In September, “06880” passed along a press release from the selectman’s office. Starting immediately, the Minuteman would be delivered directly to the driveways of people who previously requested the newspaper, rather than via US mail.
Happily, the delivery folks would travel the same route 3 days after tossing it, picking up all papers not already “retrieved by subscribers.”
There was even a number to call for removal from the mailing list: 866-361-9064.
Calls (of course!) “may be monitored or recorded, for quality assurance.”
Well, the Minuteman’s quality assurance department should cover a lot more than phone calls.
I got 2 emails on the same day this week, both complaining about continuing Minuteman hassles.
One said:
We always liked getting the Minuteman, but when they switched to driveway delivery we called to get taken off the list. I really don’t like having a “kick me” sign in the driveway.
It came anyway. We called again to get taken off the list, and waited to see if the paper got picked up. By Day 6 it still hadn’t, and today another one was delivered. So we’ve called again.
Is this experience of the Minuteman not following their promise to the town widespread?
The 2nd email echoed a similar complaint: The subscriber had asked to be taken off the delivery list. Nothing happened.
So: Are these 2 just isolated cases? Or is the Minuteman’s customer service a continuing issue, 5 weeks after the original promise? Click “Comments” below.
Or write a letter to the Minuteman editor: 1175 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880.
I have had no email, no snail mail, no phonecall!
Alberta Cifolelli 8 Plover Lane Westport, CT 06880 203 226-1614 http://www.Cifolelli.com
Me either, Alberta.
I have had the same issue. I called to cancel and still got the paper. Tried again yesterday to cancel and was unable to get connected at all. Very frustrating.
I walk my dog often both on cross highway to Staples high school in north ave . Then other times Main Street to town ….
I have seen many Minutemen papers wet very old issues and under the leaves … Looks awful on a pretty walk. In addition most of the towns voters did not get the LWV voting guide that is I think helpful.
I urge the Minuteman executive team to revisit this issue here in Westport. It won’t be long before the revolution starts ..😡( joke)
This is part of a new phenom in the advertising world I call “Trashvertising.” Certain publishers — most notably Yellow Pages, and now Minuteman/Journal Register — leave garbage on the roadside for homeowners to clean up, and peddle this garbage to unsuspecting small business owners as advertising.
In the case of Minuteman, apparently their content is of such low value that they’re unwilling to pay even the highly discounted US Postal Service “Media Rate” that the publishing industry lobbies so aggressively to maintain.
Another word of warning, the REASON “curbside trash delivery” is so cheap, is that it employs the most marginal workers, paying non-living wages, driving their own cars for which the publishing industry does not check whether they are insured or even registered! If another industry was so exploitative of workers, we’d read about in the newspapers, but…
So annoying, right? I have been trying forever to stop delivery of’ ‘Phone books to our home for years!
We received one more issue after calling and leaving a message asking to be removed from the list, but since then none has arrived.
P.S. I never requested Minuteman, but it started coming anyway, a few months ago when the publisher switched to curbside trash delivery.
I use it to start fires in the outdoor fire pit, you should all do the same, works great!
I drain my bacon it it!!!
Over the last few weeks, employees of the paper have promised me over the phone that my address would be removed from the delivery list, but the unwanted paper still shows up each week. Just yesterday, I called/emailed the person listed on their website as the Production/Circulation Operations Director but have not received a response. Here’s his contact info in case anyone else wants to try reaching him: Rick Bolognese, 203-789-5301, rbolognese@nhregister.com
Interesting view on this, people not wanting the paper. I have not gotten the paper in 3 weeks and want it. And yes when read, it does start my fires.
I have spoken to a number of folks at the MM and they said give us your address, but I said what about the scores of people who have told me they too are not getting it. Have them send in their address. Yeesh….. They did the voters guide which got to nobody.
The change in delivery is a disaster. A complete flop, and I hear it costs them more to do it this way. They should just have the post office do it again.
