speshaled

I've been using Columbia House for a couple of years now. Recently I made some larger orders with 10+ DVDs in each order for gifts and for myself. With the problems I have ran into lately with Columbia House, I don't plan to purchase from them ever again.

I placed a rather large order of DVDs back in November. My credit card was charged for the amount of $255.56 soon after I placed my order. I received a shipping confirmation a few days later. A month goes by and I have nothing. I call Customer Service and was told to wait the full 6 weeks for delivery. 6 weeks later, nothing. I was able to obtain a CH manager's number from a CSR so I call the manager up. I leave a message with my problem and am told that I would be called back. I wait a few days and no call. I call again and the manager tells me she has to "pull up my old records" and that'll she'll get back to me by email. 2 weeks later and no email. I decide to try my luck with an email instead of getting the run around phone call again. I get a quick response with this:

-----------------------------------------------------------------

We regret you did not receive your order. Your account has been
credited.

Due to the difficulties encountered in servicing
your account, a decision was made to cancel your
membership.

No further shipments will be made through this account.

We appreciate the opportunity to explain this
matter.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Now lets just see if they'll even credit me back my money.

This matter isn't closed yet because I still have an outstanding balance with CH. At the time my account was closed for me, I had a standing balance of $280.80. The reason I haven't paid this balance off is because it represents an incorrect balance. I was still in the process of clearing the balance up when my account was apruptly closed on me. I made an order of 13 DVDs shortly after I made the order mentioned above with a 40% off deal going on. The balance I was shown on the order receipt page was in the vicinity of $180 but the statement I received in the mail showed that I was being charged the full price of $19.95 for all 13 DVDs.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to proceed from here?

My first thought was to say "screw you Columbia House". I'll take my credit back and I'm not paying for this messed up account balance on my CLOSED account. But then I forgot about the collection agencies and all that junk.

What would you do?

Has anyone else gotten into something similar??

SRGilbert

I'm a little unhappy with them myself lately. I signed up a couple of weeks ago, got accepted and placed my order for my fullfillments. As a typical CH user, I obviously tried to squeeze every possible deal into my order, but ran into problems. First, signed in throught the $5 off link, used the code for buy 2 $14.99-19.99 for only $10 each and get one fullfillment credit, and ordering 4 disks also gave me free shipping. Bottom line, I should have gotten 4 movies for $35.00+tax shipped. For several days the order just sat there "pending" with ***** for the prices. Then the order dissappeard. I contact CH and after several attempts to find out what was going on, their response was that the order was on hold because I hadn't paid for my enrollments (which was true) and when I pay, they will ship them. Fine, except when I ask about the pricing on the lost order (which had since reappeared with FULL prices, and no free shipping, the best they could tell me was that they will fix the prices and fullfillment credits after I receive them

Their words:

"We apologize for the problems you have encountered
with our online service.

Unfortunately, once an order has been submitted
online we are unable to intercept it prior
to the order being processed.

Please be informed that when you receive the shipment
of the order mentioned, contact us so that, we may
adjust your account accordingly."

Yeah, I can hardly wait...............

Bill Needle

Always pay for your enrollment titles before placing your first order. It leads to nuthin' but trouble otherwise.

beencrazier

speshaled- Was this your first order after your enrollment? My guess is that if you had that high of a balance, plus you told them you didn't receive an order, you got blacklisted.

D-Ball

I'm surprised that CH would send out that many titles in one shipment. Usually they break up large orders to avoid situations like this. I've had dozens of accounts and never had a lost package, so they are skeptical when someone does report a lost shipment.

JEStinson3

Whenever someone threatens you with a "Collection Agency" always ask yourself one very important question.

"Does this company have my social security number?"

If the answer is no (which it is in this case), then don't worry about it.

