Wow. What a mess. I decided when I newly arrived in So Cal to try the Desert Sun. Free trial. I cancelled after the trial period and today, years later they are still changing me and to be reimbursed I have to show them my confirmation code. From 3 years ago. I said I'd look for it and requested then cancel it now. But since they have already renewed me for another month I have to eat the 14.99. It's not a lot of money but apparently to them it is. Stay away from Desert Sun and anything else managed by Gannet Media like USA Today for example. Check your local newspaper to see if Gannet Media is the managing company. read more

poor cant seem to get anything right, trouble with automativ payments. trouble with didgital access on saturdays. yes print delivery is good. read more

Had been a digital only subscriber of the desert sun a few years ago but cancelled. My previous plan in 2022 was $22 for two years! Went to check current 2026 rates and was offered the $1 for the first month, $19 per month there after. Guys, It's a digital only subscription which means it's there and there is next to zero overhead. So had $22 for two years and now offered $119 for one year. Thanks but no thanks as that is not even close to being reasonable. read more

I accidentally hit digital delivery on their website instead of home. I called immediately within minutes when I received confirmation. This was on 8/23/25. I requested cancellation and refund of my $99. I have called 4 times in 7 weeks. I get the same bs, 7-10 days. The customer service staff is rude and condescending. No way to treat anyone, especially a senior citizen. Still waiting for my refund. read more

If I could give a negative star review, I would. But the system made me put at least one star to post. I have been trying to change our print subscription to a digital subscription since October 5th. Since then, they have billed me $197.13. And I have been trying to get a refund since Nov. 7th. Multiple calls, with multiple promises of 100% assurance by representatives that have told me the refund has been processed, including a Supervisor with 110% assurance. I just need to wait ANOTHER 7-10 business days (the 3rd X I've been told this). On my call today, I have cancelled the subscription all together. ONE OF THE WORST "CUSTOMER SERVICE" EXPERIENCES I have ever had. read more

Worst possible customer service. I have cancelled my digital subscription three times, but somehow they have not been cancelled by the Desert Sun. They owe me $29.98, which I was told returned to my credit card this week. Today I was told account was never cancelled and no refund was ever authorized or processed. Call centers are all offshore and will tell you anything just to end the call. Beware! read more

I called The Desert Sun to receive subscription. A couple months later, I called them and canceled. They confirmed cancelation. I continue to get papers and charged two months later. I have called them twice more and each time they assured me they canceled. It is not. I still get the paper and charged. Not sure what is the business philosophy. Not good! read more

My husband is 90 years old and still loves to read a newspaper. Over the last few years the Desert Sun has consistently gone downhill. No delivery on Saturdays and Holidays, news is old news, usually a day late. Seems to be coming.one sided politically with cartoons and readers' letters, subscription prices constantly increasing with no prior notice. Today I called to cancel my longtime subscription and got a recording "this number is temporarily unavailable try again later!" I guess their offices are closed on Mondays? read more

I was told they would send me the Sunday only paper for $4 a month and the woman said she would renew this. Now I am told that my subscription ended. I have called them 20 times in the last 2 days. They don't recognize my choices. The automated monster keeps hanging up on me. What a worthless system. I wonder if their employees are as worthless as their robo answering machine. read more

We come out to Palm Springs from mid September to June. I subscribed to the Desert Sun and was informed delivery would begin September 22 on Sunday. Not only did it not get delivered, but when I called I was told they couldn't get a response from the carrier so I probably won't get my paper todayl It is now 1:38 and no paper I was told they would "credit" my account. I don't want a credit since I signed up for three months for $1 a week. I wish the desert had a different paper but we're stuck with the Desert Sun which is horrible with deliveries. Every winter I need to call them two out of four weeks for the Sunday paper delivery. Why can't they get their act together? read more

I have been a home delivery subscriber to the Desert Sun since June, 2021. Delivery was consistent until the last two weeks when things just fell apart. The paper was not delivered 9 of the last 11 delivery days (Mon-Sun, excluding Saturdays). I have called the paper's 800 number and a paper was usually dispatched later in the day but I should not have to call every day to receive the paper. You would think that there would be some kind of follow-up if someone called to complain about poor service 9 out of 11 days but no one seems to care. Today I cancelled my subscription and the customer service rep did not seem to care about the poor service or the fact that they were losing a customer. Apparently the Desert Sun is no longer capable of home delivery and is not interested in rectifying that problem. read more

