I've seen several posts referencing $5 off the CH first web order. Is there a specific code to use for this? I've perused the codes thread and been unable to find it.

I thought it may be something Columbia House automatically did for your first order, but I tested it by putting an item in my cart and going to check out, and there was no $5 credit applied.

Any insights on this would be helpful...thanks

Just log in using the following link:

columbiahouse.com/webdvd

As Brent said, log in via that link. You also have to make sure that your order is at least $30 or more. The coupon is for your first online order of $30 or more. CH will deduct the $5 off of one title. If this title is $19.95 or higher before the $5 is deducted, it will still count as one towards fulfillment.

Thanks you guys. That worked. I logged in at that address, AND used offer code 808966 to get one DVD free. Since I ordered a box set - Frasier -S4, the $5 off helped to offset the RIDICULOUS $6.99 shipping charge. And I got an additional movie for free, with NO shipping on the free movie. That at least got one fulfillment under my belt.

Even though I joined the TVEDITION, it appears that there is almost no way to get a good deal on the box sets even if they are on sale because the huge shipping charges more than offset any discount.

Every free shipping offer email I get always excludes the box sets. The logic of this totally escapes me. If they can intermittently offer free shipping on one disc movies, what's the big deal with a box set. The shipping for 3 single discs can't be any cheaper than one 3-4 disc set, and they ship using media mail anyway.

Looks like the only way for me to get a "deal" on my final fulfillment is to make the final selection a movie when they're offering a BOGO of free shipping deal. This is unfortunate because they offer many TV sets I'd like to collect but when you had the shipping, I can go to almost ANY web e-tailer and get the set much cheaper.

Yes, Columbia House stopped offering free shipping on box sets several months ago.

However, you are mistaken about not being able to get good deals on sets at CH. Most sets can be purchased from CH for much less than the cost elsewhere, when one considers the almost free enrollment DVDs one is getting. Don't get hung up on the "ridiculous" shipping charge, it is irrelevant. What matters is the relative cost of the box set, and that factors in the price of the set (including shipping) as well as all the other DVDs one gets in the membership package.

The relative cost isn't as good for lower priced sets, like Frasier, as it is for higher priced sets. This is because they are at a price that counts for only one fulfillment credit. Sets that count for two fulfillment credits ($39.95 to $59.94) are terrific deals. But even the lower priced sets can be decent deals.

For example:

Using a typical good enrollment code, such as LMY, the average DVD cost of a membership is $5.86 (not counting any special deals such as free shipping or B1G1F), as you can see below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standard membership using a 7:2 code (no deals on fulfillments):

Enrollment: 6 x 49¢ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 DVDs)
Fulfillment: 2 x $19.95 + $4.98 (Shipping) - $5 (web discount) = $39.88 (2 DVDs)
Total: $12.89 + $39.88 = $52.87 (9 DVDs)
Average: $52.87/9 = $5.8633
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will use $5.86 as the "value" of a regular DVD. Now consider buying Frasier as one of the fulfillments:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standard membership using a low cost box set, such as Frasier: S4, as one of the fulfillments:

Enrollment: 6 x 49¢ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 DVDs)
Fulfillment: $32.21 + $19.95 + $8.98 (Shipping) - $5 (web discount) = $56.14 (1 box set + 1 DVD)
Total: $12.89 + $56.14 = $69.03 (1 box set + 8 DVDs)
Relative cost of box set: $69.03 - ($5.86 x 8) = $67.04 - $46.88 = $22.15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can you buy the Frasier set for less than $22.15 elsewhere? If not, then the CH price is a good deal. But you used some sale offers to get an even better deal. Here's what the numbers look like for that:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standard membership using a low cost box set, such as Frasier: S4, as one of the fulfillments and using B1G1F and free shipping (for the regular DVDs only):

Enrollment: 6 x 49¢ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 DVDs)
Fulfillment: $32.21 + (free DVD) + $19.95 + (free DVD) + $6.99 (Shipping for set, other DVDs ship free) - $5 (web discount) = $54.15 (1 box set + 3 DVDs)
Total: $12.89 + $54.15 = $67.04 (1 box set + 10 DVDs)
Relative cost of box set: $67.04 - ($5.86 x 10) = $67.04 - $58.60 = $8.44
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the relative cost of the Frasier box set including the sale offer deals you used. And you are whining about the $6.99 shipping charge? Huh?

