A cure for missing newspaper syndrome?

October 15, 2005 11:36 AM

What's the best way to cure missing newspaper syndrome?

I live in a large apartment building and subscribe to a daily paper (Toronto Star), which is delivered by an independent contractor and hung from my unit's front door handle.

The Star has an on-line form to report 'delivery problems' and to request a credit when you don't receive your paper. If you complain early enough, they send a replacement paper; later on, they just credit your account.

Presumably, some heat gets applied to the delivery people when there are too many complaints. I’ve come down with missing paper syndrome 8 or 9 times in the two months I’ve subscribed, and have reported it each time.

When I’m home (and awake) all morning, and am sure the paper never came, I have no qualms about complaining. What worries me, however, is when I sleep in on Saturdays, like today, and find no paper at about 11am. What are the odds that someone is ‘borrowing’ my paper? I don’t want to cause unfair trouble for my delivery person, but I’m concerned that posting a note like this one (albiet less passive-aggressively worded) on my door might give my neighbours the wrong impression of me.

Advice?

posted by onshi to Human Relations (21 answers total)

Report 'em all. Let the newspaper sort them out.

Is their responsibility to get your newspaper to you. The Star owes you the paper. If you don't get it, you let them know. How they manage their contractors is their business. Give them credit for being competent at it.

Nobody is going to get fired just because your (that is, a single customer's) paper regularly goes missing. If the carrier has a significantly higher than normal rate of missing papers in general, then he's in trouble. If it's just one customer or one building, then they'll chalk it up to neighbours with sticky fingers.
posted by winston at 11:54 AM on October 15, 2005

If (a) you know for a fact that the paper has not been delivered at all on more than one occasion, and (b) you don't have solid evidence that a neighbor is taking your paper, I would not feel bad at all about complaining to the newspaper.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 11:54 AM on October 15, 2005

Response by poster: I'm not averse to complaining; indeed, I have been and will continue to. I guess what I'm looking for is a complementary strategy that's not too rude or anti-social.
posted by onshi at 12:25 PM on October 15, 2005

That letter you wrote on your blog will not work too well, it's very undiplomatic and coarse. You need to play it softly-softly, as it may not be a neighbor at all.
posted by wackybrit at 12:36 PM on October 15, 2005

Response by poster: wackybrit: the letter on the blog is just that (in the affected style of the blog, which is a collaborative, sarcastic place to vent).
posted by onshi at 12:41 PM on October 15, 2005

Best answer: When I lived in an aparment building one of my neighbors had a paper shopping bag with a bell attached hanging on their door. Any newspapers went in there. It could definately deter any potential thieves and alert you to when the newspaper arrives.
posted by Alison at 1:38 PM on October 15, 2005

I have personally seen people try to steal my paper...l

Your best bet is to talk to the carrier yourself directly. They get charged for those extra deliveries and have an incentive for making sure you get your paper.
posted by konolia at 1:38 PM on October 15, 2005

Response by poster: If I were to talk to the carrier, what would I say or ask?
posted by onshi at 1:43 PM on October 15, 2005

Just tell them you are having trouble getting your paper, and that you don't want to cause the carrier problems by reporting it. More than likely they will be very happy to work with you.

I also like the above answer about the belled sack too.
posted by konolia at 2:09 PM on October 15, 2005

I live in a large apartment building and subscribe to a daily paper (Toronto Star), which is delivered by an independent contractor and hung from my unit's front door handle.

By 'unit', do you mean your entire building, or your particular unit? If the latter, can't they push it through or under your door? If the former, could it go into your mailbox?
posted by wackybrit at 3:32 PM on October 15, 2005

Personally, I'd just attach a fake camera to the door with the note "Mail fraud includes newspaper stealing - minimum sentence 6 months - all instances reported to the local police [insert police phone number here] - $10 reward to information leading to arrest of suspect" underneath.

But I'm a total anti-social asshole. However, I wouldn't dream of stealing someone's newspaper. I wouldn't even open it in front of the door for a peek. So I'd find it justified (but wouldn't report the person, not unless I hooked up the camera and saw them do it in front of the note).
posted by shepd at 3:33 PM on October 15, 2005

Response by poster: By unit, I mean my own unit. The paper is always too thick to be pushed under the door, and also too large for the mailboxes (to which a paper deliver-er would not have access in any case, as it's a bank of post-office-box style locked boxes) which are 22 floors below and not at all convenient =\
posted by onshi at 4:06 PM on October 15, 2005

Plenty of good ideas in this thread.
posted by junkbox at 4:58 PM on October 15, 2005

Response by poster: D'oh.
posted by onshi at 5:27 PM on October 15, 2005

Remove the weather stripping under your door and there will be more space to slip it through. That was the only way I could get unscrupulous neighbours to stop stealing my paper.
posted by acoutu at 8:27 PM on October 15, 2005

When I had this problem, I started getting up early and putting cinnamon oil on the newspaper bag. He finally took the bait, and that was the end of that. (Sadly, I didn't get to hear the screams.) Eventually, the thief was arrested, though for different reasons altogether.
posted by waldo at 8:57 PM on October 15, 2005

Aha.

Happened today. Same story, different city (Ottawa -- Globe and Mail). Cinnamon oil, eh?

Do report. I don't think that the paper assumes that this is the courier's fault. It's not like it doesn't get back to them. They've seen it all before.

Thing with surprising the thief (as suggested by many in the other thread), for us late sleepers (or forgetful, or what have you), you don't know when in the morning it's taken, and you can't very well stake out the front hall. I'm also on the fourth floor of a walk-up, so racing up and down is not an option.

Cinnamon oil, you say?
posted by dreamsign at 11:51 PM on October 15, 2005

Can you explain the cinnamon oil thing? Does it burn? Your link doesn't work, waldo!

I've started hanging a plastic bag on my handle for the delivery guy; I guess with a bell it would work even better, but somehow people are less likely to swipe something physically attached to your door and more likely to swipe it if it's on the doormat. I have no idea why this is, but it's worked for me so far.
posted by fionab at 12:38 AM on October 16, 2005

Your newspaper service may have some sort of solution such as a lockable drop box that attaches to the door. Contact them and ask.
posted by squidlarkin at 7:50 AM on October 16, 2005

How about an actual camera? Once you catch the thief on camera you have a couple of options:

1. Direct confrontation, with diplomacy level of your choice

2. Posting still shots of the dirty deed on your front door.

3. File a small claims suit against the thief for the value of your subscription

4. File a police report

If it were me, I'd choose option 1 or possibly option 2, depending on the neighbor. 3 & 4 would be reserved for folks I had other beef with.
posted by mikewas at 8:01 AM on October 16, 2005

Well, someone swiped my Sunday NY Times this morning. Again. I thought I'd solved it with the plastic bag trick, but evidently this just provided a convenient method of transport for the thief. I'm not even batting 0.2 here at this point. ARRrrrrgh, I know it's my next door neighbor too.
posted by fionab at 9:06 AM on October 16, 2005