I Think I Know Why Newspapers Are Going Broke

I stopped taking a daily newspaper about three years ago.  Since I'm on the internet so much I really had no use for day old news tossed on my driveway.  And besides, the local newspaper is available for free online, and it's regularly updated.

Well, a few days ago we started getting a newspaper again.  We didn't ask for it, it just started showing up.  I didn't want to throw it away every day, and I certainly wasn't going to pay for it, so I sent an email to the circulation department and asked them to stop the delivery.  Here's what I got in return:

Mr. Moore, You should have received a letter stating that you had a balance on the account and we were restarting the paper to use up the balance. Even though it was just a few pennies left we created a super discounted rate for you and your family so that you are paid up for 1 whole year of Thursday – Sunday delivery and this account is good through September 3, 2011 at which time it will automatically stop. May I keep the subscription active for you? You would not owe us anything.

So, let me get this straight. For the few pennies I supposedly have on my old account with them they're going to give me four papers a week for 52 weeks - 208 newspapers in all. That's gotta be the dumbest business decision in the history of the newspaper business - other then putting their product online for free.

I could have okayed it, but I'd still be throwing a bunch of newspapers away each week and the only thing of value would be the Sunday coupon section which my mom gives me. Plus, if I went on vacation I'd have to have delivery stopped or else they'd pile up on the driveway.  I declined the offer.

 They can keep my few cents.  They're going to need them.