Great to have a small-town newspaper, but sadly the editorial is run by its major advertisers, therefore, articles are biased. The recall of council member/vice mayor Herb Perez is a blatant example. Editions with op eds against recall are available in stacks well beyond the published date, while the editions for recall are hard to find even the day of. While dirty politics could be in play (some nefarious person pulling papers from Safeway and Lucky's), I think not as the stacks of pro Perez editions are available well beyond the publication date suggests more were printed than normal. And, the "online" version is very poor quality. Low res PDF which is hard to read. A paper with bias towards advertisers is not worth the paper it is printed on. Also, Mark Watson, part owner of paper is the attorney for Perez. And, Watson is on the city's audit committee chosen over someone more qualified. Cronies flock together and really this city is not the better for it. read more

Margie ( I believe is her name) is the person you will talk to. For someone like me who has never had to register the Business Name with a newspaper she is by far the worse person I spoke to out of 4 newspapers. She hates her job and takes it out on potential customers. I called 4 different newspapers and she had the worst customer service out of anyone, and I'm trying to give her my money. At one point she said she could care less whether or not I went with this newspaper to post it and claimed she was the cheapest, which was not true. Honestly I have never talked to anyone who was so rude within a minute of talking to them. She pointed out how she doesn't get paid much so she leaves early, arrives late. This is the type of person she is, she hates her job so she could care less about helping you. Filing your Business Name with a newspaper is something everyone who wants a business license has to do but it seemed like filing with the Foster City Islander was a hassle for them. So i went with the Daily Journal in San Mateo, the person there treated me like a normal person treats other people and took care of me right away. If you have to file your name with a newspaper don't do it with Foster City. The woman working there is just a bad person, if that's the way she talks to potential customers I hate to see how she talks to people she actually hates. read more

I have absolutely no idea what anyone that rated this paper with 1 star is talking about. These people have been in business as long as they have for a reason. I'm disgusted by the number of nasty, not to mention ageist comments regarding the age of the woman that answered the phone. (old = witch? "old fart") Guess what folks, you too shall grow old if you are that lucky. There is another review which states, "i think they were rude and racist". Since when does being rude mean you are a racist? Did she hurl racial slurs at you? If you wish to spew vitriol over the Internet, don't hide behind your computer screen. Head down to Chess Dr. and state your opinion in person. That being said, if you want to pay $160 for a Public Notice for Petition for Name Change, than by all means, call the Daily Journal. If you would like to work with an efficient, knowledgeable, courteous professional, and save $40, call the Foster City Islander. read more

If anyone has dealt with these 2 brothers in the past and would like to join my class action lawsuit against them, please message me here through Yelp, so that I can add you to the lawsuit. If I could give these crooks NO stars I would. These 2 brothers that run this newspaper Jim/Mark Watson are liars and defraud people. Please DO NOT use them to advertise. They use a UPS store in Foster City as their physical address so you cannot get a hold of them when they scam you out of your money. I have filed an investigation complaint with the San Mateo County District Attorneys office for fraudulent services NOT rendered. Like you can see from others who have used them as well who have provided reviews, they promise to advertise, take your money and then lie to you hoping you will just give up and walk away. I paid Foster City Islander $99.00 dollar to advertise my Order to Show Cause Name Change from the San Mateo County, CA Superior Court. Not only did they not advertise my NC-120 form from the court as they were paid to do. They (Jim) blatantly lied to me, a second time when I was finally able to get him on the phone, that they advertised the NC-120 form for a second time in their newspaper, after not advertising the first time. Because of their failure "2 times" after they were paid to advertise my Name Change from the San Mateo Superior Court, I will have to wait now 3 months in order for my Names Change to be approved from the Court, which only should have been 4 weeks to wait. They have cost me time and money for a very simple process, and have still not returned my money, and I am suing them in court because they have done this to a number of other people in the community. read more

When I heard that my grandson might of been in a article in the FC Islander I call and spoke with Jim. He went well beyond what I expected. He not only just talk with me, he went into the archives, sent me three different articles until he found what I was looking for. Great man, great paper Thank you read more

The FCI staff is great! They have exceptional customer service skills, and are prompt in their execution off much needed tasks. I needed the Foster City Islander to publish my upcoming name change information, and they far exceeded my expectations. They got the necessary paperwork to the court with very little notice, and everything went totally seamlessly. I greatly appreciate local businesses that treat you like a human, and do their job (and well, to boot!). read more

I was in the process of legal name change, and I was searched for a publication to meet the court requirement. I called Foster City Islander, spoke with Jim. I was impressed with the customer service he represented the business on the phone. so I went on with the legal advertising with Foster City Islander. I have to say, I am very please of how smooth the process has been. I would definitely recommend Foster City Islander for any advertising business..!! read more

Headline I saw today has grammatical error! Says Foster City School Principle. It's principal, folks. Who is editing and proofreading?

