Columbia House Phone Number Live Person
 

Hi,

I've read many posts on the internet concerning frustrations with trying to talk to a live person at Columbia House and I soon found I am not alone. I got a kick out of reading peoples' way to work through the automated systems to talk to a live body by knwoing what menu options to select. It sounds like Columbia House changes their options on a a regular basis probably for this reason.

My quesiton is this, does anyone have any CURRENT phone info they know works for talking to a live person? I am trying to fulfill my membership obligation but since it just came due they have cancelled my account and I can't get back into their website to view prices and make sure I purchase my last movie at regular price (they all show at $0.49 for new members). This company is very frustrating to deal with.

Any help or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Tracy

This has worked for me. Call:
800-262-2001

And make the selections as if you want to cancel your account. I've gotten real people fairly quickly.

My account reached the end of the term so in a sense the account has already been cancelled. I would like to talk to a person and through the number 800-262-2001, I can't seem to get a live attendant.

Assuming you know your account number, you ought to be able to get through the phone tree with it even though it is cancelled.

IIRC, choose 1 for English, then choose 1 "to place an order" (whether you want to or not). Then enter your account number at the prompt. As of a couple of weeks ago this got me to a live CSR in short order.

After entering my account number, it goes into another series of menu options. Do you remember what you selected?

Whatever happened to the WOlfHusky bypass?

It still works. Or at least the modification to it works (the first post in that thread has the information at the top).

Try 0. (From The Wolf Husky Phone Bypass thread.)

If it works please report back and say so.

Press 1 (English)
Press 1
Enter account number
Press 0

I just tried that sequence and I got to a live operator (I needed to report an error on the price of an order I had submitted). Thanks.

This definately still works. I use it for my nearly weekly CH call to correct their latest screw up.

^Thank you Marvin and mbs.

This sequence is not working for me. I am dialing, 800-262-2001 then 1,1,account #, 0.

When I enter the final 0, it tells me that it is an invalid options. After the second time, it tells me to either call back or go online.

Could it be because I have reached the end of my contract term? I wouldn't think that it would matter.

I would appreciate any suggestions. I have emailed them a number of times but continue to get their canned replies.

Thank you,
Tracy

Are you waiting a moment before hitting the final 0. After you enter your account number you should hear a sale pitch or somehting again. Thats when I hit the final 0 and it pretty much cuts them off the pitch and gets you right into the que. I've used this several times last week and in the previous months and never waited more than a moment or two.

Yeah, it definately still works (I just tried for fun). Like Erreth said, make sure you wait for the next prompt before hitting the next number.

I imagine by inputting all that at once, you'd have quite a mess.

You want to place into the system you are going to order or that you are going to cancel. If you a BAD mamber do not put your account number in, if you do you will never get to talk to a person, or you will get a non-US rep!

I tried this method several times, with 2 different account numbers but it did not work from my cell phone. Then I tried it from a land line and it went through.

DXX

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. You don't always get that sales pitch after entering your account number. Sometimes it goes right to asking for an online code. I tried it and had to call back twice before I got the blurb after entering my account number.

xpfshost

The phone bypass did not work for me. When trying to press 0 - it told me "sorry you're having trouble." When I called bac and tried to cancel - it had me do it automated - no live person.

You are not alone.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showthread.php?t=462284

If you're REALLY desperate, you could try the "out-sourced #" - 1-888-467-7404. Since they can't do as much for you, you'd have to be really desparate.

Pretty sad that CH appears to be doing away with its US based CS dept. :(

^I don't know about that. The last two CSRs I spoke with, the week before last, sounded like Americans. Haven't had an outsourced CSR recently.

I don't know why some have difficulty in reaching Columbia House CSRs when I don't. I use a different number (800-667-0364) but since the main phone numbers all go to the same phone tree, it shouldn't matter. Maybe it is time of the day or phase of the moon or something.

Well, this worked for me once, but not today, despite many attempts (I'm on a land line).

Would sure like to get cancelled and re-sign up without having to wait for an email reply...any new tricks?

No more live CSR's
 

I've been fruitlessly trying a bunch of times yesterday (Monday) and this morning to reach a CSR live on the phone.

It seems like they are only doing customer service by e-mail now.

If anyone reached a human being in the last two days I'd love to know how.

FTMF!!!! It's like there trying to avoid their customers. I have never believed in using email as the only way to provide customer service/support. I've tried several times today to reach CH and its always automated only or their machines dont even pick up the phone call. WTF???

Wasted 45 minutes yesterday trying to get a live CSR because they sent me a wrong selection in an intro package. Nothing worked - and I tried everything. I finally tried to get a rep by hitting the cancel membership option and it looks like my membership was actually cancelled via the phone menu without even speaking to a rep (the account commitment was fulfilled) - a first for me. I haven't gotten a cancellation email yet so I'll believe the cancellation when I see it. I don't know what to thinK about not being able to speak to a rep but it ain't good.

Next time I'll try the new member line just to speak to someone. Has anyone tried that?

No Live CSRs = Shit Service. Now pick up the phone!!!

I wonder if they fired or cut most of their CSRs.

