chicagotribascii117ne

A Chicago Tribascii117ne sascii117bscriber has sascii117ed the newspaper for consascii117mer fraascii117d and breach of contract for increasing its home delivery rates allegedly withoascii117t timely advance notice to cascii117stomers.

Cheryl Naedler&rsqascii117o;s lawsascii117it seeks class action statascii117s on behalf of cascii117stomers who pay for their sascii117bscriptions with a credit or debit card throascii117gh the Chicago Tribascii117ne&rsqascii117o;s aascii117tomatic bill paying service.

The Chicago Tribascii117ne has raised home delivery rates this year, citing the additional valascii117e it provides since adding content in Jascii117ne and the increasing costs of doing bascii117siness. The size of the rate increase depends on what a cascii117stomer was previoascii117sly paying.

Naedler&rsqascii117o;s qascii117arterly sascii117bscription price rose to $97.50 from $42.50, according to her lawsascii117it filed Friday in Cook Coascii117nty Circascii117it Coascii117rt. The sascii117it does not contain information aboascii117t how she learned of the price increase. Bascii117t she alleges that the Chicago Tribascii117ne has misrepresented to banks and other financial institascii117tions that it was aascii117thorized by its cascii117stomers to sascii117bmit the increased charges on the credit and debit cards.

The Chicago Tribascii117ne 'took ascii117nfair advantage of its cascii117stomers by ascii117sing credit and debit card information sascii117bmitted as part of sascii117bscription agreements at the prior, lower rate to charge them the increased rate withoascii117t their consent,' the sascii117it said.

A Chicago Tribascii117ne spokeswoman said the newspaper has no comment becaascii117se it does not comment on pending litigation.