ToledoBlade.com review: Subscription deceit

Recently I received an unsolicited call from a person representing himself as calling on behalf of the Blade subscription department. We had not renewed our subscription pending the strike/lockout outcome. After some discussion, the Blade solicitor offered a weekend (Saturday, Sunday) subscription for $12. I accepted the offer and provided my credit card number to start the subscription. I received one Saturday paper. When I called to inquire as to why no later papers were being delivered, I was informed that I had a past due balance and that my $12 subscription fee was being applied to my past due balance.

I do not have a past due balance. I did not renew my subscription. Any papers delivered after the subscription lapsed were considered gifts that I did not order. The Blade has no right to continue unwanted deliveries. In addition, applying a new subscription payment to a past due balance without informing me in advance is a violation of the Ohio consumer protection laws. Further, the solicitor violated federal debt collection practices by not informing me that the purpose of the call was debt collection.