Where do I start???? As a new business owner, I was so excited to go through the process and was told that I have to run my ad in public newspaper and so I did. I found out that Foster City Islander was the closest, so; I choose that. I called the office and left a message, the very next day I got a call back from Marge, I must say, I was impressed! BUT...that feeling was short lived. In March she was to start my ad..Well, First week: was a misspell of my name, I called and left a message, 5 days later Marge calls me back and, she promised she will correct the mistake. Second week: first week misspelling wasn't corrected. I called again, this time very disappointed; I got a call back 6 days later, each time she blames the mistake on her SO CALLED EMPLOYEE (never spoke or saw that person). I went there in person and the place was closed each time for the next few days, no matter when I went there, the store looked like no one cleaned it for some 20 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Third week: Marge calls me back 4 days later, once again, promising that this time she is on top of it... great news, it was corrected. BUT...guess what?.... again, I waited for Fourth week, to find out when she is going to submit SM County the publication? and now; she ask me how did you pay for it? I said; by cash and I got the receipt, then she said, we have no record you paid!! And therefore; I can't give the County confirmation; my employee must have misplaced it. I then decided to go there in person, and show her the receipt; she didn't seem bothered by anything, almost like business as usual for her. I waited additional 2 weeks, and then I called Marge again (voice mail) and ask to know the status with the county, this time no call back. A week later, she said; I can't talk to you right now, I know who you are, and I got another client on the phone call me by WED and will talk about it..I never called!!!!! as I got tired of this bullshit run around. I waited another 3 weeks in hopes she got the message and hoped she will feel guilty by her screw-ups..and maybe she will submit to SM County the publication. BUT!!! She didn't. ..Since March 2012 to today June 23 2012 she hasn't submitted to the county the publication! PEOPLE, please save your money and go to a place that can offer you customer service, reliability and respect. Marge you need to retire and sell your dad business, you are long overdue a long vacation, do yourself a favor; sell the business and enjoy the fruits of your father work! read more

Went in today to post my name change for four weeks, as required by law. The woman there was helpful and informative. I'd definitely suggest this to anyone who has to post something in a paper for legal purposes. read more

New owners Jim and Mark have spiffed up the Islander into something special for Foster City. They've added more local news coverage, more color pages and a local sense for Foster City. The paper has been around for 30 years and now it looks the new management team will make sure it serves for another 30! read more

I have been advertising with F.C. Islander for years. Great prices and wonderful to work with. Marge is a straight shooter and Barbara very helpful. read more

Truly awful and disorganized. Dealing with the FCI has been one of the most frustrating experiences I've had in a long time; advertise with anyone else. read more

We needed to publish a name change notice and chose Foster City Islander off a list at the courthouse. Went to publish the notice and found that the website was down and no one was answering the phone. I left messages for a week but no response. Time was running out before our hearing, and the only way to change newspapers once you file is to amend your case, so I had to go back to the courthouse, explain what happened, file an amendment, have the judge re-sign the paperwork, and get a new hearing date. Not a good experience. read more

Jim at the Foster City Islander is seriously one of the nicest guys you'll meet over the phone. I called multiple times inquiring about publishing a fictitious name in the paper and he helped answer my questions over and over again! I'm not sure about these poor reviews, but I believe the Foster City Islander got taken over by new management recently and from my experience, they are really terrific and super helpful. read more

I recently called Foster City Islander to inquire about placing an advertisement in their paper. I spoke to Jim who took the time to understand my predicament & gave suggestions regarding possible solutions. At the end of the day, I decided to use Foster City Islander to place my ad. read more

A wonderful Foster City newspaper that is widely ready by Foster City and makes its way to Belmont and San Mateo residents. The local news in this paper is discussed at parties and local games - soccer, baseball, Taekwondo etc. People even bring copies to hand out when they see news relating to friends. The only ewspaper with local content. Recognizes success of children in local competitions providing encouragement to community. Copies are magically available everywhere you wait for 5-10 mins - Pizza places, burger joints, take out chinese, Delis, auto shops everywhere. Easy to find. read more

I spoke with Jim I was impressed with the customer service he is a really nice and helpful guy.

