PREDATORY HACKS, PART I: Gannett-owned Austin Statesman Fails to Deliver, Makes Cancelling Impossible and Continues to Criminally Charge Your Card

The main reason why this four-part quadruple bombshell is spread out over four posts is because of all the evidence I’m about to show you.

The evidence overwhelmingly proves that Gannett is using the Austin American-Statesman and hundreds of other local newspapers across 43 states as a front to operate a predatory billing scam where they continue to charge you every month for a product that never arrives.

NOTE: When I use the words ‘Austin American-Statesman’ or ‘Statesman’, I’m also referring to their corporate owners Gannett. They are the real culprits here.

Teddy will consider this investigation a failure unless:

1. Attorney generals in the 43 states where Gannett owns local newspapers join forces for an investigation and class-action lawsuit

2. Executives at Gannett are charged with fraud and indicted for stealing money from tens of thousands of angry, frustrated Americans.

Gannett owns local daily newspapers in 43 different U.S. states, and this investigation should trigger Attorney Generals to join forces and charge Gannett with multiple federal crimes.

Gannett’s furious subscribers have posted thousands of online complaints in 2023 alone (in all 43 states where the company owns and operates news media properties) voicing extreme anger at their local Gannett-owned newspaper.

Gannett makes it nearly impossible to contact them, and this appears to be a feature (not a bug) of their business plan.

Gannett refuses to cancel your subscription, so they can keep charging your card and stealing your money.

What percentage of Americans under age 50 still subscribe to a printed newspaper?

Maybe 2% (if we’re being generous).

The core demographic getting trapped in this billing scam?

America’s elderly.

October 2023: Yelp reviews from angry Austin Statesman customers accusing them of criminal billing practices

Gannett and the Austin American-Statesman’s online reputations are shockingly bad:

Hundreds of negative reviews about Gannett and the Austin Statesman’s shocking business practices have been posted online over the past two years.

Gannett is not BBB accredited.

They have a 1 star rating and 262 complaints closed in the past 12 months, and 854 complaints closed over the past three years (link).

The Austin-American Statesman is not BBB accredited and also has a one star rating (link).

From Yelp and Google Maps, to Reddit and the Better Business Bureau - you can read thousands of negative reviews from angry, frustrated customers who cannot believe that Gannett and their 100+