potnoodlez

I just sent a letter to CH's VP of Member Services through planetfeedback.com. I wrote to complain about their "lost" applications, the supposedly dead saving codes that are still in their system, their poor customer support, and various other problems. I also cancelled my account with them. I suggest you all write to them too and hopefully they will fix their system and maybe even acknowledge our codes!

PS: BMG replied to me and they are letting my use my free vouchers on multi-unit sets if I send my order through email.

Hollowgen

right, i mentioned that in a post earlier in the thread. i just wish they'd fix their site.

potnoodlez

Wow, Columbia House already responded to my letter. They didn't fix the savings code problem because they said they would forward it to right department, but they did fix some other issues I had. Maybe if enough people email them they can fix their application process for both the music and dvd clubs.

ericjanderson

What is the deal on the CH codes beginning with "4"? -- Five fulfillments, apparently. But what is the initial enrollment offer? Do they charge shipping fee? Shipping is the big deal killer on the standard offer, as far as I'm concerned. $2.79 shipping for each "free" disc times 12. That's a lot of dough for a dozen "free" discs. And then five more to buy at inflated regular prices.

I'm skeptical of all the "W" codes. But they are better deals. I was rejected last month with a W code. I'm willing to try a 4 code if the deal is decent.

potnoodlez

All of the codes beginning with 4 are for 12 free cds plus shipping & processing.

I would just keep plugging away with the W codes for now and hope one of us finds an active code for us to use.

love_DVDs

There is a code for BMG B1G3. Enter "H4MD", it works for me this morning even though the code is not in my email. I dont know how long this lasts.

guywall

I got a BMG email today for $4.99 per CD sale (for current members) It did not give a code on the bottom.

love_DVDs

Got a denied letter from CH today regard the code WXM. That code is no longer valid.

potnoodlez

CH told me they were going to remove me from their mailing lists but I am still receiving emails for both of my cancelled accounts. I have never been this frustrated with CH before.

They also sent me an email asking me to re-join. The offer is 15 free cds but they charge shipping & processing. I will post the link if anyone is interesting in the offer.

Hollowgen

same here. why don't they get their site/sh** together?

potnoodlez

They have no reason to get their sh*t together if they are getting business like usual. That is why I cancelled and wrote to them. Hopefully it's enough to make them take notice, but probably not since I'm just one person.

nyrotic

As a long-running expert user of the Columbia House Web site, I have found that when you have a Buy 1 Get X special that you can actually get X times 2 (note: I am talking about the music club here). The trick is to buy a CD valued at $25.98 or more (including box sets). Then you will see that instead of adding X free CDs, you can add X x 2 free CDs. But note that the free CDs must be $24.98 or less. It's a great way to stock up on double-discs. Note that this does NOT work with DVDs. If you buy a DVD, then you will only get X free CDs (valued at less than or equal to the price of the DVD, and of course no more than $24.98).

So my tip is to never be afraid to overload your cart online to see if it will give you more free items than you are expecting.

nyrotic

I have tried WXR and/or WXC a few times already. But each time I get a letter (in the mail) from CH saying the code is invalid. I always apply online. I don't know if calling will give me better luck. I have also had this problem with the code that I have been using for years (D6MC). I never used to have problems joining and rejoining the CH music club (different story for the DVD club!), but now they are becoming difficult as well.

My theory with the record clubs (both CH and BMG) is to take advantage of them while you can. I don't think they are going to get any better. BMG has disappointed me tremendously with their new restrictions on multi-unit sets. It used to be that you could use your free selections for almost ANYTHING. They do allow you to get *some* of them in your initial enrollment, but none from there. That is a huge blow to someone like me. One day earlier this year I was about to get the Johnny Cash "Unearthed" 4 CD set using my 4 free CD selections I had. The site didn't give me any problem. Looked good to go. But for some reason I didn't buy it. Now I try it and I can't! What a bummer. And they sell that thing for $70! There was even a brief time (3 years ago) when you could get box sets in your enrollment! For my 7 initial CDs I got a 3 CD set and a 4 CD set. But that didn't last long. But the recent decision to restrict most double-discs from being selected as free selections is the last straw. I have a long list of them I was hoping to get from BMG (especially the nice "Deluxe Series" discs from Polydor/Mercury/Motown). Now I cannot get those in my enrollment, or after I enroll. Have to pay full price for those things. BMG has a lot of nerve to become so restrictive, because the only reason that I have tolerated their abused CDs is because of the pricing. But now I don't have that benefit anymore. So why bother? By "abused CDs" I am referring to the fact that 1) about 70% of the CDs I get from them are in badly cracked cases, and 2) they of course have their own stupid, ugly bar-coding on about 90% of the CDs. I only tolerated those two things because I could get good deals with multi-unit sets. But those days are over. So my days with them are over. I am not paying an average of $5 (or even $4) for ugly CDs. Plus I can't even find enough single-disc selections that I want from them.