Now, let's consider buying a more expensive box set, such as Stargate: Atlantis: S1, MSRP $59.95, "Special" priced at $44.96 (counts for two fulfillment credits), using just the standard deals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Standard membership using two fulfillment box set, such as Stargate: Atlantis: S1, as a fulfillment:

Enrollment: 6 x 49¢ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 DVDs)
Fulfillment: $44.96 + $7.99 (Shipping) - $5 (web discount) = $47.95 (1 box set)
Total: $12.89 + $47.95 = $60.84 (1 box set + 7 DVDs)
Relative cost of box set: $60.84 - ($5.86 x 7) = $69.03 - $41.02 = $19.82
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's not too shabby for a set with an MSRP of $59.95. And if one uses sale offer codes like B1G1F and free shipping for the freebie, it gets even better.


I realize that you joined the TV Edition club, not the regular DVD club. But, although the calculations are somewhat different because you got two (or three) sets as enrollments, the gist of the calculations is similar. Say you got two sets as enrollments for $9.95. You then got three sets plus three regular DVDs in your membership package:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TV Edition membership using code HDL, and using a low cost box set, such as Frasier: S4, as one of the fulfillments and using B1G1F and free shipping (for the regular DVDs only):

Enrollment: $9.95 (2 box sets)
Fulfillment: $32.21 + (free DVD) + $19.95 + (free DVD) + $6.99 (Shipping for set, other DVDs ship free) - $5 (web discount) = $54.15 (1 box set + 3 DVDs)
Total: $9.95 + $54.15 = $64.10 (3 box sets + 3 DVDs)
Relative cost of box sets: $64.10 - ($5.86 x 3) = $64.10 - $17.58 = $46.52
Average relative cost of sets: $46.52/3 = $15.5066
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If I understand the offers you used, you are getting three box sets at $15.51 each. That strikes me as a pretty good deal.


So, I really, really don't get all the complaining about the shipping cost for sets (and other DVDs) at Columbia House. Just makes no sense at all.

I couldn't agree with you more. Alot of people just can't sem to see the whole picture or they just don't want to.

I hear you. A lot of people conveniently forget about the 7 DVDs that they get for $12.89 or the 2 box sets that they get for $9.95. They then complain about titles costing more than B&M's when it comes time to fulfill(which isn't even true if you know how to work the system). Bottom line, let's see Best Buy beat a $5 or lower average price per title.

If an accredited institution of higher learning would offer a degree in Columbia Houseology, you would surely be a Ph.D. by now.

For what it's worth, this is why I didn't get hooked to CH back a number of years ago when I first joined. I thought it was cool that I was getting DVDs for free or for $0.49 back then when first signing up, but then it was a pain to me when it came time to having to buy certain things at full price, etc... I had just started buying DVDs and I didn't know much about certain deals.

I guess now, after buying so many DVDs and trying to get the best deals possible all the time, I care enough about it all to actually take the time to see the bigger picture.

Thanks for the various insights and perspectives.
I have joined and fulfilled the regular DVD club several times, and have always recognized the overall value in it, particularly when using BOGO and/or free shipping offers for my fulfillments. So it did not escape me that it is necessary to look at the total value rather than an individual fulfillment price in assessing the savings.

Of late, however, I collect about 99% TV-DVD's and on a rare occasion a movie. Because TV box sets are my preference AND because of the high shipping cost, it still makes it more difficult for me to get deals with CH as good as I could when I was collecting movies exclusively.

My husband fufilled his account by ordering Femme Nikita-S4 when Columbiahouse had it on pre-sale for $69.00 which was on par with the price others like Amazon was charging. Because he did it with a 10% off the entire order code, that discount negated the shipping charges, and counted as 3 fulfillments when he only needed two. So in that case it was awesome he fulfilled the account AND got a price right on par with what he would have paid anywhere else. So I agree with the person who said it works better with the higher priced box sets.

It's more difficult in my case because most of the box sets I'm interested in are under $40, have shipping charges of $6.99 or more, and only count as 1 fulfillment. Regardless of what anyone says, charging $6.99+ for a box set is still non-sensical to me, if they're going to offer deals such as they are this weekend when you can buy unlimited single discs and pay no shipping whatsoever.

That said, I completed my final fulfillment by again using the BOGO/free shipping to get 2 classic movies I've had yet to add to my collection. Lullaby of Broadway, and You'll Never Be Rich...total final cost, $19.95 which is a great deal. I've not seen either of these movies anywhere for $10 each.

