Please refund the fee of $49.95. It went through under [protected]@outlook.com and my bank account shows a 490641 after your debit.

Thank you,

Gina
****************************************************

Hello gina,

Thank you for contacting Archives about your membership.

As requested your membership has been canceled effective 8/9/2016.

Order id: [protected]

You will continue to have access to your account until 12/10/2014 9:19:32 AM, after which time you will forfeit all membership privileges and lose access to any information you have saved or uploaded to Archives.com. You can re-activate at any time by visiting http://www.archives.com/member/ and entering your email address and password.

they charged my credit card 49.95 for charges I did not make they said they would refund me my money back in 3 days never got refund total scam they are lies and liars don't wast your money they told me to kiss there ### and it would cost me more money to get a refund they told me to just forget it this is shoplifteing on the internet need them shut down visa and mastercard needs to pull there merchant account from them thanks randy in fl

In 15 years of accessing online services, this is the absolute bottom of the barrel. I have never dealt with
such a sneaky, greedy, unresponsive business. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS OUTFIT. They overcharge, have an inflexible refund policy and have horrible customer service.

I wouldn't recommend this "business" to my worst enemy. It's shameful. I will not be surprised if a class-action lawsuit pops up on my radar in the near future.

I bought a one-time access for $19.95. One year later they put $99.95 on my card, without my permission - and refused to process a refund, even though I caught the charge within days of it happening. Called, they absolutely refused.

This site is a scam. The local district attorney needs to shut these guys down.

After a few months of using this service, I decided to cancel. I called the number provided and spoke to a representative who filed the cancellation. I noticed 5 months later that they were still charging me every month with even a jump in the price for the last 2 months from $9.99 to $29.95. I called and spoke to a man who told me someone would get back to me on the matter within 3 days. Never happened, so I called back and spoke to a supervisor who would only honor me the last 2 months of service as a refund. I asked him why not the whole 5 months and he couldn't give me a reason. It was a total of $89.87 in charges. I still haven't received a dime back.