I subscribed to the online crosswords in 2007 for $39.95 for a year. The subscription automatically renewed in June and charged my credit card without my consent for another year. They do not try to contact you to say they will be charging you for another year of service. They do this without permission or consent.
I signed on to the nytimes.com website and fortunately canceled the subscription within days of my card being charged. I was upset to find that nytimes.com keeps all your information, such as credit card numbers, stored on its website, but there is no way to delete your own account to avoid having this personal information readily available for anyone to see. So I emailed customer service asking for my entire account to be deleted. The next day I received an email reply saying my crossword subscription had been canceled, thank you. I went back to NYTimes.com, and my account and personal information were all still there.
I emailed again, frustrated that 1) this person Oneeka seems to be the only customer service person, 2) he or she is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and 3) this person obviously did not read or comprehend my first email. I repeated my request, and finally the person got it right. Now I am waiting for my refund for the unauthorized crossword renewal charge. I emailed an inquiry again, and again Oneeka replied, "We have no record of your account." So now they are going to get out of giving me a refund.
I should be refunded the full amount per NYTimes.com's own refund policy:
http://www.nytimes.com/membercenter/faq/crosswords.html#crosswqa4 (accessed 6/22/08)
What is the refund policy for Premium Crosswords? Because Premium Crosswords requires you to download and install software, we will refund 100% of the price if you have difficulties with the download of this product and cancel within seven days of purchase. If you request a refund after seven days of purchase, we will grant a partial refund for the time remaining on your subscription. To cancel your Premium Crosswords subscription, visit the Purchase History area of Member Center, look for "Your Active Premium Products" and click on the "cancel this product" link next to your Premium Crosswords subscription. Follow the instructions on the next page and you should receive a pro-rated refund.
Gift subscriptions of Premium Crosswords are non-refundable. If you have any questions or encounter any problems, please email Customer Service at [email protected].
I am going to file a complaint with the BBB (NYTimes is a member). The lesson: do not sign up for the nytimes.com crosswords subscription. They will charge your card year after year without your consent. I check my credit card statements frequently and carefully, but most people do not, and they will just pay the charge without even noticing it. They will refuse to refund the unauthorized payment. Stay away from nytimes.com online subscription services.
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