- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Austin American-Statesman
Category: Mass Media Print Media Print Media [Edit]
305 S Congress AveAustin, TX 78704
Neighborhood: SoCo (S. Congress Ave.)
(512) 246-0444
26 reviews for Austin American-Statesman
26 reviews in English
-
Review from Tara L.
Austin, TX
11/8/2010 11 Check-ins Here
The Statesman has included for the campaign cycle a new feature called Politi-fact which I find helpful. It investigates candidates' claims.
The sports section is very centered on the University of Texas and not much else.
The Entertainment supplement Austin 360 is lacking, especially with regard to music since Austin is "live music capitol of the world"
Overall the coverage of Austin community events is good, and the newspaper gives back to the community a lot--Cap 10K and United Way, etc.
Coverage could be a little better but overall this paper is still in the top 100 by circulation for a reason. -
Review from Chanh D.
Cedar Park, TX
5/22/2012
The Statesman is a scammer. I wish there is negative rating so i can give them. here is the story:
I renew my subscription on time for 13 weeks for 22.75. Then 5 weeks later, they sent me another bill for the same period i already paid above. I called them up. It turned out that their internal system made a mistake and create a new account for me. So they gonna merge the 2 together. Sound fine, as long as i get my 13 weeks that i PAID for. But NO, I lost 4 weeks after the merge. I asked the representative, he didn't know what going on, said the system might need a couple days to update. So i'll call back in a week.
And in that week, i received no delivery, but another bill ask me to pay upon receipt. So i called them again. It turned out that because there are 2 account for me, they deduct money from both accounts even though i only received 1 delivery per day i subscripted for. So they either charged my old account even if they are not delivered or they charged my new account and not delivery. Either way, look like i get charged double for 1 delivery. The REP SAID it's not my fault that their system created 2 accounts, but they still gonna take my money. So the conclusion is it's THEIR fault but I have to pay for it. The rep show no sign of trying to solve the issue. I asked her to cancel my accounts and refund what left, she was like 'Okay'. You know what I'm thinking now? I think that they already met their quota with me, if i don't say anything then they gonna take the rest, if i do then they return the changes remains. I PAID 22.75 for 13weeks, and what do i get? 5weeks and 3.60 dollars back. Let me do the math for you: 5/13 weeks = 0.38 or 38%, and 3.6/22.75 = 0.15 or 15%. So they only completed 38% of their deliveries, but when i asked for a refund i get 15% back. If it was correct it should be around 62% back not 15%.
From a customer perspective, when i paid for 13 weeks, i expect to get 13 weeks. This event shows how much they respect their customers and themselves. I don't know how many people will read this to make a different, but i don't where else to voice my frustration. So if you reading this, be warned.
Update: I just sent them a complaint email. And guess what i get? an out of office email even i sent it during their posted operations hours. NICE. -
Review from Michael B.
Austin, TX
4/26/2012
The Statesman's reporting is simply terrible. Their stories often are simply superficial, and they get their facts flat-out wrong rather frequently. They've also been caught lying in their editorials. They've misquoted me a number of times, and they edited one of my letters to the point that they completely changed the meaning, and refused to run a correction, even after I met personally with an editor. There are better newspapers, for sure.
-
Review from Tori M.
3/23/2011
If I could give these guys negative amounts of stars, I would. Anyone who comes across this review needs to read my full story. It's worth your time and will save you a lot of headaches.
As a huge fan of the written word, I am appalled and disgusted by this newspaper.
Around Christmastime, a salesperson came to my door at my new apartment complex. He told me about this new program the AA-S is launching for the holiday season. For 2 weeks, needy kids of the community were going to be going door to door with their mentors distributing newspapers. The salesperson was requesting a donation because in return, the AA-S was going to give back to these kids (something akin to this, I don't quite remember). Somewhat of a skeptic, I was a little hesitant of this claim. But apparently, I was going to be receiving a newspaper whether I donated or not, so I thought, what the heck, I'll make a donation! I'll help save newspapers and the printed word! I proceeded to write a check, mark "DONATION" in the memo, and get the name and telephone number of the salesman.
