Dallas Morning News Consumer Reviews

DALLAS, TEXAS -- I have to call several times a year just to get the paper I've paid for. The carrier often misses me completely. He often throws in the street where water drains, or on a neighbor's yard or NO DELIVERY at all. I call in to get my paper, and get terrible "service" that is from NONE to NO ASSISTANCE AT ALL. It's like talking to someone and all you get it blank stare. AND, the paper keeps cutting back on both inserts and news. My hometown had a population of 5,000 and it had a daily that was about 8 pages of yawning 'news'....that is about where the Dallas Morning News is for a price of $600 a year!!!!

I've been a customer since 1995, but I'm not going to renew. I'm tired of the liberal slant, poor service, rude staff and missing papers. Its value is dropping lower and lower every day; customer service SUCKS; news coverage SUCKS; and price SUCKS; They should change its name to the "Dallas Morning Skinny, Uncaring, Blank Paper". It might be good as a packaging stuffer, if you can get enough pages from them. LOUSEY, LOUSEY, LOUSEY and all for only $600 a year. WHAT A GREAT DEAL....SUCKER!

DALLAS, TEXAS -- I am one of the few loyal customers under the age of 50 who still regularly receive the newspaper. I am a firm believer in real journalism, professionally edited, diligently written, and produced in a broadsheet format that is both tactile and efficient. But I have four very specific grievances that have caused me to rethink whether or not I will continue my subscription to this publication. In an age in which the plunge in subscription numbers could spell the end of a publication—and has been seen in the recent staff attrition—I would hope that someone in authority at DMN might consider the legitimacy of these grievances.

1. I have had a daily subscription for 10 years. Since I moved to Waxahachie, my delivery has been spotty at best, and the man who actually delivers has been surly and disrespectful. Hard to be motivated to continue paying for a product which I may or may not receive, and about which the seller seems unconcerned.

2. I do not need for my newspaper to reflect my views. I need for my newspaper to be a newspaper—to write down-the-middle headlines and just-the-facts stories, and keep the op-ed on the op-ed page where it belongs. In keeping with everyone else in this business, it is evident that DMN has abandoned this rather archaic model in favor of the slanted headlines, columnists masquerading as journalists, and story selection that mirrors the condescension of an Orwellian groupthink morality in the DMN offices rather than the diverse opinions of the customer base.

Moreover, as customers have fled the product, DMN's brass does not appear to be in the mood to be reflective and honest about this exodus, but has rather doubled down on their patently obvious bias toward more than half their readership. It becomes increasingly difficult to continue paying someone to insult me daily.

3. In the course of 10 years, it appears that DMN has decided to follow AT&T's customer service model, which is to offer incentives to new subscribers while gouging existing customers. Despite the fact that your website offers a seven-day subscription to new customers for around $42/month, I am paying $60/month—after a rate increase in which I was given no notice, no choice to decline, and no explanation whatsoever.

The Fort Worth Star-telegram is even cheaper and would provide me some modicum of local news coverage without making me pay over $700 a year for it. It is always shocking when some company takes this approach to loyal customers; being an ignorant yokel (as the editorial board certainly sees me), I simply do not understand how rewarding consistency and loyalty with such chiseling comprises an efficient business model.

4. As if all of this is not enough, when I attempted to call someone in subscriber services yesterday to talk about this, I was given the ultimate “back of the hand” treatment by a supervisor. After waiting on hold for close to 35 minutes, I finally spoke with an actual human being, who then promised to relay my message and have someone call me back. In the small 5-minute space of the day in which I did have my phone physically on my person, a supervisor named Amy managed to call and leave a voicemail.

However, the callback number she encouraged me to engage was the exact same number I had called yesterday morning. And so I endured another 40-minute hold time, only to reach a human being who promised to walk my message in to Amy personally. The message was “if I don't hear from Amy today, I am going to cancel this subscription.” Amy never bothered to pick up the phone.

It's apparently not enough that I pay $700+/year for a product that may or may not make it to my yard… and when it gets there, is of a lower quality than it was 10 years ago… and when the end of the month comes, I will be charged even more without explanation. But to further insult your shrinking customer base even more by refusing to engage me directly and make this right is an affront to every paying customer in the world.

Let me be clear: the digital age isn't what is killing your business model. Your arrogance is what is doing that job. The arrogance of an “Amy” who can't be bothered to leave a real phone number, or call back, or go to at least some length to keep a loyal customer in the fold… The arrogance of an editorial board who considers me too insipid to know when I'm being talked down to…

The arrogance of a well-paid marketing staff that willingly ignores customer loyalty while openly whining on social media about the layoffs in your publication… The arrogance of a company that will simply not miss my $700/year, and therefore doesn't have to deal with me. It is your arrogance that is killing you, and perhaps it's time for me to simply get out of your way. Loyal Customer (for how much longer?) Michael

DALLAS, TEXAS -- On the 05/20/2019 I paid by debit $40.00 to have my home delivery paper delivered. Was promise by that representative that he would make sure to note that I had delivery issue before due to being on the 3rd floor. Your worker's being too lazy to come upstairs. I never received my paper. After a few days I called and was promise it will come the next day. It never came, was asked to please not cancel wait another day, it never came. On the 05 /24/2019 I cancel my account.