But what is really happening is the MM is dying. They will be folding the paper into all the other towns and become a regional paper. This is not good for Westport, we now loose another news service covering our town specifically. They say they will make it up on-line, Yes, but who is going there?
Matt, I agree, I got the first one, but then I never saw another one. I enjoy reading the small amount of local news and sports news for our local kids. I also didn’t get my League of Women’s Voters Guide which was also disappointing. I’m not sure what the answer is, but maybe they should have an opt-in service.
I have been assured four times (the last just this week) that delivery would be stopped. We’ll see. This is just wrong on so many levels. I never wanted it, never requested it and it seems no one can stop it.
it is an ongoing problem for me!! i also asked them to stop delivering so they stopped for two weeks and then started delivering again. sadly, they deliver to both sides of some of my neighbors properties. so they are getting it twice and picking it up not at all 🙁
How about the fact that they FAILED to deliver the LWV candidate voter guide last week on schedule – no, wait; they never delivered it. Resulted in some uninformed voters I bet
We got one in the mail and one in our driveway! Annoying and redundant!
All newspaper delivery of the MM on our street seems to have stopped. And I wanted it. Whatever. Like Matt, I lament the loss of diverse local media and, like just about everyone I know, I’m banned from commenting on WestportNow . Now I’ll probably get a horse’s head in my bed. Or driveway.
Holy Smokes! YOU have been “banned from commenting on WestportNow”?? Impossible! I’ve had my hand slapped here, but lucky enough (for now) not to be banned! What happened to that Freedom of Speech amendment?
Nancy, I don’t ban anyone!
I know that, Dan. It is quite clear. Just amazed that it happens elsewhere.
WHAT??… did we all wake up in Syria this week?
Seriously, how can you be banned from commenting on Westportnow ?
That is outrageous !
Definitely not an isolated incident. Happened the same way to me. How many forests would be saved (not to mention gasoline) if I only received things in my driveway or mailbox that I actually REQUESTED??
There have been several weeks of papers accumulating under my neighbor’s mailbox. No one has come to remove them after 3 days and obviously they keep piling on. I have several thoughts about what to do with them, but I’ll keep this post civil.
Since I have moved to New Orleans, I don’t get the Minuteman. In all the years I lived i Westport I never quiet understood what the newspaper situation was?? I subscribed (and still do) to the WP News and was told at the time that the MM would automatically be delivered to me. Anyone else know about that???? I figured I would call next week and find out what the story is as it sounds from the above comments that there is certainly some sort of crazy confusion!!! I get lots of newspapers as enjoy reading them. I get the Provincetown Banner also – enjoy it – did stop the Norwalk Hour but should get it again since I taught there and was still seeing some of my former students in the Police blotter once in a while!!!
What?? Morley has been “banned from commenting” on WestportNow? Others too? Good grief.
Perhaps the Westport MM is dying because for awhile much of the increasingly reduced content has been about Fairfield goings on. When it was filled with Westport news I read it all but as the content thinned out the publication became significantly less appealing although there are many uses for newspapers after reading has taken place. I still want it and glance through it. I hope that several sources of specifically Westport news will remain but suspect that eventually the only way to learn about our very local news may be 06880 (thanks, Dan), WestportNow, what remains of The Westport News and maybe adding to the town budget the position of Town Crier who could carry an LED lantern in order to be seen by drivers. (Would the news be spoken or perhaps sung to Gilbert and Sullivan tunes? Sorry…. but the image is too delicious.) Could the LWV voter guide be included with the Westport News print edition? It is an inadequate effort; some folks still would be without their copies and that’s not good. I missed receiving and studying that very useful guide this year.
I’d be pleased to read about all goings on, “animal, vegetable or mineral” in Fairfield County, as neighbouring towns and cities contribute a great part to the welfare of Westport.
Knew the minute I read that they would pick them up again it wouldn’t happen.
It hasn’t.
I haven’t received mine in the last month. I only received 2 or 3 issues via the new delivery system and then none since. I called to complain but still no delivery.