We ordered the desert Sun for the month of January 23. It was delivered the first day wet because it was left in the rain and nothing the second day. I was told that papers are delivered between 5:30-7:30 am. when I called at 8:30am I was told they don't replace papers that are not delivered. Very disappointed in this newspaper and understand why their subscription is so low. it was not cheap for the month! read more

Try to cancel! Canceled and continued to be charged and a refund is not available for digital accounts! Asked to speak with someone else and was told I could not because the customer service agents work from home. Cancelled again and will watch closely! Be careful if you subscribe to this digital paper. read more

The carrier who delivers The Desert Sun in Palm Desert Resort Country Club is extremely unreliable. About once a week the paper is missing. When I call to report this, I am advised that the paper will be delivered the next day or I will receive a credit, neither of which happens. When it is delivered it may be in the bushes or in the gutter but that is only if it is raining. I thought I would get better service if I sent him a Christmas tip, so I sent him a check for $20 and he modified the check to $200. That was rectified but the delivery issues continue. read more

My mom received confirmation emails 4/5/21 from The Desert Sun saying Thank you for your new subscription BUT she didn't start a new subscription so we immediately called The Desert Sun to alert them. They said she started a subscription via telephone with a telemarketing company. She did no such thing! She doesn't answer the telephone unless she knows who is calling. Also, I had such problems with The Desert Sun last year that I cancelled my mom's subscription one year ago and have no intention of ever subscribing to The Desert Sun again! It was such a hassle with them...overcharging and then not refunding overcharged money, and charging more and more each month for the subscription...such a hassle...After I cancelled they kept charging me so I called customer service for over a month and they kept telling me the credit is coming...I never received the credit from The Desert Sun. It was only resolved and I got my refunds when I called my credit card company and they took care of it immediately. Anyway, back to the fraudulent opening of a Desert Sun subscription. Please be aware that this is happening and a fraudulent telemarketing company may open a Desert Sun subscription in your name without your knowledge and without ever speaking with you. My mom was only alerted by the confirmation emails she received saying she started a new subscription, which she didn't! The Desert Sun should not be doing business with a company, opening fraudulent subscriptions but whether The Desert Sun does anything about this is anyone's guess. Maybe one of their reporters could investigate this story! read more

The newspaper itself is typical of many local papers these days- dying a slow death with minimal content that you can't get elsewhere. The service is abysmal, both delivery and billing. I upgraded my digital subscription to home delivery after I arrived in the valley for the winter. Delivery was hit and miss, mostly miss. When missed delivery was reported, a replacement paper would be promised, then later in the day I would be told it wasn't going to happen. I estimate I received 40% of the papers I paid for. I finally gave up and cancelled the subscription. Amazingly, they did stop delivering any papers immediately. More than a full week later, I noticed I had been charged for another month on my credit card. I talked with customer service and (a) they claimed I had only cancelled my digital subscription and (b) they won't reverse the charge. If I only cancelled the digital subscription, how do they explain the fact that they stopped delivering the paper for a full week? I have contacted customer service via echat and email, but so far NO RESPONSE. Great way to treat your (ex) customers Desert Sun. read more

Worst local newspaper in the world zero communication they decide they're not gonna print on Saturdays anymore then they decide they're not going print on Labor Day they throw it on the wet lawn rather than on the porch as I've only asked them 50 times to put it on the porch they can't do that it's just like a school newspaper now. The sad part is they don't care this paper should've gone out of business a long time ago every time they mess which is very often they say we are on the Internet. They need to shut their business down they have zero customer service worst school type newspaper in the world wish they would go out of business and put in a new paper for the Desert !!!!!!! read more

Horrible service. Digital Edition I feel like I'm playing a video game with all the pop up ads. I start reading and a pop up. No enjoyment reading this rag. Sad. read more

Same old story. Paid for a subscription and it was about a week after I was told I would get delivery before I got my first paper. I received about 4, then they stopped coming. I have called customer service 15 times, sometimes asking for a supervisor. They outsource their customer service off shore. Lots of apologies and promises to "personally solve the problem". It's always the same canned lines, saying that it's unacceptable, but day after day the paper isn't there. Do yourself a favor and save the frustration and donate your subscription money to charity. read more

Using my head and intellect, I realize there is still a good population of people who do not read on-line and prefer to have actual paper in hand. That being said, why offer the promise of a delivery paper service if the ability is not there. I read on-line but every 2months when I visit my Parents in Palm Springs, the failed service of paper delivery is the consistent compliant. They prefer to read their news in a news paper-I do not judge, its their preference. Desert Sun-please do a better job at delivering. I already spoke with you over the phone, my fingers are crossed. read more

