My terrible experience with The Athletic’s customer service:

[BillsFan4]

My 2 year subscription expired a few weeks ago. Since then I have been getting emails from the athletic offering me a 1 year subscription at a discounted rate. So today I finally decided to take advantage of the offer and clicked on the “claim offer” link on the email.

It takes me to a page to buy a 1 year athletic subscription, but the price is higher than the one offered to me via email.

 

 

So I reach out to the athletic customer service and explain how my subscription expired weeks ago and I’m trying to claim the deal offered to me in these emails but the price is higher, how do I get the price that was offered to me.

 

I get a response saying that says this:

“Unfortunately the discount was associated with annual users only. Because you opted for monthly payments, it diverted the subscription to a similarly reduced monthly membership. Hope this helps, feel free to reach back out if you have any questions.”

 

So I explain that no, I’ve never paid monthly. I’ve subscribed for 3 years and I’ve always paid annually. I also explained that the deal I’m trying to claim is also for an annual subscription and provided screen shots to show it and that there was a different price for the monthly subscription, but that’s not what I was selecting. I was selecting the annual deal but the price was still wrong.

 

 

then they respond with this: (notice how the reason they won’t honor the deal totally changes)

 

“I'm sorry for the confusion. Promotional discounts are only available for the first year of a recurring annual subscription. It looks like you were able to receive a promotional discount off your first year of The Athletic. If you would like to use the promotions shown our best suggestion would be to create a new account after canceling the active one. Let me know if you have any questions.”

 

So I emailed back explaining that I don’t even have an active membership, so I can’t cancel it. I had already told her my subscription expired in the very first email I sent and the emails they sent offering me the deal literally said “return to the athletic”.

 

And I asked why in the world would they keep sending me emails for a deal they are now (incorrectly) trying to claim I don’t even qualify for? 
 

Now they seem to be just ignoring my emails and I can’t find s phone number to call.

 

Honestly, I feel like the athletic doesn’t want my business. I should Not have to work this hard to claim a deal that THEY offered me. This is the 2nd time it’s happened too. 2 years ago something similar happened when I was trying to claim a deal and they weren’t willing to do anything.

 

Oh well, there’s plenty of free sports news all over the Internet.

 

sorry, just venting...

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Good lord.  I can't picture Tim Graham selling houses.  Please renew.

*
😁

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Maybe just put him in commercial properties?  Brownfield remediation opportunities?  Anything where his potential clients are the sort that hang out at Satriale's Pork Store.  Promise him a cruise on 'The Stugots'?  That ought to humble Timmah.

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[thenorthremembers]

20 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said:

My 2 year subscription expired a few weeks ago. Since then I have been getting emails from the athletic offering me a 1 year subscription at a discounted rate. So today I finally decided to take advantage of the offer and clicked on the “claim offer” link on the email.

It takes me to a page to buy a 1 year athletic subscription, but the price is higher than the one offered to me via email.

 

 

So I reach out to the athletic customer service and explain how my subscription expired weeks ago and I’m trying to claim the deal offered to me in these emails but the price is higher, how do I get the price that was offered to me.

 

I get a response saying that says this:

“Unfortunately the discount was associated with annual users only. Because you opted for monthly payments, it diverted the subscription to a similarly reduced monthly membership. Hope this helps, feel free to reach back out if you have any questions.”

 

So I explain that no, I’ve never paid monthly. I’ve subscribed for 3 years and I’ve always paid annually. I also explained that the deal I’m trying to claim is also for an annual subscription and provided screen shots to show it and that there was a different price for the monthly subscription, but that’s not what I was selecting. I was selecting the annual deal but the price was still wrong.

 

 

then they respond with this: (notice how the reason they won’t honor the deal totally changes)

 

“I'm sorry for the confusion. Promotional discounts are only available for the first year of a recurring annual subscription. It looks like you were able to receive a promotional discount off your first year of The Athletic. If you would like to use the promotions shown our best suggestion would be to create a new account after canceling the active one. Let me know if you have any questions.”

 

So I emailed back explaining that I don’t even have an active membership, so I can’t cancel it. I had already told her my subscription expired in the very first email I sent and the emails they sent offering me the deal literally said “return to the athletic”.

 

And I asked why in the world would they keep sending me emails for a deal they are now (incorrectly) trying to claim I don’t even qualify for? 
 

Now they seem to be just ignoring my emails and I can’t find s phone number to call.

 

Honestly, I feel like the athletic doesn’t want my business. I should Not have to work this hard to claim a deal that THEY offered me. This is the 2nd time it’s happened too. 2 years ago something similar happened when I was trying to claim a deal and they weren’t willing to do anything.