For me, one big thing that Columbia House has over them is their CDs are usually store-quality (with labels and all). Some (but not many) have CH's barcoding, but their barcodes are only obvious to CH experts like me. But, like I said, I tolerated BMG's sorry merchandise strictly for the multi-unit sets. I can't believe they have the nerve to ship such shoddy products. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed? I have purchased several hundred CDs from BMG over the past 5 years, and they almost always look trashy.

Hollowgen

uh, the cds are exactly the same as the ones you can buy in the store. just because they don't have the barcodes doesn't mean they're "trash". they're just manufactured for BMG under license. the music is exactly the same.

love_DVDs

The problem with BMG and CH is that they charge to0 much for shipping, then the CDs come with broken cases. That bothers me the most.

potnoodlez

Broken cases is one problem I haven't had to deal with either Club. BMG's barcode's don't bother me in the least. Their cds are perfectly fine. I think they are superior to Columbia House in every way.

nyrotic, You can just email BMG about the multi-unit situation and they should let you place an order for them through email. I emailed them and they indicated that the multi-unit deal was not dead and that I should be able to order them online, but of course that was not the case. They later responded saying I could order it through email.

My guess is that they don't want to lose customers and will let them still order multi-unit sets if they email them but they figure the general public won't bother and they make money that way.

I agree that CD clubs probably won't get any better. I one read that CH doesn't really make any money off of their cd clun anymore. It all comes from their DVD club.

ericjanderson

I don't think there is any difference in CD quality between the clubs and the stores. the barcode is sometimes different, and sometimes there is an indication on the disc itself that it was manufactured for BMG or CH. I have used these clubs for many, many years, and compared them to store-bought versions. Really, there's no difference.

Cracked cases is a problem, but they will replace the case if you send an email.

love_DVDs

I guess thats why CH make it harder to join the CD club with the saving codes. I didnt try the regular deal because its more expensive.

garmonbozia

How does one go about emailing them your order? I don't see a specific link for ordering via email on their site.

nyrotic

Well maybe I sound crazy in my rant about BMG's quality, but I never suggested that there was anything wrong with the content of the CD itself. I am just saying that usually when I open a box that I receive from BMG, the contents of the box always look a little weathered (and being a "completist", I do find their barcoding very annoying). Whenever I get a package from Columbia House, most of the CDs are "store quality". They are EXACTLY what the stores get--with the security tape, promotional stickers on the shrinkwrap, etc. Some of CH's CDs are not like this; you will see "CRC" near the barcode (which you can tell is different than the standard UPC used on CDs) and you will see that there is no security tape. I am a major geek when it comes to my CD collection, so I guess these arguments are only relevant to people like me. The other thing that annoys me so much about BMG is that sometimes CDs in a special type of packaging are repackaged in plain plastic jewel cases. I have bought some multi-unit sets that came in your basic plastic jewel case (with BMG's barcode, of course), only to see them in stores in much different and much nicer packaging. I have even had that with single discs. You will see that some CDs in stores have cardboard slipcases covering the CD case. If you get it from BMG, you will definitely NOT get that if it's one of the 90-whatever percent that they repackage and bar code. Same goes for cardboard digipaks. They tend to repackage those in plastic jewel cases. That is horrifying for an audiophile like me. I shouldn't complain because they are much cheaper than getting the nice ones from a real retailer. BUT the only reason I do complain is because Columbia House does this kind of thing only rarely. I will rarely buy from them going forward. I will get everything that I possibly can from Columbia House. Believe it or not--I actually pay less at CH than BMG. The trick is our friend eBay. And that my friends is another problem with BMG--you should not buy their CDs and resell them sealed on eBay. Those people that notice will not be happy. With CH, however, there is no way to tell the CDs came from CH (except for the few CRC ones you get, but at least they are much less conspicuous in their barcoding). Some day I will explain how I spend only about $2 on average for my CH CDs--not to mention that I get my DVD boxed sets in the music club for FREE.

ericjanderson

I hate digipacs, so that's a plus for BMG. However, often the BMG are the same as the store -- for example the Astrud Gilberto and Wes Mongomery discs on Verve that I recently got from BMG. These were "LP replicas" in minature square cardboard sleeve, and the CDs were in a soft fuzzy paper sleeve inside. Really I hate that kind of packaging, but it is identical to the retail store versions.

It just depends on what your needs are. If you are focused on the wrapper, nyrotic, you're not an "audiophile", because the packaging has nothing to do with what the CDs sound like. :-) If they were using different masterings then the record club versions might sound inferior. But I haven't found that to be the case. I haven given up my audiophile pretentions, but I still have a pretty good ear. I can easily hear the difference between MP3 and CD, for example, even 320kbps MP3.

In general, though, I agree with you. Usually the CH merchandise is not identifiable as CH. Then again, I just bought the DVD/CD combo of the new Steely Dan album from BMG, and it was also indistinguishable from the store version.

GTCrash

I seem to get a lot of cracked cases with BMG too, they need to redesign their mailers.

Also, CH code 'wxv' has failed for me

aisle9

Right now, on my account, I'll get Keane's albm *free* with the purchase of any other album.

ga_con

Thank you very much! Got two orders went through smoothly.

aisle9

what'd you get? how much was your order?