Called today to see why I never received my funds back in my account. After waiting on the phone over 15 min was transferred to another department waiting 17 min to talk. That representative was very dry and rude after explaining my issues he just said it was issue on the 4th, I told him I was looking at my statement and not seeing it. After waiting he had no reply. I told him how I had been a customer with your paper way back when Dallas had two other company the Dallas Time Herald. And how no one had even said to me how bad they felted about not delivering their promise. He had no reply. I will now file a dispute to get my funds returned to my bank account and now post in social media my experience to every site.

PLANO, TEXAS -- On 12/12/18 I contacted supervisor to correct subscription rate after 2 previous increases in 2018. I was told that the 2 month rate of $91.80 is set by marketing and there is no method to reduce rate to previous subscription rate. In December 2017 it was $72.44, in February 2018 it increased to $80.44 and in December 2018 it has gone to $91.80. All changes were without prior notification. I was also informed that the DMN no longer credits vacation stops until you reach 21 days.

The first customer representative was kind enough to issue a one time courtesy credit for the five days. Thank you. The supervisor was very courteous but firm in the fact this increase is the way it is now. I have been a subscriber to the print DMN for about 23 years and enjoy reading it. The push seems to be to use electronic newspaper. I don't enjoy that option.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- The Dallas Morning News is the only newspaper in Dallas. It is an extremely liberal/Hillary-loving organization, but my complaint is that they have "guaranteed delivery". 6:00 a.m. on weekdays, 7:00 a.m. on weekends. In the past year, we can count on one hand when the paper has been on time. Yesterday, Wednesday 9/21/16, the 6 a.m. paper arrived at 8:15 a.m...long after we're gone to work. I contacted Customer Service. No one answered back. Today, no paper at all. I have contacted Customer I Don't Care About Service four times today with NO RESPONSE at all. In times where newspapers have lowered subscriptions, you would think TDMN would try to keep customers.

DALLAS, TEXAS -- During one of my weekly errands a couple of months ago I visited my local supermarket and was stopped at the by representatives of The Dallas Morning News offering incentives to get you to sign up for a "30 day free trial" of the Dallas Morning News. If you signed up for this you received a 30.00 gift card for the supermarket, on the spot! Sounds like a great deal right? As it turns out, it has been more of a hassle to deal with and the customer service reps I have had the pleasure of speaking with are more frustrating to deal with than my 6 year old!

Two weeks after falling for the ploy I received a bill in the mail for the full subscription price and it stated that my "14 day free trial" was up and I need to send payment for this amount. What? I was completely confused so I placed a call to the customer service center. I told them exactly what I was told by the representative that I signed up with. They told me that that was not the offer and that I had to pay for the paper and if I canceled I had to pay them back the amount of the gift card I received. This is not what I was told when he convinced me to sign up.

After 30 minutes of back and forth words I was still told that I had to pay even though they agreed that I had been lied to by the initial representative and that they had no control over that and had no idea who it was that I spoke to. I ended up not having to pay back the gift card but I had to pay for the papers I had already received. I asked if the representative received some kind of commission for each subscription he got filled out because why else would he completely lie to me? I was denied that info. They were supposedly going to charge the representative that amount even though I was just told that they had no way of knowing who the representative was.

It ended up with me yelling at them and hanging up. The papers stopped showing up on the porch and I was happy, for the moment. A few or so days ago the papers started showing up again so again I placed a call to let them know that I was receiving their paper and had not subscribed so it had to be a mistake in the address. The customer service representative told me that she would be happy to cancel my subscription but that my card would be charged for the $100 gift card I received at sign up. What? "Ma'am I never received a $100 gift card because I never signed up!" I was told that she was just following the rules.

I told her that I'm following my rules and I am not going to pay for something I never received nor signed up for! Did she even listen to a word I said? For some reason the subscription supposedly has my name and address on it but I nor my fiance signed up for this! All I got this time was "I will make a note of that but there's nothing I can do" Oh Really??? I do believe that this is not the end! Very, Very unhappy!!!

PLANO, TEXAS -- I've just received the subscription (renewal) for the Dallas Morning News with 30% price increase comparing to the previous bill of only 6 months ago. What a shame!! I cannot be "RIP OFF" like that!! I cancelled the subscription right away. It's absolutely insane and ridiculous. Proud that they're not going to have my money anymore!