Despite my griping over the box set cost, this still proved to be a great deal for me overall. I enrolled for $9.95 with I Love Lucy S1 & S2 both of which usually retail in the $40's. I've completed my fulfillment, and I have one box set (Frazier) that I really wanted, plus 3 movies(2 of which were free).

Does anyone know how often they update the available for enrollment offers?
Since they offer mostly Season 1 of TV shows, there's very few that I want that I don't already have. So until the list of enrollment options is expanded, there's really no point in me opening another account now that this one is fulfilled.

Thanks again for the info and insights, I am amazed at the depth of knowledge some of you have about this program! This forum has helped me greatly.

Bad news here: Columbia House rarely updates the enrollment choices for the TV Edition Club, unlike the enrollments for the regular club, which are constantly updated. Every now and then they swap a few sets in and out of the enrollment list. But mostly the list remains unchanged.

The idea seems to be to offer some early seasons and some lower priced sets to entice people to join the club and then spend more on completing TV series at the much higher fulfillment prices. We who optimize accounts by enrolling, fulfilling, canceling and repeating the process, are not the target customers for CH (to put it mildly).

As you have discovered, once one has bought the enrollment titles of interest there isn't much point in new memberships (and they can be hard to get anyway, CH tends to limit the number of times one can use HDL). I am in the same boat, I am mostly interested in TV on DVD and already have most of the movie DVDs I want (in part because I am upgrading to HD DVD). But I also already have all of the enrollments I want from the limited list at the TV Edition site.

If you are patient, you might find some new sets of interest offered as enrollment choices in the next year or so.

That's good to know Lizard.

I'll just appreciate the Season 1 sets that we got (Monk, Nikita, and I Love Lucy 1, 2) and go back to ordering from the discount e-tailers to further my collection of TV on DVD. I've got a growing wish list, that I'm holding on to for Deep Discount DVD's Fall 20% off sale in November.

I"ve also had good success getting previously viewed series from Wherehouse.com. I got Frazier Seasons 1, 2, & 3 when they were having their 25% off all used sets a few week ago. Total for the 3 was $46 WITH shipping included in that price. For used sets, all three arrived in mint condition. I've whizzed through all of them no scratches, no problems.

Interestingly, I got a call from Columbia House last week, offering me an enrollment in the TV club (2@$19.95 w/2 fulfillments). I found this baffling, since at the time of the call, I had an existing open membership which had not been fufilled at that time. Makes you wonder what they use for their telemarketing database?

I declined since as stated, there was not one single TV Club enrollment in which I was interested that I didn't already have.

Oh well...I'll put it on the back burner and check in several months from now to see if they added a few more Season 2's as they have with I Love Lucy, ER, and a few other series.

Can anyone get the .com/webdvd log on page to come up? Every time I try, it takes me to the main home page. Hopefully it is just a temp. glitch.

You might try .com/webtv That's the same $5 OFF but it's set-up for the TV Club. I believe it should sign you in to your account no matter what type you have.

And yes, I'm getting the same thing on .com/webdvd

Thanks, the webtv works.

If you forgot to use the code/discount or didn't know about it like I did, then I'd suggest emailing CH and ask them for a credit. I did, and just received the $5 credited to my cc. Excellent!

This link works:

Click Here

It's been a while since this has been an issue for me, but is that $30 minimum before or after shipping charges are added?

The discount is applied before shipping comes into play.

I'm all over that. Our household has two separate accts. and we forgot to use the $5 off first order promotion when fulfilling one of them. I was just about to close that acct. since it is now fulfilled, but am now glad I didn't. We just placed the order in late July, so hopefully it's recent enough that there won't be an issue. I just sent them an email and received a confirmation that the email was received.

I'm curious, how long did it take them to respond to your request? What prompted you to even go back and ask....it never occured to me to do so.

Thanks for sharing this info.

It took 1 day. I saw a post about the WEB $5 discount and freaked out that I didn't see it previously. I had just signed up for my 1st account so it was only a few days after I had placed my first fulfillment order.

I figured it was worth a shot, why not? It worked...

I can't get to it, I cleared the cookies and everything but it takes me to the "Join the Club" page, is anyone else having this problem?

Did you try the link that I posted in post #17?

olliebee, you asked about new enrollments for the TV Edition club. BYork has updated his list at the top of the forum. There are a bunch of new TV Edition enrollments offered. Even if they aren't ones you want, the fact that new enrollments are being offered is good news.

Thanks for passing that on Lizard. Perhaps they will be expanding the enrollment offering more frequently from now on.