Largest historical newspaper database online
November 28, 2006 · · 12 Comments
NewspaperARCHIVE.com says it is the largest historical newspaper database available online, with more newspaper pages from 1759 to present than any other service — more than 51 million pages. Click here for a free trial.
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12 Responses to “Largest historical newspaper database online”
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Warning: If you’re thinking about trying their “free 7 day trial,” you’ll need to do the usual drill of giving a credit card.
But to cancel, you need to go through three screens of data-collection, THEN, well, let’s let them explain it:
Cancellation of Your Account
Your cancellation is almost complete. To finish your cancellation request, please download and print the following form. Then mail or fax the completed form to the contact information listed below. We require the account holder’s signature before your cancellation can be processed. After we receive and process your request, we will contact you at the email address that you provide us with. Please note: Your account will not be cancelled until we receive the signed form below. You may also cancel via phone by calling our Customer Service Department at 1-888-845-2887 between Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Central Time.
Forewarned…
Reason enough to avoid the site altogether
Website NewspaperArchive.com promised free trial, showed # only of results of search, but did not allow me to view actual article results. Then when I signed up and provided Creditcard # and reinstituted the search, it provided no actual article results whatsoever, after numerous attempts to obtain them. I called and I e-mailed Customer Service but there was no response, the voicemailbox is always full on customer service and cancellations. Then when I subsequently attempted to log in, I found that my user name was not recognized. At that point I had no means to cancel my account. I suggest that an investigation be conducted immediately.
Also, my credit card was charged $99.95, the full year. And still no access to the account.
I tried newspaperarchive.com’s free trial in late November. Finding that it was not of use to me, I attempted the following day to cancel by means of their online form. Unfortunately, this was not working, so I emailed instead. I then telephoned, and got a recorded message telling me to do just that, i.e. email my cancellation.
The next day, their online cancellation form was working again, so I also used that. Just to be sure.
They have taken my money anyway, and, despite my complaint, have made it quite clear that they do not intend returning it.
This business needs looking into.
What other posters here have said is unfortunately true. Newspaperarchive.com is a very weak resource. The search engines sucks. The customer service (when you can get a response) is so inconsistent as to be futile. I think that, behind this website, is some greedy person with microfilm scanning equipment and limited web development skills. I would recommend that you not subscribe if you are considering.
Stay clear. trying to cancel is near impossible. if you do find yourself in this situation, do not bother with fax email or normal phone cancelation as you will get no-where. instead on the phone press 1 for normal questions and speak with a real person. don’t forget to ask for a confirmation email as proof.
This company has the worst customer service I have ever encountered! When I first signed up it required me to LOGIN for every search and logged me off automatically after only a few idle moments. Then, last November I tried to access my account and billing info online but got an error message (this went on for days) with a contact number. After a few days I called the contact number but received only a recording. As a last resort I sent them an email and they finally replied after about two weeks. The email stated that my membership would expire on 2/15/2007. I tried to cancel my membership on 2/15/2007 but they had already billed it the day prior on the 14th and absolutely refused to refund my account. I talked to the so- called manager who also refused to refund my money. Tried to say I had to cancel 48 hours before billing (which I wouldn’t have been able to do in the first place since they apparently gave me the incorrect date of renewal). A respectable company would have just credited my account but instead I will have to file a formal protest with my credit card company.
Kristie, I wish you luck, but don’t hold your breath. Without rock-solid documentary proof of my case, my credit-card company wouldn’t act. Not their fault, as it was, from their point of view, only my word against newspaperarchive’s. But good luck anyway.
I have to defend this site. They are the world’s biggest microfilming provider; but I think that they’re trying for world dominance on the cheap. A couple of weeks ago, they suspended their user forums, so the could “concentrate on rolling out new features” (yeah, right!).
I’ve just renewed my membership for a second year, and am confident that they will eventually deliver, but they have had big technical problems with their service.
Also this site is not perfect as this is the fourth attempt to post a reply before it gets blanked out by the page being refreshed !!!!!.
I’m still wrestling with them. The 7 day
free trial blurb reamins on their site but
they stated in a reply to my BBB complaint
it had expired. Took my money and cancelled
my account when I requested they correct my
subscription error from one year to one month. Filed complaint with Iowa AG and BBB.
Filed complaint with my bank and got payment
credited but money not returned, yet. Beware as subscription services are misleading.
I just got suckered by this shyster outfit! I subscribed a year ago and spent less than 30 minutes on their site during the entire year. I planned to cancel when my subscription expired. Instead, I got my credit card bill this month and found their $71.40 charge on it for renewal! I, too suffered through several phone calls without reaching anyone and then got a message on how to start the cancellation online. I finally waded through that process and got a cancellation confirmation, but the confirmation also said that my subscription would still continue until September 2008, implying that I will not get a refund. I sent them email telling them that I plan to dispute the charge and I have just done that now with my credit card company. Why in God’s name are companies allowed to operate in this manner? Isn’t there some way we can all band together and put a stop to this ripoff?