Mistake.
I never, once received a newspaper, but I did, however, receive endless series of phone calls, telemarketers and salesmen trying to sale me a subscription. I refused.
As the months went by, the calls became more frequent. I was receiving a call from the Austin American-Statesman EVERY SINGLE DAY! Something must be up, I thought.
I decide to do a little investigative reporting of my own. I call AA-S and proceed to get put on hold for over 15 minutes. When my call is finally taken, I explain that I have been receiving a ridiculous amount of phone calls and I want it to stop immediately. I give the lady on the phone my number and she adds me to the "do not call" list. A gut feeling told me there was more to the story. I ask her, "There's not any reason why I might owe you guys money, right?" She responds, "Let me check..... No, nothing at all! Have a nice day" The phone conversation ends and I assume the matter is resolved.
Fast forward a few days. I am still receiving my once-daily voicemail from the AA-S... And now, alas, I receive a BILL in the mail. With an attached late fee and a bold-faced "final notice" written across the top.
I, again, pick up the phone. Go through the 15 minute on-hold process. Speak with an incompetent representative. Get none of my questions answered. Get promised "I will call you right back." Receive no such phone call.
Here we are, almost in April, and I have yet to resolve this matter. My simple $20 donation turned into a 4-month long nightmare.
And I still have yet to receive even one newspaper. -
Review from Barry C.
Cedar Park, TX
12/15/2010
I paid for an intro period and paid cash so it would end when the time period was over. Just got a call that I owe $14 because they kept delivering it after the period was over. Why didn't they call when the time was up and asked me if I wanted to keep it?
What a way to make some extra profit because I am being billed at full price for the overage. No answer when I asked why they didn't call me when the subscription was over. -
Review from Michael F.
Austin, TX
12/8/2010
If your considering ordering the newspaper, reconsider. The last seven days I have only received my paper once. Calling up doesn't seem to do anything, as they just give you the same excuse after excuse. You'd be better off taking the time out if your day to buy it at the store. When I called them up to complain about the paper the lady said I could come downtown to their office and pick one up. I told her, "are you serious?" I live out in Leander, a good hour all the way downtown.
If they have these many issues with delivering out here, then don't offer your service. I can't stand it. -
Review from Roberto U.
Austin, TX
12/10/2011
Here's a news headline "AAS" caught in nefarious business practices. I had a guy show up at my door pushing a promotional deal. I tell him I don't have any cash on me, and I didn't want to give a stranger my cc # so he tells me that AAS would bill me, and I agreed. I did not receive a bill, but I did receive a letter that there was a problem with my account. I called, and the problem was that my cc # had not gone through, but wait, I never gave a cc# Apparently the salesman took it upon himself to make up a cc# just to close the deal and make the commission. I cancelled immediately. Three words
"nefarious business practices" -
Review from ed S.
Austin, TX
3/24/2011
Been receiving my daily paper in North Austin since moving here 3 years ago. Today was the first/only day I walked outside and no paper. Made a call to report it MIA. About 15 minutes later I received a knock on my door and there was a lady handing me my missed paper and apologizing. Can't ask for better service!
Print newspapers are quickly leaving us - I hope the AAS is one of the last to go. -
Review from Colby B.
New York, NY
12/24/2007
Just in case you think you can't hate pop up ads any more or in any new and creative ways, cruise on over to http://statesman.com They take annoying to a whole new level.
On the other hand, they are using them to cover up some shitty content from their paper, so, maybe they're on to something.
Further, that hack named Kirk Bohls writes for them. I'd actually pay them if everytime he wrote something, an electronic ad for a homebuilder plopped down over it.
Also, during the GSD&M layoffs, they blogged about them. With the title, "What do you think about the GSD&M layoffs?" Well, gee. I think they're fucking great!
What with the across the board decline in newspaper circulation, you'd think people who work in a "growth" industry like newspapers would be a little more caring when it comes to discussing layoffs.
However, being fair I'm giving them an extra star because one of my favorite Yelpers works there, and I wouldn't want her to have to kill me.Listed in: Words of Curse, My 12 Reviews for Christmas
-
Review from Jessica S.
