Columbia House DVD Columbia House DVD Club BEWARE DONT GIVE THEM YOUR CC# Ripoff Terre Haute Indiana

With the all the un-authorized billing and debits from consumer accounts, it is amazing there has not been a class action suit against these folks!

To the individual who stated that what this company does is legal, you're wrong! I cancelled my account, after meeting my obligations as required by their contract. They took it upon themselves to re-instate my account, without my permission, send me DVDs, that I have yet to receive, of which I NEVER ordered, and proceeded to charge my checking account $27.56, illegally, non-contractual binding, and without my permission. As with everyone else, I'm getting the run-around, and they refuse to give me my money back until I send them the DVDs back. DVDs that I have yet to receive. This company is criminal. I updated my credit card information on their website, and changed my Expiration date to an invalid year, and my security code to an invalid security code. I will also be calling my bank to ask them to block all attempts to charge my account from this company. A rep, at their New York Corporate office said that they will have someone call me in regard to the situation within 24 to 48 hours. If they do not, I will be getting a lawyer. Also, for anyone who doesn't have it, here is their Corporate Information:

BMG Columbia House
1 Penn Plaza
250 West 34th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10119
Phone Number: 212-901-0700

I advise anyone and everyone who has had a problem with these theives to call them and write them, threatening legal action. I'm not only threatening, I am pursuing it. They stole from me, bottom line.

Give me a break!!"be more responsible when you log on"""get the F out of here. What kind of way is this or any company like this a way to do buisness. What's wrong with free trial offers or just give discounts to member without some artificial contract that I am sure 9 out of 10 people dont know of when they sign up. Who has the time to read the fine pront of these SCAMMERS. ***All I can say about their ethics is this:

EVERYONE GO TO Better buisness burueau and do a search under Columbia House DVD club, THIS COMPANY has over 900 complaints filed against them in the last 3 years!!!WHAT'S wrong with this picture????THEY ArE a deceving low down snot org getting rich off of their so called ethiclal buisness practices!!THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!

John, you are correct. I have been a member of Columbia House DVD club for several years (before that I was a member of their VHS club). They still send out the cards with the movies you have to opt to DECLINE in order not to receive - that is what the Directors Selection is, Sean.

Thanks to the internet, they now do this online, eliminating the need of the cards to be sent out. You just log in, decline the selection, and log out. It can be a bit frustrating, but I have found the service beneficial. Columbia House and businesses like them ARE NOT financially beneficial UNLESS you buy in bulk. You usually have to buy 1 movie at regular price (overpriced) in order to buy several more at the same time discounted.

Sean - When you signed up online, you signed the contract that states you AGREE to buy a certain number of movies at REGULAR club price to meet your obligation (depending what deal you signed up for determines how many movies you are obligated to buy). I agree, the Directions Selection is a bit of a tricky/dirty catch that if you are not careful can get you into trouble; you just have to be responsible to log on (or send your card back) with the option NOT to receive the movie. -- This is how they make most their money!

The best way to approach these companies (if you choose to use them), is to get the best deal they have to offer (usually less movie obligation too). Then the next month buy ALL your REQUIRED regular priced movies - then cancel your subscription. That way you get the good deals, the movies you want, and no unwanted movies.

As far as the legality of the business goes, what they do IS legal. Why? Because you signed the contract (whether intentionally or not) by signing up for the program. As long as they have been running, and as many members (and ex-disgruntled members) they have, if what they did was illegal, by now they would have been caught. My advice would be to buy a few movies at regular price and end your membership. Don't let them take your money for nothing; at least get a few movies out of it.

"Supposedly you enter some type of contract when you subscribe online which forces you to buy x amount of DVD's but no one ever knows that till it is too late."

I can remember 30 years ago getting mailers with these offers. You would get 8 albums for like $1 but you had to agree to buy 3 more selections at club prices (slightly overpriced) over the next 2 years-or something to that affect.
The deceiving practice they used in the past but I don't believe can now due to regulation is they would send you a mailer every month with the "selection of the month". You had to find the paper that you had to check "I do not want this" and send it back. If you didn't, they automatically sent the selection.
I'm pretty sure I remembered it right. LOL. It's been so long.