Last updated on August 1, 2019
These Terms of Sale govern the sale of Boston Globe digital products and print subscriptions, as defined herein, including subscriptions to BostonGlobe.com and to the print edition of the Boston Globe Newspaper.
1. GENERAL TERMS OF SALE
1.1 We may change, add or remove portions of these Terms of Sale at any time, and such changes shall become effective immediately upon posting. We will make a copy of the new Terms of Sale available to you. We may do so by posting a message in the Member Center of the Boston Globe website and/or by emailing them to your primary email address associated with your subscription, and/or in another appropriate manner. It is your responsibility to review these Terms of Sale and by continuing to subscribe, you agree to any such changes.
1.1. Definitions
The term “digital subscription” refers to a subscription that includes access to BostonGlobe.com, the Boston Globe ePaper, and the Boston Globe mobile app.
The term “digital-only subscription” refers to a subscription consisting exclusively of access to BostonGlobe.com, the Boston Globe ePaper, and the Boston Globe mobile app.
The term “digital products” refers to paid digital products available from the Boston Globe, including digital subscriptions.
The term “print subscription” refers to a subscription that includes delivery, one or more days each week, of the print edition of the Boston Globe newspaper. It may or may not include online access to BostonGlobe.com.
The term “billing period” refers to the period from the start of your subscription until the end of its term.
1.2. About Digital Subscriptions
You are not required to purchase anything in order to access BostonGlobe.com or Boston Globe-related apps. If you do not purchase a digital subscription, your access to Boston Globe content and services will be limited.
The Boston Globe reserves the right to modify the content, type and availability of any digital subscription at any time.
Only one person may use each account (user name and password) associated with a purchased digital subscription. A subscription which includes both a print subscription and a digital subscription may include multiple digital subscription accounts (user names), each of which may be used by one person.
For details about your purchases, including payment methods and billing periods, please call 1-888-MYGLOBE or log on to the Member Center at https://manage.bostonglobe.com/cs/mc/login.aspx
1. 3. Pricing
When you purchase a subscription, the price will be made clear during the order process. You agree to pay the price that is stated at the time of your order, as well as any applicable taxes. You also agree to the billing frequency stated at the time of your order.
Discount eligibility for new subscribers is determined at the time of the order. Discounts cannot be applied retroactively. Introductory discounts are not available to current subscribers or to anyone who has been a subscriber in the past 90 days.
All prices are in United States Dollars.
The Boston Globe reserves the right to change prices and fees at any time. We will notify you in advance if the rate that you will be charged for a product changes from what was stated at the time of your order. You will have the opportunity to cancel or change your subscription at that time. If you do not cancel or change your subscription, you will be charged the new subscription fee for your next billing period. Unless separately stated when you signed up, prior to the end of each billing period, you will be billed and your subscription will auto-renew if it has not been cancelled. This will be the start of a new billing period.
Applicable taxes may vary. We are not able to notify you in advance of changes in applicable taxes.
If a stated price is determined by us in our sole discretion to be in error, we are not under any obligation to offer you the product at that price. We will notify you of the error and give you the opportunity to cancel your order and obtain a refund if payment has already been made.
Additional Costs
When you access your digital subscription, you may incur other additional charges, such as telecommunications fees, data fees or service provider fees. You are responsible for paying any additional charges.
If you believe someone else has used your account or you are being charged for a product you do not have, please contact Customer Service.
1.4. Subscription Processing and Payment
The Boston Globe will process your subscription or purchase as promptly as possible.
We reserve the right to reject any order or purchase at any time. If your initial payment authorization is later revoked, your subscription, product or access may be terminated. Contact our Customer Service group if you believe your subscription was terminated in error.
1.5. Billing
Each time that you pay for and renew your subscription, whether by check, credit card, or other payment method, and whether manually or by auto-renew, you confirm that you accept the then-current Terms of Sale.
Unless specified otherwise in the Cancellation and Refund Policy, all charges are nonrefundable.
To change your payment method, please call 1-888-MYGLOBE.
1.5.1. Digital-Only Subscriptions
We accept major credit cards and PayPal. We will charge or debit your payment method at the beginning of your digital-only subscription or, if applicable, at the end of your free trial period. Billing will continue according to the period stated at the time of your order.
For information about your billing period, please call 1-888-MYGLOBE .
1.5.2 Non-Subscription Digital Purchases
We accept major credit cards. When you purchase a standalone product (not a subscription), including but not limited to articles from the Boston Globe Archives, we will charge or debit your payment method at the moment of purchase.
1.5.3 Print Subscriptions
We accept major credit cards, EFT, and check. We will invoice or charge you at the frequency selected when you subscribed. If you choose to be invoiced, you will be charged a processing fee of $1.50 per bill. This fee is subject to change.
1.5.4 Automatic Renewals
All print and digital subscriptions purchased will be automatically renewed until you specifically inform us otherwise. When we renew your subscription, we will use the payment method currently associated with your account. You can change your payment method at any time by calling 1-888-MYGLOBE. You will be notified in advance of impending renewals to the extent required by law. Please see our Cancellation and Refund policy below for information about canceling.
1.6. Unpaid Charges
If your credit card expires or your payment method is otherwise invalid, your subscription or product may be terminated, rather than automatically renewed.
Service for any subscription may be discontinued at the end of your prepaid term. If your subscription is set up for automatic renewal, you authorize us – at our option – to continue your access to a digital product or continue sending you the print edition, and to charge you for the digital or print product at the same rate you were paying during your subscription, after your subscription ends until we receive notice from you to cancel your subscription. If we exercise our option and continue delivery of either the digital or print product, you agree that you shall owe us the amount due for delivery on those days and that we may seek to collect payment from you for that amount.