Austin, TX
2/20/2008
Dear AAS,
There is a reason I don't subscribe to you everyday.
For one, you are at work and easy to come by, so I don't need you to come to my house everyday. Second, I don't really read you anyway. I'm sorry if this comes as a shock to you, but I don't. (But now I've started checking you out a bit more now that I think some of your pages are helpful in Wednesday night trivia.)
I do enjoy your Life and Arts section. Okay, really just that one page that has the crossword, Jumble and sudoku (every other day).
But, I need to say this, I purposely don't want you to come to my house.You're outside my HEB sometimes. You're at the bookstore. I still don't want you around.
What annoys me most is when you show up unexpected. When you drop in for a free visit. I don't care! Don't send your "hey, try us out; you'll love us" papers to my house. They are unwelcome and a waste.
I hope you don't take this personally. I mean, it's just not working out, these unplanned visits. Even though they're free, I'm still not going to start subscribing. -
Review from Jennifer A.
Austin, TX
7/5/2008
I give the Statesman one star for John Kelso, and for John Kelso only!
The price of subscription is insane and while I understand these here Internets are making paper publications almost obsolete, it's still too freaking expensive!
Another note: We did a vacation hold, then a permanent hold. Every.single.day they delivered our paper. After NINE phone calls, they finally stopped, but that took two months. Yeah for customer service, huh?Listed in: Austin Area Reviews
-
Review from Cody R.
Austin, TX
3/30/2007
Austin Statesman is a newspaper? I had no idea...... I thought it was a website. Ok, I'm not that nieve, but I don't think I've ever read through the actual newspaper...... I read all my A.A.S. on the internet.
I think that should be their new bumper sticker campain "I get all my AAS on the internet". Isn't is sad when you make yourself laugh? Anyway, If they were to do that they would get 4 stars.
This review is completly based on their website, which for the most part is fine. Except that I always have to "login" to read an article (which gets annoying)..... and they focus WAY too much on sports.
They have an awesome Real Estate and Job section, which is top notch. -
Review from Larry M.
Austin, TX
3/29/2007 1 photo
They endorsed George Bush in the last election.
How does a town and county KNOWN for liberal leanings, KNOWN for being the most sophisticated city in Texas, KNOWN for it's huge community of highly educated folks, KNOWN for being a BLUE county...how does this happen?
Woefully out of touch with the people, it seems. And Bob Woodward was just in town to challenge the seduction of being in charge of both publishing and editorial....
Three stars for the architecture, food and fashion critics, all of whom I've met (name dropper alert!) and dig.
And I DO get my most up to date info on the real estate market here, so have to give props, and the Sunday issue isn't completely depressing.
There is no reason why our fair city can't have an incredible city paper. -
Review from nick h.
Pflugerville, TX
4/18/2009
Would you pay someone to throw trash in your yard? Well, in effect that's what i am paying the Statesman to do for me. You see, Statesman, when you deliver your paper after i leave for work that's what it becomes to me...TRASH.
Over the course of the past 10 years i have given A.A.S. at least 3 trys for home delivery. Each time i get the same old promises claiming they will deliver the paper before i have to leave for work. Lets just say Statesman...That you have not DELIVERED on your promises.
So after your 2 month special trial is up...im out. Sorry Statesman, 3 strikes is enough for me. -
Review from Jackson R.
Austin, TX
11/14/2006
We joke and call this the "Mistakesman" rather than the "Statesman" because there are often so many grammatical and factual errors to be found.
For example, they once had a high school football game listed as being played at the Alamodome in HOUSTON. What editor missed that one?
I give them three stars anyway for the great John Kelso, the Capitol 10K, and the fantastic part of the Hike and Bike trail they keep up. They do a great job supporting community events.
Unfortunately, the Statesman fails to be the first rate newspaper that would be so good for this city. That's not uncommon in today's world, however. This paper is run by Cox newspapers, who also publishes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Rocky Mountain Telegram among others. Another corporation trying to make everything everywhere the same. -
Review from John B.
7/19/2008
James L. - I agree with you.
