Kenny Boy,
You don't know me but you know of my father. We go way back. I've been following the CH threads for three years now and have finally registered. I remember when you first came out and announced your 1st CH blacklisting. If you can come back anybody can. I've been an avid CH account opener and closer for three and a half years and believe I have finally been busted. Oh well. They better watch out cause I'll be back. Anyway I must have opend and closed several hundred accounts. I lost track along time ago. I just want to say hi to Kenny Boy.

dang, kennyboy has fans on this site.

Still no results from my past four applications. Yesterday I applied for a 23E under my wife's name (she has a different last name than I) but I used the same credit card and "nearly" the same address... bingo! Welcome message was waiting this morning. Just in time for free shipping :)

I just got "The Letter" today. Outside of taking a month to return a damaged DVD, and opening roughly 20 accounts accounts over 18 months, I don't think I've broken their rules. How long should I wait to try again? I submitted another online app last week last week, but it looks like that one's not going through either.

I got a letter today for an account I tried to open using my work address, since I was getting nowhere with my home address.

Did you use a credit card that had been used for a purchase at your home address? I'm tempted to shell out for a PO box, change the mailing address for a credit card I've never used at CH to that, and try to join again.

No. I used one I had never used with CH before. Now the billing address on the CC is my home address, but from what most people here say, CH doesn't usually delve that deep.

Suprised nothing on this thread for a year plus. Has anyone recently gotten the dreaded letter?

Yes, I get them all of the time. Well, not the "business decision" ones. I only get the "not at this time" ones.

Buy a new house and change your name :D

Hmm. That's not a bad idea. Rent is for suckers after all.

Seriously though, I find that calling CH with an old account number and asking why the account number on the rejection letter was not approved, the CSR arranges for the new account to be opened in about a week. The problem is it takes about a month for the rejection letter.

I wish they would hurry up and "push through" the account i'm trying to open at my parents. It's not like theyre not getting my money for the dvds. They need to understand that I'm a paying customer that is ready to take on the task of several accounts. And these dvds are for my personal use not business.

I got a "we are unable to issue a membership at this time" letter today. What is the usual cause of these?

I currently have no other open accounts and am fairly positive I did not break any of CH's rules (maybe bent a couple, like "creative" TV club accounts).

I tried calling, but that department was out for the day. Guess I'll know tomorrow, but curious as to why these "not at this time" rejection letters are typically sent and what I can do to circumvent them in the future.

You'll discover the refusal letter is a fact of life after so many accounts. I'd post how to open the account once you receive the letter, but I've done that so many times that I'm not inclined to do so anymore.

I've read your posts where you said to call a CSR and ask them to re-open. I will do so tomorrow, when I called today they said that department had gone home.

Do you normally wait for these letters (so you have the failed acct #) or just re-apply? Can I expect one of these for every account I try to open from now on -- or is it just going to be every once in a while?

Thanks for your input, it's greatly appreciated.

Well, I'm going to break my own rule, but I'll say you probably won't get far just asking point blank to open the account. At least not in my experience. Indirectly asking about the account status with a foreign CSR seems the way to go.

I get the letters on every account I attempt to open, so there's no sense in re-applying. Your situation might be different, but getting a rejected account open once you have the letter in your hand takes less time than getting an account the old-fashioned way.

Received the unable to open a membership letter for the first time recently. Tried calling to inquire why and if they could open but they stated that isn't possible and the only way is to send the letter back to them by mail to ask.

My suggestion is to get a PO box. After I was cycling about 6 accounts a month for maybe 5 months, every account I tried to open resulted in this "not that this time letter". I think I paid around $25 and my PO box has been good to me since (I've cycled 4 accounts since my PO box).

You can't get blacklisted or whatever you want to call it from CH. They will send you a letter after application (A BS letter) basically saying your credit is no good with their credit department, sorry we cannot service you at this time.

I once had 5 accounts open to the same address & than sent in 3 letters in the mail to join-up + 3 web applications + 1 already approved phone application.

What did they do?

They sent me 7 letters of rejection (Obviously) & when I fullfilled & cancelled all accounts except 1, they wouldn't open a second account for me until 2 or 3 months.

If you can't get an account open, just keep on buggin' em, it works!

I keep getting "Come Back To Us!" letters from CH, and the last couple had the 6/2 deal instead of the more usual 5/4, but the last two submissions I've made have disappeared into the ether. I've haven't received any "not at this time" letter or even a "we don't need your stinkin' business, you DVD addict!" letter. :shrug:

I'm going to wait until the latest Warner noir classics that came out today are available for enrollment (sometime in October) and try again.

It is routine to get "We want you back" e-mails and letters from Columbia House while having applications disappear. The marketing arm of CH doesn't pay any attention to the people handling applications. Mailing in one of those letters, assuming it has a good offer, is usually successful in obtaining an account.

If you are having trouble with web applications, your best bet is to try a phone order — 888-242-3837. Many veteran CH users turn to phone orders with great success when web applications start disappearing. But waiting a few months, as you propose to do, should also work.