As snowbirds have for 10 years always got the Desert Sun. This year is horrible. First 2 months no problem. In last 2 weeks missing 4 papers. And now find out everytime I phone I am talking to the Philippines!!!! Cannot talk to anyone in the United States! Disgusted with service. Will never get again. read more

I have only been a subscriber for about 6 mo. and have missed a paper at least once a month. When I call and want to talk to someone I am put on hold for 15 plus min. and have to listen to some really crappy music. I get so P.O. that I never talk to anybody. This is the worst "customer service" I have ever witnessed. The paper is just a further example of lack of customer service and terrible Quality. If anybody is capable of doing something about this my phone number is on file. Before I send this set of comments they want me to sign up on yelp and give them my password for my email read more

They Ripped my wife & I Off! Back in 2009 we paid a home delivery guy working for them $170 for a years Full Service subscription we were never delivered any papers or refunded any money! read more

Impossible to receive delivery. Forget about home delivery subscription. 20 years a subscriber, but it's time to cancel. If you want to start your day with frustration over another undelivered paper, then go ahead and stay on as a customer. Otherwise, forget the words, "customer service" read more

How come I used to get adds in my sunday paper for Target, Best Buy, Dicks Sporting goods, and World Market? I never get them anymore. Don't those advertisers pay mega bucs thinking their adds will appear in all the papers? I live in Thousand Palms. Maybe you just don't think we are important enough to include those adds or maybe the carrier makes that decision since it takes more time to insert those adds when preparing papers for delivery? I'm very curious to know those answers. One thing I know is that customer satifaction for newspapers is at an alltime low. read more

Absolutely the worst customer service. The automated system is difficult to use and generally just ends up hanging up on the call. I receive my paper about half the time. I have had more problems with my carrier than any other newspaper subscription is have had. I have complained to a live person in the past but still no resolution. read more

I had been a subscriber for 7 years. I never considered it either too far left or right. My first issue was they stopped providing a weekly TV guide. This was always handy to keep near to glance over the grid for programming the DVR. I wrote 2 emails with my disappointment asking for a reply if this was a permanent change and cc'd it to all appropriate editors and the publisher. Not one reply! Now they've completely changed the entire paper with less local and adding in the USA Today newspaper. I've always read USA Today online and took The Desert Sun paper with me to bed to read. The paper has made too many bad changes nobody likes. Now I notice plenty are still on the racks in stores by end of day. I've canceled my subscription. read more

Here is a quoted E.Mail thread I have had going on with The Desert Sun Since December 2017 I have talked to a few different folks at TDS who have offered to give me a one month credit - Next move is Small Claims Court - " PLEASE ~~~ SOMEBODY carefully the following e.mail thread - I now have TWO MORE Credit Card charges from The Desert Sun - I am going to wait until tis Friday for a TOTAL resolution to this situation then I will start my Social Media and Yelp and Gannett Corporate campaign - I sent this out earlier in December and to my amazement the Desert Sun started appearing in my my driveway at the bottom of the hill in early January - sp someone did get my message but then of course failed to read the whole issue outlined in the various e.mails. PLEASE STOP the paper and refund me the total mentioned earlier plus TWO MORE MONTHS. Subject: Fwd: Cancel subscription Date: December 12, 2017 at 2:52:04 PM PST To: thedesertsun @gannett.com Good Day I am sending you an E.Mail Thread from December 2016 - My messages to you were abundantly clear in that I wished to CANCEL my subscription effective 22 December 2016 I had occasion to audit my Credit Card Billing and am SHOCKED to find you have continued to charge me for The Desert Sun NewsPaper Delivery - I am even more surprised to see you charges have increased by 53% from 29.54 to 45.28 ? ? ? NOT that it affects me but 53% ? ? ? I haveNOT received newspapers from The Desert Sun for MONTHS ~ Please credit my Credit Card account in the amount of $367.61 for erroneous charges immediately OR call me to agree you will send your check in that amount to me for these charges within the week - Thanks for your attention ~ DAVID R BANKS Estate needs. Thank You ! Begin forwarded message: From: DAVID R BANKS bankabledavid@icloud.com Subject: Re: Cancel subscription Date: December 26, 2016 at 8:30:39 AM PST To: thedesertsun@gannett.com Hmmmm My message was NOT sent yesterday It was days earlier - So obviously your response was "canned." IF you are Customer Service oriented I would have received a phone call from you rather than an automated canned e.mail Please feel free to call me IF you require voice contact. By the Way ~~~ Since my earlier message at least TWO MORE DAYS without a paper - Let's get it canceled please ! DAVID R BANKS read more