For quite a while I've had the opinion that the Austin American-Statesman is on the wrong track. I wonder if it is the reporting , or if the editors don't allow real news to be published because they want to avoid controversy. The online version isn't any better. (Top stories right now are: "Run-Tex Hopes to wean runners off paper cups", "Rallying Support" for rally races, and "Cooking with cast iron". Where is the NEWS?
We need an Austin paper that investigates, examines, considers both sides, and then reports. Unfortunately, I don't think it is just the trend at the Statesman - I think it is national.
We need reporters to sit at city council meetings and report on what they are talking about. (Don't tell me what to think, just tell me what they are saying.) We need reporters that investigate allegations of government/corporate problems, and then publish what they found.
I've heard many times that print media is in trouble - I think this is why. -
Review from Goth m.
Austin, TX
12/13/2010
I have subscribed to the AAS since moving to Austin 18 years ago. I took 7 day delivery until this past August when I couldn't stand the City of Austin bashing any longer. (You should live in a city where the officials truly don't care - then you'd have something to bash.)
I recently moved from NW to East Austin in September and decided I needed the paper on Weds & Sun for the ads. For the first two months delivery was flawless, although I suspected I wasn't getting the full edition of the paper as many times ad inserts for national stores would be missing and the physical size of the paper was much smaller than what I had been receiving in NW Austin....
But beginning 2 weeks ago delivery stopped. Calls to the system said I didn't have a paper scheduled for that day. When I could get through to a human I was told a new circulation route had been put in place and there were a few hick-ups. I have now had to call for the past 5 deliveries, and each delivery took 2-5 calls to get a paper to my house!
This past Sunday it took 5 calls and until 1pm to get the paper and over half the ads and possibly some of the sections were missing. A trip to Walmart confirmed my suspicions - the paper at Walmart was more than 2 times bigger than what I received! And further, going through the delivered paper I found the telltale new subscription offer inset!
A request on Sunday to have a manager call me has not been fulfilled as of Monday afternoon. I called to check on it today only to be told they (managers) only call in the mornings and there was no one else I could talk to.
I would write an editorial about how the service I am receiving on the east side is so much worse than northwest Austin, but where would it get published? If I could find out how to contact the advertisers to let them know that their campaigns weren't making it to certain areas of town I would do that too.
Anyway, here's hoping someone from the Statesman sees this and will try to address these issues.
In the meantime, if you want to read about how horrible Austin city government and all it's employees are, and you don't mind not receiving your paper, nor having your calls returned, then by all means subscribe. If any of these things do "bother" you, then consider yourself advised and adjust your expectations accordingly. -
Review from Eddie P.
Leander, TX
9/30/2011
They don't deserve 1 star
I contacted the statesman in 2006 to run some advertising for my business i explained to the girl that i only wanted to run adds in april and may and she came back with a price a little higher than what i had told her i wanted to spend but i agreed to run the adds. ^ months later i get a bill from them for over 5,000 when i called i was told just to pay it. i talked to a mngr and was told they would take care of it. a year later i get served papers telling me i need to go to court for the outstanding balance i again called and was told to talk to the atty. i did he told me there must be some kind of misunderstanding and that the statesman would make good and not to worry about the court date he would change it until we figured everything out. Guess what he did not change the court date so i end up with a judgement. And they used an absolute fake invoice for over 6000 and a contract that i had signed for other advertising over 5 years earlier.
Ands still to date they have not produced a legitimate invoice/contract.
Absolute crooks and the Atty is the worst. -
Review from Michelle C.
Austin, TX
11/27/2006
Austin so deserves to have a good daily newspaper, and it so doesn't. The AAS' cookie-cutter, mass-media presentation just doesn't do it for me. And, as if that weren't bad enough, the politics of the editorial staff (or, at least, the ones who make the political endorsement decisions) are decidedly right-leaning - not fair when Austin is the last stand for left-leaning Texans! I get it for the classified section and to see what's on sale, and get my news elsewhere.
-
Review from Bob R.
