Gannett class action alleges newspapers auto-renewed subscriptions after customer cancellations

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Gannett newspaper renewal class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Nichole Anderson filed a class action lawsuit against Gannett Co., Inc. 
• Why: Anderson claims Gannett unlawfully renews newspaper subscriptions for consumers who have already canceled their subscription. 
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in New Jersey federal court. 

Gannett deceptively and unlawfully automatically renews the newspaper subscriptions of consumers who have already canceled their subscriptions, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Nichole Anderson claims Gannett acts in a “fraudulent” and “unconscionable” manner by allegedly continuing to charge consumers for their subscriptions even if they are canceled before they are set to renew. 

Anderson argues that Gannett breaches its contract with consumers by allegedly continuing to charge for newspaper subscriptions that have been canceled.

“Defendant routinely fails to honor consumers’ requests to stop their newspaper subscriptions from automatically renewing and instead, continues to charge them subscription fees without their authorization in breach of the express terms of its contract,” the Gannett class action states. 

Gannett class action alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment

Anderson’s subscription to the Courier News was automatically renewed despite her canceling the subscription and receiving confirmation that it was done, the Gannett class action states.

“As a result of Defendant’s fraudulent conduct, Plaintiff paid nearly $10.00 in unauthorized charges from Defendant,” according to the Gannett newspaper renewal lawsuit. 

Anderson claims Gannett is guilty of unjust enrichment and breach of contract and in violation of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. 

She demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, statutory and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

Anderson wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who continued to be charged for a Gannett-owned newspaper subscription despite already having canceled their subscription to that newspaper. 

Additionally, she wants to represent a subclass of consumers who purchased a subscription to the Courier News and who were continued to be charged after they canceled their subscription. 

In related news, last month, a judge ruled that a $6.7 million class action settlement between The Washington Post and consumers who say their subscriptions were unlawfully automatically renewed could move forward. 

Have you been charged for a Gannett newspaper renewal subscription you already canceled? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Rachel Edelsberg of Dapeer Law, P.A., and Sophia G. Gold and Jeffrey D. Kaliel of Kaliel Gold PLLC. 

The Gannett class action lawsuit is Anderson v. Gannett Co., Inc., Case No. 3:22-cv-05088, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

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