On Sep 12, 2022, I knowingly purchased an automatically renewing "all-digital" access subscription…read moreto the San Antonio Express News ("SAEN") for a quarterly recurring fee of $19.96 charged to my credit card on file. I knowingly paid for a digital subscription to provide me one-time access to an article. I was not deceived about the automatically renewing nature of the subscription. I have no quarrel for paying $19.96 for one-time access to content that had sufficient value to me to purchase a subscription. I did; however, have the intention to cancel the subscription before the first 90-day term expired. I was not prepared for the rest. Indeed I made two half-hearted attempts to cancel the following two quarters, but one must have strong resolve, a flexible schedule, an much patience to cancel a SAEN subscription. You must cancel when it's convenient for SAEN. Never mind your own busy schedule. After the first two auto-renewal dates passed due to my being unable to alter my business schedule to align with SAEN's customer service hours, I noticed the latest $19.96 credit card charge today--Aug 19, 2023. I attempted to cancel the subscription. I discovered that cancelling was far more difficult than subscribing. You make a phone call during SAEN business hours. Wait for long holds. Be disconnect. Speak with multiple persons. State your reason for cancelling. No alternative cancellation options are provided. Today, I made my THIRD (and finally successful) attempt to cancel my subscription after noticing another charge of $19.96 had posted to my credit card. This process required a half-hour with three attempts, including hold times and disconnects. I twice heard this recorded message between disconnects and long holds: "We appreciate your patience and value your time". I am quite certain that the Federal Trade Commission had me in mind when proposing its "Click to Cancel" legislation in March 2023, aimed at protecting consumer victims from bad corporate actors. The legislation aims to address numerous common consumer grievances. Lack of transparency SAEN does not disclose that they will limit the hours and methods by which you may unsubscribe until after a subscription is purchased. Time-consuming cancellation processes: Auto-renewal Some companies only offer automatically renewing subscriptions unless customers take specific steps to cancel. SAEN, for example, doesn't offer a temporary subscription or "single access" option. If they do, then I missed it. If you're considering a subscription, check options not requiring auto-renewal. Financial incentives Some companies offer pay or other financial incentives to CSR's, "Account Specialists" and "Retention Specialists" to make it difficult to cancel subscriptions. I suspect that SAEN requires an explanation from its customers to cancel, so they could place me on hold and transfer me to an individual who is receiving financial compensation for persuading me not to cancel my subscription. Limited options Some companies, like SAEN may only offer a limited number of cancellation options, such as canceling via phone. This can make it difficult for customers who wish to cancel when its convenient and possible for them--an not be required to cancel by phone during SAEN business hours. SAEN discloses a phone call is required. Undisclosed is phones are answered only during business hours, that hold times are long, disconnects are common, and multiple conversations are required. Summary SAEN's tactics are intolerable at best, and soon may be illegal if regulations are passed. These business practices are intentional and serve only to make it easy to sign up and difficult to leave. I am not a strong proponent of government regulation in most cases, but in certain circumstances, like abusive, selfish business practices such as the ones described here, the more regulation the merrier. I hope SAEN puts my wasted money to good use, like donating it to the San Antonio food bank. Simplified, here's the bottom line of the proposed FTC rules that would force SAEN and others to behave like human beings if they cannot find it within themselves to do the right thing just because its the right thing: +If you can sign up online, you must be able to cancel on the same website, in the same number of steps. +A publisher must immediately implement the cancellation process unless the consumer states a desire to hear a retention pitch. +Sellers are required to provide a reminder to consumers before automatic renewal. By my reading and interpretation of the rules, SAEN would be in violation of all three of the above if enacted. In preparing this review/complain, I have spent LESS than the amount of time required to unsubscribe to a SAEN digital subscription.

I signed up for a $0.99 promotional digital subscription and made sure to call customer service…read moreduring the trial period to cancel before I would be charged. The representative told me I was still within the promotional period and that I didn't need to do anything else because the subscription would automatically expire. I relied on that information. Months later, I started receiving repeated phone calls and emails claiming I owed about $24 because my subscription had never been canceled. When I called customer service, the supervisor told me there was no record of my cancellation request and insisted I pay the balance before they would cancel the subscription. I asked whether customer service calls are recorded, and she confirmed they are. However, she admitted she never reviewed the recording of my original cancellation call before denying my dispute. Instead, she relied only on the notes in my account. If your company records customer service calls, those recordings should be reviewed when a customer disputes what they were told. Customers shouldn't be held responsible for an employee's failure to properly document a cancellation request. I also asked to speak with a higher-level supervisor, but that request was denied. I wasn't trying to avoid paying a legitimate charge--I canceled during the trial period exactly as instructed. This entire situation could have been resolved by reviewing the recorded call instead of assuming I was at fault. Very disappointing customer service and dispute resolution process.

I enjoy reading the SA Current but they treat their donors terribly. I have been a donor on the…read morehighest level and have been completely ignored. The "publisher" level promises discounts, tickets etc. I only received one pair of tickets last year after I asked about them over and over again. I received nothing this year. Don't trust them and their promises! Your donation will be automatically renewed and your request to cancel will be ignored!