Austin, TX
5/4/2007
The couple of stars belong to the couple of stars: John Kelso and some occasional sports writing. Other than that, it's good for the birdcage floor. Some time back, the Statesman in some loopy delusion, decided it needed a slogan like the New York Times' "All the News That's Fit to Print." Kelso suggested "Yesterday's News Tomorrow." And so it goes.
-
Review from Richard E.
Cedar Park, TX
8/23/2009
Overall the AAS is a pos paper. To Liberal, but what do you expect in Austin, Texas right? The sports section though is really really good and that is the only reason that I would get the paper, but on weekends only.
Oh and I am from Austin. I can say it. The AAS is a POS paper. -
Review from James L.
Pflugerville, TX
7/19/2008
We subscribed to weekend service so my wife could get the Sunday store flyers and coupons. We of course had to take Friday and Saturday service too. Delivery has been great. The content, not so much.
I have to say that after leaving for five years and then coming back to the Austin area I am pleased to find that a lot of things have changed and certainly many for the better. Austin's major newspaper has not kept pace with the area's rapid and dynamic expansion. The paper is still written for an Austin readership circa 1972. There is a real failure to incorporate relevant stories in the areas outside of central Austin on a consistent basis. The Sports section must be edited right at the UT alumni center. You have to search deep down into page 7 to find any news outside this conference and then only if a team has the Longhorns on their upcoming schedule and then only with a distinct bias.
This Saturday the front page featured a story discussing new Police Chief Acevedo's 1st Year Anniversary; 32 paragraphs that could have been written by a 1st year journalism student: an "us vs. them" story line with some conjecture about Acevedo's commitment to the Austin community because his wife and children aren't living here in the city yet, interspersed among raw crime data statistics and the number of officers that have been fired. The whole thing reads like an IDEA for a series of stories treating a very important topic, a new police chief coming from completely outside of the Austin, Texas community, his vision for a whole new direction and the impact it has had on the ENTIRE community and not just the local police union and the local NAACP chapter. (What do business owners have to say? What do average citizens, downtown, uptown and in the bordering areas have to say? What is the mayor's commitment to this new direction amongst the controversies? I may as well throw darts at the ballot in the next local election because the "STATESMAN" gives me no information to use when making my voting decision.)
I entertained the notion of writing an editor and asking for a story about Governor Perry and any possible ties to Merck. Doesn't it seem to any of you that his Gardasil mandate was kind of random? What was his motivation? Frankly, with a 5 year old daughter and now several cases suggesting harmful effects of the vaccine, this story effects me very personally. I continue reading the newspaper though and figure, what's the use? The Podunk reporting staff would give the story cursory treatment, botch any real investigation into upper echelons of the pharmaceutical titan or the 2nd most populous state's executive branch and be down on 4th Street for cocktails before the ink would dry.
So there is no surprise the editorials are poorly written, with agendas so tried and trite you really don't need to get past paragraph two to see where the writer is going.
In an era of 24-7 TV news, talk radio proliferation and the internet, the Statesman is trapped in a time bubble of naïve innocence and/or guarded optimism about the status quo.
As of this morning, my subscription is on the verge of extinction.Listed in: If You're Looking For Me,…
-
Review from Jesse M.
Austin, TX
10/27/2007
Watch out for the subscription fees if you get the print ediiton!! The AAS will routinely push a year on you for something like $240 - if you're that much of a sucker, then you'll enjoy the news content. There are reduced subscription rates for around $150-160 and you get the same lame content 7 days a week. Internet is the way to go.
-
Review from Dominca H.
Austin, TX
1/26/2011
Wow. I only ready it for the Food section and the sales that are advertised. It seems more and more full page ads for hearing aids and weight loss. Pitiful. Dinosaur.
-
Review from Edwyn E.
Austin, TX
2/13/2009
if you are a neo-con you will probably love this paper. its sad that the "paper" for austin supports those loser right wing asses. heck they endorsed bush for president back in the day.
-
Review from A. T.
Denton, TX
8/15/2008
A product of Cox Newspapers, and about to be sold, this newspaper isn't that bad. Far better than the AJC which Cox also publishes. The Statesman is also better than most Texas newspapers.