I just tried to call them again and was given the same automated run around. I think that once I complete the open accounts I'm cloisng them and not joining again until CH gets it together. It has been really frustrating to see an order I placed on the 16th still sitting there and not being shipped and having no way to ask someone why this is. CH doesnt even list an email address for customers here in the United States. The automated system even told me to mail my questions and concerns to their regular mail address. I seriously don't think that is going to happen. What a bunch of cheap bastards this company has become.

I emailed them about something on saturday and got a reply today in the morning. Emailed them about something else today and got a reply today. So, my preferred commmunication method, is alive and kicking. I never cared too much for CSRs. Good riddance IMHO.

Others have reported that [email protected] works well for e-mail.

First of all GB this thread! What a complete PITA it is to get ahold of a CSR through their phone options.

For the record, The Wolf Husky Phone Bypass worked for me, and, incidently that name cracks me up. Anyone wanting to use that might get tripped up by their prompting for a six digit online code from your order card. I found it best to wait for the system to prompt you where to find the code, after this it gives you some other option to press if you can't find one or some such, and then this is where I pressed zero. Once there choose 1 for the DVD Club, and soon you will actually get to talk to a real, live human being. Nuts, isn't it? :rolleyes:

Anyway, I was able successfully swap out the V for Vendetta Special Edition I order for the Some Like It Hot Collector's Edition that wasn't available when I order a couple weeks ago using BOGO. Call it a hunch, but I think an HD DVD of V is forthcoming, so, since I recently got an HD DVD player, I will holdout.

I just tried this. It didn't work for me. It kept insisting for the online code, and never gave an option for if I couldn't find the code. It eventually returned me to the previous menu...

I will try that. I just contacted them through the website, and I got a return email saying that my email BOUNCED!!! It was sent to [email protected]
What the heck is going on with CH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I tried it today as well and had no luck. I'm convinced, after being successful some days but not others, that they are only answering phone calls on certain days no matter what method you use to try and talk to a live person.

You must be correct! I just called to cancel my account, AND GOT A LIVE PERSON!!! But I didn't want to talk to a live person anymore. I emailed them yesterday, and got a response this morning. Oh well. It's nice to know that it is "possible" to talk to a live person. But the odds are against you...

I had some real messed up billing/returns issues with my account, so it was a bad time to lose all live CSRs, (usually I could get one by pursuing the "questions about our website" option on the phone menu, but not anymore, apparently,) so i bit the bullet and typed up the entire long torrid mess in an email, and lo and behold, a day or so later, they took care of it. I didn't want to have to type it all up, but seeing as it's now dealt with, I guess I'm happy.

I'm still having problems getting an operator with the regular 800-number so I googled for another number and found 812-466-8402. I called and had to ask for a DVD customer service operator and was transferred to someone probably in India who had a fairly thick accent, but I think I got my problem resolved. So if anyone else is desperate that might be an option.

I got a live human being - you won't believe what I had to do.
 

If you are reading this, it is because you have resorted to online web surfing to try and find a means by which to contact Columbia House customer service and actually get a live human being on the phone to help you.

I figured out a way that cost me one long distance call but it finally got me through to a live human being.

Here are the steps I followed:

Step 1

www.netsol.com - I did a whois lookup for columbiahouse.com to find out the administrative contact for their website (they can hide behind their phone system and keep their real phone numbers secret but they HAVE to give a real phone number for this)

That phone number is 212-596-2000. It will take you to BMG Columbia House headquarters in New York.

Step 2

This will introduce you to entirely new automated phone system to try and keep you away from live human beings.

I choose the option to connect to an extension by using the employee names. I didn't know any employees there so I went to www.columbiahouse.com and went to the About Columbia House section at the bottom of that website.

It took me to a different part of the website that gave little bios for the management team at BMG Columbia House. Well as of this writing, Stuart Goldfarb is the President and CEO and I thought, "Hey, I would like to tell him about some of the experiences I have been having with contacting their customer service." You know today's CEO's are always eager for feedback.

So I start dialing in his last name - 46533272 = goldfarb (just thought I would help you all out)

The phone rings and I get his personal assistant. I say, "Hi, my name is William Adams and I am desperately trying to contact a live human being in your customer service department and have resorted to calling you to seek help."

The unidentified party on the other end said, "One moment please".

The phone clicked and I was instantly connected with Liz in customer service - no rings, no hold music - it was as if the hand of god intervened - I have never seen a phone system cut over like that.

I told Liz my horrific tale of trying to get ahold of her and told her what I had to do to get to her.

She handled my problem and that was that.

It is my guess that BMG/CH, right now, is calling their I.T. department or their phone system techs and instructing them to remove the chink in their phone armor that I found.

Take advantage of it while you can. There is no telling how long it will last.

Sherlock Holmes would have been proud, thanks for the info. I did get to talk to a live person, but when they transferred me, I got a recording from the Columbia House "management staff" saying to leave a message and they would call me back as soon as possible. I have just done so, and expect a call back in the next couple years. I will post again when I get one.

CH is freaking terrible now. Has anyone gotten to speak with customer service either yesterday or today?