Scott Connors

I ordered two boxed sets on-line and inexplicably was shipped (and billed) for two copies of each title, which I duly received. This amount is reflected on my "account due" entry (after some other problems a couple of months back I switched from automatic cc payment [they charged me for the same order twice, the second time at regular prices and not sale prices] to "bill me" status). However, when I emailed CH for return labels, I received this response: "we find no indication of Movies mentioned being shipped to you through this membership. Perhaps you received an incorrectly packaged shipment containing the above-mentioned item instead of the selection on the invoice." Also, my history page on-line doesn't show anything after Dec. 17, which includes the period when I ordered single copies of these two sets. I have called telephone CSR reps three times since Christmas requesting return labels, as well as an accounting showing for which titles I am being billed, and have received nothing . I thought that federal consumer protection laws required clear billing on accounts such as this? I am about ready to cancel this membership and tell them to pound salt.
So it would seem that CH's CS really deteriorated over this past Xmas. Any suggestions?

maxryan

I had a much better experience though I would agree that things seem a little crazy at CH right now. I enrolled, fulfilled and cancelled three times this fall heading toward Christmas with no problems. I enrolled again around New Year's and I received my enrollments a couple of weeks ago. In the enrollment package I discovered two missing titles and one wrong title shipped. I called customer service and they immediately forwarded the correct titles and a return authorization label - I was shocked to receive everything within five days! In the meantime, I did the unthinkable and ordered a couple of preorders before paying for my enrollments. Amazingly enough, my preorders arrived (at the correct price) before my payment arrived with CH. My account was properly credited for the erroneous title within a week and I'm ready to cancel my membership to start all over again. I am completely amazed because this is not my typical interaction with CH. Normally, it takes a long time to get any kind of action or reaction from them when problems crop up. One thing to mention here, though - I didn't use a credit card for any of my purchases (and I don't usually). I have no idea if that has made a difference with my success. My enrollment was through a mailing (I always wait for the free shipping and 2 enrollments deal).

winklerjj

I'm experiencing a similar situation with CH right now. I also made a couple big orders that initially appeared to go through just fine. However weeks later I noticed that for some reason the orders had been billed to my credit card (like always), and also added to the balance on my account. Despite numerous attempts to get them to fix this over the last month and a half, I have been unable to find any resolution. They keep telling me they're going to "pull their records" or that they require "additional information". It's really starting to piss me off and I'm thinking about contacting the Better Business Bureau.

JCFantasy23

From what I understand, clubs like this don't really affect your credit rating. I know for sure they don't help it if you use them right anyway, lol. Someone may know more information on this than me.

Dave C

Since they don't get your ss number I don't know how the info could get onto a credit report (legally anyway).

I'd guess the only thing you'd have to worry about is them selling the note off to a collection agency, who can be an incredible pain in the ass.

speshaled

CH fixed everything. They credited me back for the missing order and they adjusted my account balance to the correct amount. So I'll just pay off what I owe them already and be done with it. I'm glad they got everything in order but I plan to hold off joining with them again...for a while at least.

DVD vote

What code is this?

SRGilbert

I found the code (801319) in this post, unfortunately, I tried it again yesterday, and it didn't seem like it was still valid.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showpos...0&postcount=13

kurgun

Agree with all the above, similiar thing happened to me as well. Best thing to do when you're trying to place an order like that is the following, and they get really pissed when you do it, but it works. Make sure on the webpage when you place the order, take screenshots of every page in the entire ordering process, now on every page, copy the source code so it will confirm to them you were on their page submitting the order. Now when they try showing the new order to you with all the discounts NOT applied, email their customer support and submit all images and also all notepads showing and proving to them you were on their page placing that order. This is proof that they can't deny you were doing that, so when they try denying it, which they won't do, you can easily submit the form as a complaint to the BBB for convieniently losing the order with the savings. My only problem with them as of right now is occasionally they send me a DVD automatically, the monthly one, and I visit the page every single day to make sure I decline my directors selections, just in case they try slipping one to me anyways. I've completely fulfilled my contract too, so it's not because I haven't gotten enough DVD'S, they do shady business plain and simple when they are having low sales months. Residual income IMO should be banned.

lizard

I have kept an open account since August of 2004 and have never once received a Director's Selection on it (I have declined them all). So, I don't buy the notion that Columbia House purposefully sends out the DS despite it having been declined. There have been (rare) occasions when the DS got sent to a bunch of people by mistake, but that will happen to many of us at once if it ever happens again.