I quit reading this excuse for a rag when they reduced page size (same with the L.A. Times, which is waaay too left a rag for my taste). The best use for the overpriced Sun is fish wrap! read more

I subscribed to the digital version of the newspaper but never received it in my email inbox. I emailed twice to resolve the problem and when I called to cancel the subscription and request a refund, I was given the runaround and the paper refused to give me a full refund. Don't subscribe the customer service is terrible! read more

So I get a subscription offer in the mail with a 3-month introductory rate - but they don't say what it goes up to afterwards. This is a little sleazy, in my opinion, especially since it converts to the unknown rate automatically. I tried to call the subscription dept. to ask about it and to state my opinion. After going through an automated phone tree, it ends up saying "normally I would transfer you to a representative at this point, but we're closed right now. Call again another time." I don't think so. read more

In past seasons this paper was delivered on time every day with not one issue for 6 years. This year is the complete opposite, we've been back since 10-24 (two weeks) and the delivery hasn't been at all acceptable, missed getting at least 4 papers. When you call to complain you get a customer service representative from Lexington, KY. Evidently the Desert Sun doesn't have the balls to call locally. I receive empty promises and apologies, getting damn sick and tired of businessthat don't take care of their customers. read more

I made the mistake of subscribing to their digital edition. I live in Palm Desert and they have articles posted from May on that section. I called over a month ago to complain and the articles are still there. How hard is it to update a website? read more

Customer Service non existent. Whenever I leave town I temporarily stop my print edition and ask for a credit. That credit never appears so I always have to contact the Desert Sun to get it. I am currently going on 1 hour and 15 minutes of being on hold both on the phone and on the "live chat". Last week I agreed to await a call back that never came so here I am on hold in two places. Very frustrating. When I check into my billing detail I no longer see my credit for auto pay so I will also ask about that. I prefer a paper bill because like most people, I don't see and read all that I should with an e bill. E bills are an easy way to miss those often made mistakes. I love my delivery person......always there before 7 am. I still like the print edition. read more

Wow, after reading these reviews I have to comment. I get my actual paper copy daily well before 7 am and rarely later. I look for local news and skip the national stuff so I am happy. This is a good local paper as far as I am concerned. read more

If I could rate zero stars I would. They renewed a subscription for email on their own without any authorization from me. One of the reasons I didn't renew was because I didn't receive the editions for quite a few months. Customer Service ( ? ) refused to credit my account . The credit card is being cancelled, so let them try it again. read more

We have been calling and letting them know we haven't received paper for 3 Fridays in a row. They said they would have our Friday paper with Saturday. Well today is Saturday didn't receive any paper no one to speak to. I am trying to tell family quit subscription. They are seniors and still want to read paper. This is so ridiculous. read more

Poor customer service! In the past two months, they have not delivered my paper 4 times! And it's usually on the weekend, the paper most enjoyed! Step up your game Desert Sun!!! read more

I subscribed to The Desert Sun and paid in advance. It was to start last Monday. Not delivered and was given the option of getting it the next day or a credit. I like Sudoku so opted for delivery. (They do not send one out on the missed day.) Never got Monday's paper, but did get a paper Tuesday. On Wednesday the paper was soaking wet. The driveway is about 24 feet wide of which 12 inches is wet from the sprinklers. Got same options, but talked to an agent. Chose credit. Thursday got a dry paper. Today is Friday and the paper is again soaking wet and in the same place as Wednesday. Enough is enough, so cancelled. I told the agent I expected a full refund less 2 papers at the advertised rate of 93 cents each. Never again. read more

We suspended our subscription for a few days because we went out of town Wed - Sat. I, specifically, asked to resume my delivery on Sunday. It is now Tuesday, and I have had no papers delivered since I've been back. I called a second time in two days wondering why my paper wasn't delivered. Same old excuses. They couldn't tell me why. But, during yesterday's call, they said they'd contact the delivery guy. Apparently, this is not happen. I also asked for a Supervisor on the phone, and after a brief hold, she told me he wasn't available. I think they were avoiding me, as I was not too happy. So I responded by canceling my subscription. I'll get the LA Times instead. read more