MediaOne and their E-Edition Scam – It is All About the Money

I am a reader of the both the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune and the Standard Examiner. Fortunately, since the creation of the Internet I have been able to read all three via their respective websites. I use their free editions and have been very happy with their websites. I learned today that MediaOne is charging people for the E-edition of the newspaper regardless if you have a compute or not. In fact the cost is higher than their Sunday only Print Editions. If you get the Sunday Only paper you are being overcharged for their electronic edition of the paper. Today—I canceled my subscriptions.

In my renewal notice for the newspaper and I noticed next to each line item on the bill it says I was receiving the E-Edition of the paper. Not knowing what this was, I went to the Tribune website and found their e-edition at the top. I remember now deciding never to purchase it since the majority if the information is in their free edition. Am I getting charged for an e-edition I do not need? I called MediaOne to ask if I was being charged. The conversation went like this:

{BenJoe} Hello, I have been getting three Sunday papers for the last few months so my wife can clip coupons. I was wondering if you could tell me if I am being charged for the E-editions of the paper since it is included in my bill.

{Vanessa} Yes you are it is required to have the e-edition if you get the Sunday paper.

{BenJoe} Really, well how much is the e-edition?

{Vanessa} [Approximately] $6.00 a month per paper.

{BenJoe} So each month you are charging me $18 for an e-edition that I don't use. I just get the Sunday paper for the coupons.

{Vanessa} Yes, that is our policy if you get the Sunday paper only, you must have the E-edition.

{BenJoe} What if I didn't have a computer?

{Vanessa} You would still have to pay for the e-edition.

{BenJoe} So with a 12-week renewal will end up charging me $54 for the E-edition?

{Vanessa} Yes. This is our policy.

{BenJoe} My renewal only costs $82.00 for a 12- week renewal, so th cost difference is $28.00. Are you telling me it is more expensive to get the e-edition of your paper than to just get a Sunday paper?

{Vanessa} Yes, that it is our policy, you must have both. You can avoid this if you went to a daily paper. But the Sunday paper comes with the E-edition.

{BenJoe} Please cancel my subscriptions.

{Vanessa} OK, thanks that is done.

Do you see the scam? They are charging you MORE for Internet usage of a paper than the regular Sunday Print paper. A chunk of my coupon savings have been eradicated due to an e-edition I never use.

This same thing is happening with their legal notices in the paper and will continue to get worse. HB 161 is designed to remove caps on publishing of legal notices, then their NEW website will launch just in time to OVERCHARGE the consumer for things that should be free or at least cheaper! Believe me I am not anti-media. I love the media and enjoy reading multiple newspapers every day, but this is ridicules. The newspapers will try to squeeze every penny out of the consumer as possible; this is all about the money. SB 208 would help elevate some of this cost. Their own argument against SB 208 is not enough people have computers to use the system, is now called into question when they are charging people who don't have a computer and get the Sunday only paper.

Yesterday I spoke with a woman who runs a daycare business, she told me of the hundreds of dollars she spends every year in posting legal notices for their daycare. They are required by law to do this and it is a huge cost to them. A bill like SB 208 would help free up some of the much needed cash flow in her business. I urge the support of SB 206 and cancel your Sunday papers.

Now I need to go tell my wife.

Comments welcome.