 

Oh well, there’s plenty of free sports news all over the Internet.

 

sorry, just venting...

While I completely agree with you, the sad truth is they probably don't need the business.   They've recently branched out into other industries, which makes me think they dont need to pander to the loyal base they started out with.   It stinks because they've always been a pretty loyal brand.  

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

49 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

They've recently branched out into other industries...

Oh no!  Not taking advertising from that quack doctor begging me to throw out half of my refrigerator!

[BillsFan4]

Well, I finally got an email response. Here’s what it said:

 

Quote

Hi there,

 

Thank you for reaching out and sorry for the confusion. 

 

The discount code is applicable to your next years renewal. Unfortunately, we are unable to apply it to your current paid period. You can find all of your account info at theathletic.com/settings. Let us know if you have any further questions.

 

Best,

Hailey

 

 

 

I honestly don’t know how else to even try and explain this so they understand.

 

This has to be a bot answering their emails, right? 

[T&C]

I got something from them today that said $1.00 a month for 6 months. No thank you. Another place I frequent... they cut and paste the articles. The athletic is getting too bloated and greedy.

[Saxum]

Almost every company does this sending out deals only for new customers. 

Cable company did that once and by having my wife sign up for it and using a slightly different mailing address (both which post office deliver to same place) we got the deal.  Three months later I got an even better deal offer to come back.

[BillsFan4]

56 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Almost every company does this sending out deals only for new customers. 

Cable company did that once and by having my wife sign up for it and using a slightly different mailing address (both which post office deliver to same place) we got the deal.  Three months later I got an even better deal offer to come back.

Thing is, it wasn’t for new customers though. The email literally said “come back to the athletic” and “re-subscribe now”. 
 

🤷‍♂️ 

[Jukester]

I feel you. Their customer service is abysmal.  I forgot to cancel after a promotional period and it auto renewed me at full price for a year. Got the charge alert on my credit card app - I think it was around $60. Canceled immediately and then left a voicemail at their customer service number the same day with no response for over a week. Then tweeted them. Got a canned response that I could cancel at anytime but feel free to enjoy for the rest of my subscription. I mean I get it that it was on me to cancel before the promo ended but any forthright company would at least give the benefit of a conversation and try to help since I canceled the day of renewal and didn’t use the service at all. I will eat the charge and use it for the year but will NEVER give them another cent. 

[BillsFan4]

Ok I’m convinced it’s a bot answering their emails. After the last email I asked if it was a bot or a live person I was talking to and said I do not have an active subscription.

 

 

This is the response I got:

 

Quote

So sorry for the confusion. If you are requesting a link for the discount, I have provided one below for your connivence. If you are inquiring on why you cannot subscribe, it could be due to a failed payment charge. Let me know if you have any other questions, happy to help!

Even more aggravated that I’ve been arguing with a bot for days. 

I have no idea how you talk to an actual live person. I can’t find a phone number for them at all. 

 

Honestly, at this point I think I’m done trying to give them my money anyway.

Edited July 29, 2021 by BillsFan4

[T&C]

Is the Athletic really needed? I love the Bills and all but it just seems like we have plenty of free avenues to get news... ***** the Athletic.

[QCity]

On 7/28/2021 at 4:48 PM, T&C said:

I got something from them today that said $1.00 a month for 6 months. No thank you. Another place I frequent... they cut and paste the articles. The athletic is getting too bloated and greedy.

 

17 minutes ago, T&C said:

Is the Athletic really needed? I love the Bills and all but it just seems like we have plenty of free avenues to get news... ***** the Athletic.

 

I know everyone budgets their money differently, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find people that think $1.00 a month is greedy. Right now Fairburn and Buscaglia are writing ~2,000 word reports on every day of training camp, which I think is worth a buck.

 

On 7/28/2021 at 10:42 PM, BillsFan4 said:

 

 

Honestly, at this point I think I’m done trying to give them my money anyway.

 

I cancelled my sub last summer during the pandemic and after about a month they hit me with the "please come back" email and $1/month deal, I bet you get an email right before the season starts.

[T&C]

5 minutes ago, QCity said:

 

 

I know everyone budgets their money differently, but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find people that think $1.00 a month is greedy. Right now Fairburn and Buscaglia are writing ~2,000 word reports on every day of training camp, which I think is worth a buck.

 

 

I cancelled my sub last summer during the pandemic and after about a month they hit me with the "please come back" email and $1/month deal, I bet you get an email right before the season starts.

But you can read these reports elsewhere once they are posted on the "Athletic"... just depends on where you hang out online really.