Los Angeles Times / LA Times / L.A. Times
LA Times Sent Me To Collection Agency For Delinquent GIFT SUBSCRIPTION I received!

I'm the innocent recipient of a GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to the Los Angeles Times. Apparently, when the gift-giver's credit card expired (and the Times continued to deliver), they sent the bill for delivery TO ME. I received the bill but figured that they must also be notifying the gift-giver since I did not subscribe to the Times. When the bill remained unpaid, my information was sent to a collection agency (Caine & Weiner / 818-236-6000) and a letter threatening a negative credit report was sent to me. After FIVE unreturned calls to the appropriate people at the collection agency, I contacted the Times thinking that it would be easily resolved.

I did not subscribe to the Times so I was not in any financial relationship with the Times. Explaining this would be quick and easy, right? NO.

After speaking to a number of people who were clearly employees of an outsourced international company, I was told that the amount was past due and that it must be paid or the "bad debt" would be mine and mine alone. Any attempts to explain my misfortune (and lack of any financial connection to the Times) were responded to with, "We will mark your account as 'refused to pay.'"

I then made another attempt to speak with someone at the collection agency and agreed to speak with the assistant of the person I was originally told to contact. I received a very unsympathetic response indicating that I am liable for the charges and that going to court would cost more than paying the amount... So... Well... You get the idea.

I'm SHOCKED by the responses I received, and further disappointed that these responses come from an organization that claims to hold high regard for ethics, trust and its readers. I can guarantee that I will never subscribe to the Times and will tell my story to all who will listen — friends, family, clients, community members.

What do you do when the very media organization you would contact for an investigation is the organization that is standing behind its scam?

Company: Los Angeles Times / LA Times / L.A. Times
Country: USA
State: California
City: Los Angeles
Address: 202 W. 1st Street
Phone: 2132375000

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