So a couple of days ago another mysterious charge appears on my bank statement:  Chicago Tribune.  As always, there is no way to determine what account.  I get 8 Sunday papers…and I have 6 accounts.  Do you wonder why the Trib is in bankruptcy?  I don’t.

Call.  Customer Service people are always exceedingly polite.  Can’t help you worth a damn, but they surely are polite.  This time I get wise, though:  I ask for all the account numbers, what they cover and the dates they expire.  No charges have been made since July…  Ah, no, that’s not quite right.  I have a charge here from last week.  Fax us a copy of your bank records and we’ll have to research it.  No, you can’t research a bank charge that says Chicago Tribune and your 800 number AND I’ve reached the limits of my patience (which admittedly is in short supply to begin with) AND you’re getting paid for this call and I’m not…so just transfer me to your supervisor.  Thank you.  Supervisor comes on in a few minutes, acknowledges being So-and-So’s supervisor and then asks me for my name and address!  Did she think I moved while on hold?   Or are there so many people on hold waiting for supervisors that a logjam has formed?

Either way, we get right down to it…turns out that they are charging me a renewal fee for a gift subscription – the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.  Cancel that, drop all easy-billing on all accounts (’cause let’s face it, it’s only easy on the Trib’s end) and go back to sending me a bill when a payment is due.  Done.  They assure me that if there’s a mixup my service will not be cancelled.  Ha!  My distributor has already told me that if there’s ever a problem with paperwork she knows it’s on the Tribune’s end…I’m not worried.

end of rant…to be continued