Just checked my backorders.

You are right. They've increased the shipping on a couple just shipped in the last couple of days.

They should have emailed me for permission to increase the shipping.

I definitely won't be ordering from them and will email them with my concerns.

I think it's illegal to increase a Visa charge also

My email to CDNow:

Dear sirs

I was dismayed to discover on checking my order history on your site that the order below has had shipping charges increased.

This has been done without my knowledge, or authority, and without even the courtesy of an email advice from your company.

I consider this to be very bad business practice and indeed is illegal. I have authorised you to charge only the amount as set out below to my Visa card. This amount may not be increased without my express authority.

Unless this overcharge is corrected without delay, I will be lodging a formal complaint with VISA.

I checked all my orders, including one with Pearl Harbor Vista 2-pack and Jurassic Park 4-pack and the shipping is still $7.20 on all non-shipped orders. However, an order with Swordfish, Shrek 2-pack and the rushmore/hf pack suddenly has an $11.18 shipping charge. I think that when CDNOW's send out a part of an order their system screws up the shipping total. Anyway, I e-mailed them and see what their reply is... Based upon that I will decide whether I'll use CDNOW in the near future ever again...

[Edited to include a finding of changed order]

One of my orders had an increased shipping charge also. No e-mail to notify me of this change, and the order has shipped so they have debited this amount from my CC!!

What on earth is going on at CDNow? They have surely committed a fraudulent act here. Do they think no-one will notice because it is such a small amount?

If only I could find a cheaper source for my dvds, although at this rate they'll probably be the most expensive soon.

If you have had an unauthorised shipping increase, tell them to put it right or threaten to get your CC involved, they must be taught not to take liberties with their customers!

I just spoke to somebody at the help desk: they put in an extra charge of 3.98 $ for the 2 remaining titles of my 3 dvd order!
So instead of 7.20, I was paying 11.18 $ for 3 titles.
I complained about it, first the guy said it was not for shipping but for HANDLING!!!????
I tried to convince him that this was not correct because the original shipping of 7.20 $ was already paid when they shipped out the first title.
Then he said that the correct amount shows up in the cart and tried to explain about the different shipping-locations .
I explained that this was an order I put in in september, before they changed the shipping procedures.
In the end he promised to put 3$ (the most he could do) in my account.
This sucks big time.
Also because shipping from CDNOW seems to take longer and longer these days.
Problem is I have a lot of pre-orders that run into january 2002 that are still a little cheaper with the extra 15 % off, than others.

Just received an e-mail from their cst service apologizing for their mistake and reimbursing the $3.98... Guess I just have to check my orders!

On my last order at CDNow they noted that all my titles will ship when the last one is released. Previous orders would have in stock items ship in one shipment followed by all the pre-orders in another shipment.

Guess they are really following Amazon in both pricing and shipment policy