I was somewhat irritated when my local newspaper (The Bulletin) sent a packet of coupons to my house to show my dead father what he was missing by not subscribing to the daily newspaper.
They also said he’d been given a 2 week free trial period too. I didn’t think that much of it though because it was addressed to ‘Jim Roley’ or current resident. Since I am the current resident I just thought oh cool 2 weeks of free newspapers.
Not one paper has ever shown up at my house in the ONE week since I received the packet of coupons and the offer of the TWO week free trial of home delivery of the daily newspaper.
Today I received a bill (addressed solely to Jim Roley) from the idiots at The Bulletin for newspapers that were never delivered.
I guess the imaginary 2 week free trial lasted ONE whole week since the postmark on the first letter from them is April 1, 2010.
I guess the imaginary 2 week FREE trial period offered to a dead person costs real money to someone who doesn’t even want a daily newspaper.
I guess they think a dead person reads newspapers.
I guess they think a dead person can pay a bill too, because this live person sure as hell is not going to pay for newspapers she never received.
They can go whistle for their money. I wrote DECEASED ON DECEMBER 12, 2007 across the envelope without even opening it, and tossed it into the outgoing mail.
What really makes me angry is that they were told 2 1/2 years ago when my father died that he had passed away.
At that time, I switched the delivery from both daily and Sunday newspapers to Sunday only, and put the bill in my name. I have been paying that bill –which again is solely in MY name–for the Sunday paper for 2 1/2 years now.
It’s one thing when I receive mail from magazine publishers such as This Old House and Oregon Public Broadcasting in my fathers name. They were never notified of his death and they aren’t billing him for something, just trying to get him to resubscribe to their publications.
It’s totally another thing when The Bulletin sends a bill to a dead person for papers that nobody ever received.
It’s totally another thing when a two week trial period offered to a dead person ends in one week.
I find it rude, crude, and unattractive not to mention stupid and tacky.
Am I impressed with The Bulletin? I DON’T THINK SO!!