Lucy's bakery on loop 410 and Westshire. don't get me wrong the cakes are still good. the customer…read moreservice from the new owner is horrible. she was rude to me and spoke ugly to her employees. beside this I ordered two cakes different pickup dates, I bought an image to be printed on the cake. of course they charge set up fee the plastic film was placed on the wrong side. therefore, we couldn't remove it. I couldn't go back because they close on sundays. oh well, no moré Lucy'!

NOTE: This is a review of the newspaper's monthly Business for Breakfast series…read more San Antonio, unlike larger cities, is not a big networking town -- like New York, where I moved from 3+ years ago. It's hard to meet like-minded businesspeople in places other than the office. However, the San Antonio Business Journal's Business for Breakfast event series does an outstanding job of bringing people together from various companies for networking and learning. I strongly encourage you to consider attending one of these monthly Business for Breakfast events. It's a great way to meet local business people and understand the pulse of San Antonio. (And you get a free issue of the paper, too.) Kudos to Donna T. of the San Antonio Business Journal for coordinating these and serving as a host/moderator -- she's an incredible resource.

A great publication for anyone who does business in San Antonio!…read more It's the best way to find out what's going on around town, who the movers and the shakers are, and what they're up to. As far as real estate, they're the best source for info on what's transpiring in the San Antonio area. It's a great way to keep on top of the facts. They put out an annual Book of Lists which is a great resource for finding out who the key players in any given industry are. It's a huge book, and gives you all kinds of juicy data on all the listees. They've got a great editor, give relevant studies on what's going on. None of the articles are incredibly in-depth with little reporting going on. Usually the only sources of information is the corporate-released press releases. The glossy inserts are usually useful and full of good facts and data. I wish they could just add something funny to it. It's a rather dry publication at times. How about a San Antonio political cartoon? Someone local who writes jokes? A local advice columnist?

Shweiki Media is a perfect example of a company that is not comfortable with resting on their…read morelaurels. They continue to grow and have become a dominant, standout print communications player. Since their humble beginnings in the 1980's to their present-day operations, they have transformed their services into a digital marvel that helps clients effectively convey their brand's values, mission, and promise. No matter how big or small the project, Shweiki consistently delivers on their mission to make lives better through print. Years of working with them has only reinforced our trust in their unwavering commitment to ensuring the best quality in each print project they produce. Their dedicated staff works tirelessly to exceed expectations and provide hassle-free service to both us at Sharkmatic Advertising and more importantly to our clients. Our company values reliability and transparency above all else from our vendors. Shweiki Media stands out in this regard, as they never fail to meet a delivery date, and have not surprised us with hidden fees or complications. Trusting the exceptional team at Shweiki Media has allowed us to bring our clients' publications to life with confidence.

I was with Shweiki for 14 years. I published 2 magazines a year and referred many of my direct…read moreclients to them as well. I am no longer with them after the past several issues of my publication declined in quality and service. Problems with the paper, the shipping, and delivery, and quality control. My last shipment was two months late and I had to physically drive and pick them up myself. After the last debacle, I gave them a chance to make things right and they declined to do so. After so many years, I would have thought they would reach out to save a long-term business relationship. They are completely unprofessional in this regard. Their prices are better than most other print companies but as I learned the hard way... You get what you pay for. I am now with a company that is professional and the quality and experience are above and beyond Shweiki. IF you notice the high reviews for Shweiki on google they are all over 5 years or longer ago. Do yourself a favor and not do business with this company.

Such a cool magazine. It's like the New Yorker, but for San Antonio. It has a lot of social stuff…read morein there, and a great calendar that lets you know where the cool stuff is going on. The ads in there are useful, local and relevant. There's not really any in depth, controversial topics in there. But they do have a lot of good stuff about things that are going on around town, and the newest restaurant to open up. There's a lot of real estate info in there too, letting you know about all the greatest and latest mansions that're going up on the market. You gotta have this magazine on subscription, since the articles are so topical and timely. What good is it to read about last month's Fiesta events, when you would've been there if you had picked up the magazine hot off the press! Overall, it's a great magazine that's a good representation of our city!

Amazing and inspirational publication & brand! Love the range of topics covered - women's health,…read morebusiness, fashion, lifestyle, everything I want to read about and in this city.

Where's San Antonio Man Magazine?! I feel discriminated…read moreagainst. I need a magazine for my many manly issues. This magazine doesn't cover it. It is free, and available in many of the same places that The Current is available. It does have easy to read articles about what's fun going on around town. The ads are nice, showcasing many of SA's high end clothing stores. I wish there was a magazine for men in San Antonio. In my mind, it'd be like mixing the Current, the SA Light, Maxim and Soldier of Fortune Magazine to make the perfect magazine. This magazine is more like they mixed Cosmo with Texas Monthly. I guess if this magazine doesn't cut it for you, it does make a good material to lay down on the ground when skinning a buck.