You will be responsible for all costs we may incur in connection with the collection of unpaid amounts, including court costs, attorneys’ fees, collection agency fees and any other associated costs.
1.7. Promotions
We may occasionally offer promotions. The specific terms of each promotion shall be stated at the time the promotion is offered. Each promotion may be different. Promotions cannot be combined.
You may be required to provide payment information when you sign up for a promotion. At the end of the promotion, you will automatically be signed up for the related subscription or purchase that will begin at the end of the promotional period, or in the event of a discounted promotion, you will be charged the regular rate disclosed when you signed up. We will not notify you in advance that the promotion is about to end. To cancel, you must notify us before the promotion ends.
1.8. Third Parties
If you have purchased your product through a third party, these Terms of Sale may not apply to you. We are not liable to you for any claims related to purchases made through third parties. Please contact the third party directly.
1.9 Additional Products or Services
We may choose – at no cost to you - to send you a copy of the print edition or a related print product on a particular day, or days on which you do not subscribe to the print edition, because you have a print or digital subscription. We may also choose to offer additional or new products or editions for purchase.
2. CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
2.1. Cancellation and Refunds; General Terms
You can cancel your print or digital product at any time by contacting Customer Service at 1-888-MY-GLOBE. Cancellations cannot be made via e-mail or chat, except as required by law.
Subscription Billing (Print Subscriptions and BostonGlobe.com Digital Subscriptions)
When you cancel, you cancel only future charges associated with your subscription. Cancellations are effective the following billing period. You will continue to have the same access and benefits of your product for the remainder of the current billing period. You may notify us of your intent to cancel at any time, but the cancellation will become effective at the end of your current billing period. Payments are non-refundable and there are no refunds or credits for partially used billing periods.
We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits, or to permit print subscribers who are moving to convert to digital subscriptions, at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, or permit a print subscriber to convert to a digital subscription, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund, credit or conversion in the future.
Changes to Content, Subscription Type, or Access
We reserve the right to make changes to print or digital subscriptions at any time. If we temporarily reduce or eliminate the charge for content or access that you are currently paying for under different terms, you will not receive a refund.
WE MAY CONTINUE YOUR PRINT SUBSCRIPTION ON A DIGITAL-ONLY SUBSCRIPTION BASIS IN THE EVENT THAT THE PRINT EDITION OF THE BOSTON GLOBE NEWSPAPER IS NOT PRINTED FOR ANY REASON AND FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, EITHER TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT. In that event, the digital-only subscription will include unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com, but will not include the print edition of the Boston Globe newspaper. The first date upon which the print edition is not printed and your subscription is converted is referred to herein as the “Conversion Date.” Except for subscribers who pay less than the then-current digital-only subscription rate, your fees will be calculated daily based on the then-current rate for a digital-only subscription. Because subscriptions are pre-paid, your next invoice following the Conversion Date may contain a credit for additional days of subscription or may be for a lesser amount than previous invoices, and subscribers who pay automatically by credit card may not be billed, may receive a credit for additional days of subscription, or may be billed for a lesser amount than in previous billing periods. If you have a print subscription and you pay less than the then-current digital-only subscription rate, you will be granted or will continue to have unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com until such time as the print edition resumes being printed, unless your trial period ends and your new rate would be higher than the digital-only subscription rate, in which case you will be billed the digital-only subscription rate. If your print subscription is automatically converted under this section and you do not want a digital-only subscription, you can cancel at any time; your cancellation will be effective at the end of your then current billing period. In the event that the print edition of the Boston Globe newspaper resumes being printed, the first date upon which it becomes available is referred to herein as the “Reversion Date.” Starting on the Reversion date, you will receive the print edition of the Boston Globe newspaper on the days selected under your print subscription, and will again be billed at your pre-Conversion Date rate, unless your trial period has ended, in which case you will be billed at the rate disclosed to you when you subscribed. If you did not have access to BostonGlobe.com prior to the Conversion Date, you will lose access to Bostonglobe.com and start receiving the print edition of the Boston Globe newspaper on the first day of the week following the Reversion Date to which your original subscription entitled you to receive a copy.
Changes to Digital Content or Access
We reserve the right to make changes to our digital products at any time. If we temporarily reduce or eliminate the charge for content or access that you are currently paying for under different terms, you will not receive a refund.
If any or all of our digital products are temporarily unavailable, you will not receive a refund. We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund in the future.
Cancellations by Us
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your subscription or product for any reason, with or without notice and without further obligation. You will not be entitled to a refund in these circumstances. If any or all of our digital products are temporarily unavailable, you will not receive a refund. We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund in the future.
2.2. Cancellation and Refunds of Non-Subscription Purchases
We reserve the right to issue refunds or credits at our sole discretion. If we issue a refund or credit, we are under no obligation to issue the same or similar refund in the future.
3. E-SIGN DISCLOSURE AND CONSENT
By purchasing a print or digital subscription and/or clicking on the box at account opening, you consent to receive notices, disclosures, agreements, policies, receipts, confirmations, transaction information, account information, other communications, and changes or updates to any such documents electronically (collectively, the “Electronic Communications”). We will provide these Electronic Communications by posting them in the Member Center of the Boston Globe website and/or emailing them to your primary email address associated with you subscription. You agree that the Electronic Communications will satisfy any legal communication requirements, including that such communications be in writing. Electronic Communications will be deemed received by you within 24 hours of the time posted to our website or in the Member Center, or within 24 hours of the time emailed to you unless we receive notice that the email was not delivered.