I logges into my account to cancel the directions selection, and here is what I found in my order history:

Date Order Number
Order Type Total Charges FunCash Earned

5/2/06 xxxxx Automatic $47.67 $2


The payment date shows up as 6/16
Morevover, I have emails which show I made two directors selctions cancellations on 4/21. (though none as what they shipped).

How is this possible ? Dont they give at least 2 weeks to cancel the directors selection ? If so, I would have seen and cancelled on 4/21.

CH occasionally charges and ships director's selections even though people decline them. The only thing you can do is mark the package "refused - return to sender" and CH will credit your account when they receive it back. I know this is B.S., because CH is basically holding your money hostage until they receive something back that you did not order.

Maybe if you call on Monday and raise hell they will credit your account back quicker or give you a free DVD for the trouble - 1-866-91A-LIST (866-912-5478). Good luck.

I had issues once I noticed they had a hold on my money. I called and said I always declined them which I had. Either way the fixed it and I never got the DVD because I did it before it was sent out.

I had an issue with this, and didnt want them charging for the D/C's so the next time I joined I had them bill me instead of giving my account info when signing up. Basically it took me 2 months to get my order since they had to do a credit check and I never got a letter saying I had to pre-pay. You just can't win.

I had an issue with them shipping the Wedding Crashers as a Director's Selection even though I had the cancellation e-mail. Based on my experience with that episode, I'm pretty sure that the 5/2 order date represents the first day that particular Director's Selection was offered. Therefore your 4/21 cancellations would have been for the previous selection.

If you didn't decline anything by e-mail or phone from 5/2 up to recently, then that's probably why you've been charged.

I'm new to this whole CH club thing, I signed up for my account on the 19th of June. I just cancelled what I think is the first Directors Selection (failure to launch). They said I had until the 19th of July. Does that mean that every month I have to cancel a new directors selection?

Also, when I order the final two dvds (fulfilling the membership) do I just cancel the account? Do I have to call them to have them cancel it?

Thanks for the info guys and gals.

I believe it is once every 6 weeks. And you can contact them on the CH site, send an email under the topic membership obligation and ask them to cancel your account.

Thanks for the fast reply Lunatikk

Fortunately, I've never had a problem with declined selections. I check the accounts at least twice a month to make sure there are no outstanding director's selections, and of course save the emails acknowledging any cancellations I've made.

I just opened a new account last month and I received the approval email on 6/16. Last week I get a letter in the mail telling me that they are sending me the Director's Selection and that my card had already been charged. I go online to check my account and find that the order was placed on 6/12. I didn't even have an account then. What is up with this place????

I think the best way to handle this is to pay for your orders with a credit card, but don't let them leave the credit card on file. In other words, they'll have your credit card number in the system, but you have to manually choose it each time you place an order. That way, you don't get the problems with bill me, and if they send out an order that they aren't supposed to, you won't get charged for it, it'll just leave the amount owed on your account which will clear itself out when you get the DVD returned.

It would appear that you didn't decline the Director's Selection on your new account. As mentioned by grivet above, the date for a DS order is the first day it was offered in the Columbia House system, hence the order date before your account was opened.

When you get the DVD write "Refused, Return to Sender" on the unopened box and send it back. Your account will eventually be credited in a few weeks when the returned DVD is received and processed.

In the future, be sure to check your account every few weeks and decline any Director's Selections listed. If you close your account after fulfilling it you won't have to fuss with the DS.

This is not my first account. More like my 14th or 15th account. And it has never happened before.