Block & Leviton filed a complaint and proposed Settlement Agreement in Massachusetts Superior Court (Essex County) on behalf of subscribers to all GateHouse Media publications in Massachusetts who were billed for so-called "premium editions" they did not ask for.
As alleged, GateHouse sent customers of their various daily and weekly publications in Massachusetts "premium edition" publications (such as "Lens Magazine") which were filled with advertisements and other junk. The company then charged customers up to $2 for the privilege of receiving the magazine, but rather than bill the customer directly, they simply took time away from the end of the customer's subscription. So a customer who signed up and paid for a 52-week subscription could wind up receiving only 30 weeks of the newspaper due to these surcharges.
If the Settlement Agreement is approved, class members will receive a full refund, either in the form of a cash payment or in the restoration of their missing issues. GateHouse also agreed to change its business practices going forward.
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