Doug D.
Yelp
I will go into some detail, but it exists elsewhere and many others have been mislead as well I have learned. I signed up for a 90-day digital trial for $1, and was told in the same offer that I could cancel anytime, including on-line, but when my life got busy and I couldn't use the service and tried to cancel to avoid additional charges, there was no online option, despite repeated attempts on different days and coming my account and their site. And when I tried to cancel via email they tried to upsell me to stay longer and would not cancel my account and told me to call customer service, and when I called customer service to cancel, they were not open due to COVID, on two separate days when they claimed their customer service was open. After being trapped with the LA TIMES for days, and being forced to pass my 90-day subscription cutoff, they then said I owed $22.81 cents -- classic scam. I still have no idea what that money is for. When I tried to inquire, customer service was closed again, for days -- COVID they said. They said I could pay online, but wouldn't accept my account number, and I got the same result over their 1980-style digital phone pay service -- amazing. I checked the account number twice, and re-entered it, but to no avail. So, somewhat ironically, and appropriately for the out of touch LA TIMES' failed digital "experiment" with this new thing some call "the internet" by what is still a good print media shop and information source, I had to use the medium they know best -- good old 19th century technology -- the U.S. Mail -- and thank goodness for the U.S. Mail, or I'd still be trapped and likely racking up more fees somehow for a service I didn't want or use and could not stop. Luckly I stopped my credit card before they charged me more .... I was fooled by a misleading add, a name I trusted and quality news, and my desire for good reporting and news that lead to a classic bait and switch worthy of so many online scams. I should have done my research and seen the scores of bad reviews for their digital trial, and that their digital media effort has been an epic failure (https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/07/the-l-a-times-disappointing-digital-numbers-show-the-games-not-just-about-drawing-in-subscribers-its-about-keeping-them/). I hated to pay the money (by check) for something I didn't use, but feel so good being finally free of them (so I think!) and stopping the waste of time, and potential further bills, and hard-earned money. I should file a BB complaint, but I've already wasted too much time on them, so I will post here and there and warn others to not repeat my mistake. Please be very wary and do not use the LA Times "trial" digital service, and do not give them your credit card, or if you do, make sure you mean it, as it is near to impossible to cancel once you have started and account with them.