Best customer service I've seen in this field. Jim Watson was very helpful in covering my dance school event. He went out of the way to talk to the chief guest to get his opinion of the performance. He was very prompt with emails and very patient in answering all my questions. We highly recommend Foster City Islander for any local event coverage. read more

I called Foster CIty Islander to publish a fictitious name statement. Jim was great in answering my questions as well as giving great input about obtaining a Trademark in California. He has returned my calls promptly & everything as been handled quickly & professionally. I Highly recommend the Islander for whatever your needs are, as these guys are top notch! read more

I want to let the readers know of the extreme lack of victim's rights in this country. I am a disabled victim of multiple brutal crimes: 1st Degree Rape; 1st Degree Sexual Assault; Sodomy; Entrapment; and, Perverted Practices. These crimes occurred in MD on 10/18/11. The Jury found the Defendant GUILTY of all crimes! He was sentenced to serve 75 years in prison. I've suffered many surgeries: 3 back surgeries, arm surgery, hand surgeries and fighting off the attacker broke a titanium rod in my ankle; I still need another major reconstructive surgery. He also transferred Hepatitis C to me, a deadly disease slowly killing me. I can't afford $1,000/per pill per day for "Sovaldi". However, the maker of the drug, Gilead Sciences, sent the drug to 91 other countries at little or no cost - I've also tried to contact them with NO response! What about a victim in the U.S.? I filed a claim with the MD Criminal Injuries Compensation Board in early 2012. To date, they have paid (0) on my medical bills and (0) of my personal expenses. I have written the MD Governor, (2) Senators, and a Delegate with NO response. I wrote (4) National Victim Associations with NO response. The victims of brutal crimes are ignored by the "system". My medical bills and personal expenses are extensive and remain unpaid - 3 years after the crimes. To inform the public about the lack of victim rights is URGENT! I'm not the only victim that the "system" has failed. I was advised of a website to help with my medical & personal expenses. I am not 'begging', but if you have any extra to help me, it would be greatly appreciated. The website is: http://www.gofundme.com/gzkdpg or http://www.gofundme.com/SueLewis. We need to change the "system" as it fails numerous victims every day. The victim suffers for life - physically and mentally. Help change the victim's "system" which ignores victims and their requests for assistance. Thank you! D. Sue Lewis, Hico, WV read more

I waited nearly a month to yelp this figuring it would not be necessary to give them a bad review. I sent a check for $39. for a legal ad but they said they never got it. After talking with Jim, I dropped off a second check to their PO Box with the understanding that they would rip up the first check if they ever got it. Turns out, they got both checks and cashed both checks. For the past 2 weeks, I've been trying to get a reimbursement for the first check. I have talked with an owner, Jim. I have emailed with another owner, Mark Watson who had me email him photos of the canceled checks to PROVE they were cashed because they had no record of it. This tiny company for a local paper cannot keep their records straight so after calling yet again and talking with Jim, he tells me that they are really overwhelmed right now because they are opening another newspaper. WTF?! They can't even take care of a customer who they owe a simple $39. It's become the principle of the matter because they could be doing this to a lot of people and making extra money fraudulently. Who knows but I have reported them to the Better Business Bureau to figure it out and hopefully, get my measly $39. back that for some reason they just cannot manage to send to me. read more

One of the worst publsher you can ever see n bay Area. I went to this place to make publication of the "Statement of Abandonment of the Use of a Fictitious Business Name " for the business I used have.I paid $38.00 in cash to the lady with the name of Felsen who was working there which I believe she is either the owner or manager of that business .So she gave me my receipt and told me that after they published it in the newspaper 3 times and they will send one newspaper to the County Clark and one to me and will keep one of the copy of that newspaper for themselves.After that I went out of country for almost 8 months.After I came to USA 2 weeks ago, I found out they never sent me the copy of the newspaper which they were supposed to publish of"The Abandonment of the Use of a Fictitious Business Name " for the business I used to have .So,I went to their place and kindly told the same lady with the name of Felsen "I never received the copy of the newspaper which showed the publication of Abandmont of the business and I kindly asked her if she can give me the copy of that publication".She said "I am too busy,so I cannot" Als my father just passed away and the lady working for me had a surgery,so Icannot help you.I told her I can just leave the copy of my receipt and phone number and after she make ready that copy I can go and get from her.But she told me in a rude way "I told you I am busy so you better go to County and ask for copy from them".So I went the County Clerk and found out they never get any copy of publication from them.So I called the lady and told her that "County Clerk told me they never received any publication from them,So I need the copy of that publication".She told me do not bother me and hanged up the phone on me read more