LiveMusic Posted May 12, 2001 Share Posted May 12, 2001 Heehee... greed taking over... Has anyone done the deal with BMG or Columbia House where you get 12 CDs for $1 or whatever their sensational-looking over is? It's been a few days since I looked at it but as I recall, at least one of these deals allowed you to cancel it later if you didn't want to continue. Anyone found favor with one of these offers? The deal is... I buy CDs regularly. If I can get a great deal on some, I'd do it. ------------------ Duke > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clockwirk Posted May 12, 2001 Share Posted May 12, 2001 It's a great deal if you return those stupid sheets every month saying that you DON'T want anything. Me...I always throw them on a huge pile of mail and forget about them until i get a bill later for $20.95 for "Best Boy Bands of the 90's vol. 5." Then you have to root through your stuff until you find the cd they sent you, (hopefully unopened, so you can send it back without having to pay postage) and either return it or pay for it with an accompanying letter asking them to cancel your subscription. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/mad.gif but, if you're a responsible person, it's a great deal. ~clockwirk~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveMusic Posted May 12, 2001 Author Share Posted May 12, 2001 I wouldn't do it if it was still by snail mail. I think now, you can get your notices by email and cancel via email. Seems to me that makes it much more tolerable. Plus, I think one of them has a deal where once you buy three or four, you can then opt out. ------------------ Duke > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nc Posted May 12, 2001 Share Posted May 12, 2001 Here are some things to consider: 1-never pay them after you get the discs.[go directly to jail;do not collect$200 http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif] 2-pay them & cancel all shipments til they offer something you really want but can't find elsewhere[unlikely,these clubs are mostly for people who either don't know much about music or live in places where they can't buy or order what they want]. 3- remember:they only give you a certain time-frame to order, then they bill you anyway. 4-they stick you with hefty "shipping & handling" charges [you can get them to quote these in advance but it's usually a couple bucks per disc]. 5-overall you can still get a dozen or so discs a bit cheaper than at retail [but not by much because of the mail fees they impose] but remember---CDs only cost about a quarter to manufacture & they are generally unloading excess inventory, etc. 6-AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, the real money maker for them [as for all mail order businesses these days is selling your name, address, etc., to others, who in turn sell it & the "hits just keep on comin'". 7-They will pretend they won't do that but try this test---make a minor mistake in the spelling of your name (one that won't stop the post office from delivering) then wait & see what junk mail you start getting addressed with that same misspelling. ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted May 12, 2001 Share Posted May 12, 2001 Columbia House doesn't make you send in a card every month. They only send you stuff when you order it. I got my 12 for the price of 1, bought my four at regular club prices(along with a few at the discount prices) and cancelled my membership. It averaged out to about $6 per disk. A couple monthes after I canceled they mailed me a "We want you back deal". You guessed it, 12 for the price of 1. I've rejoined twice so far, but they are running out of disks I want. All in all, I've been pretty happy with them. Now if they would just get the Genesis remasters I'd join again. So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 or use a hairdrier to open the CD's....copy the recording and re-shrinkwrap it and post it Return to Sender. It's terrible but possible....never done it either...just being devious. Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted May 14, 2001 Share Posted May 14, 2001 Originally posted by strat0124: or use a hairdrier to open the CD's....copy the recording and re-shrinkwrap it and post it Return to Sender. It's terrible but possible....never done it either...just being devious. Teeheehehe!! Naughty but cool, an interesting idea... if it weren't for copyright of course, you bad man http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Simon ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 Here's the deal on those clubs: At least for BMG it's a very good deal. I have been with them for years and I get most of my CDs from them. They often have "Buy 1 get 2 (or 3) free" deals, and their selection, though limited, is pretty good. To stop having to send in those stupid cards, all you have to do is call them after you have fulfilled your initial obligation and tell them you want the "positive option". All that means is they don't send you anything unless you request it. An added bonus is that I get notifications via email and usually pay my bill over the web, saving postage, writing, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted May 15, 2001 Share Posted May 15, 2001 I used to belong to BMG. I tried it out years ago, but found that most of the time, they didn't have the discs I wanted. I also found that sometimes the discs were different than the ones you could purchase in a store. If there were bonus or hidden tracks on the store-bought discs, they usually weren't included in the versions from BMG. I hated having to send in the card every month just to specify "Buy Nothing Now." Still, I would receive the oh-so-wonderful monthly selections, even when I sent back the card telling them I did not want it. After buying my additional selection to fulfill my contract, I cancelled, but still continued to get the disc of the month for several months after. All in all, it's a good deal for some, but not for others. It wasn't for me. Most of us can probably get the same discs for the same - or better - prices as what most of the clubs offer. I wouldn't join again. It was way more of a hassle than a convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted May 16, 2001 Share Posted May 16, 2001 Hmmm, I always just sent them a letter saying I didn't want the automatic monthly offer unless I requested it in writing and never got unwanted disks again (BMG). It's a good deal if you can find anything you want, you just need to remember to quit the club so they'll keep offering you the initial deal again. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill V Posted May 16, 2001 Share Posted May 16, 2001 You can get a good deal with BMG Music Service if you know how to play the game. The longer you wait to make you reqiured purchase the sweeter the deal becomes. I usually wait until they offer three or four for the price of one then make my purchase. They also increase the amount of free CDs you will get for getting a friend to join, up to five free. Their selection IS limited though and they don't always have the latest remasters. I recently got a Joe Walsh Greatest Hits CD that sounds horrible. It was originally issued in the early eighties. Just yesterday I recieved a copy of the Allman Brothers Decade of Hits that was issued in 1991. I thought I would be getting the new version that was remastered in 2000 so I'm sending it back. Here's a link on this topic: http://www.blooberry.com/cdfaq/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 I was led to believe years ago that the artists don't get paid as much in royalties for these recordings. Don't know how true that is, but they do have different packaging on them, so you know that they were made at the pressing plant especially for the clubs. If I like an artist enough to buy their album, I want them to be paid for it. If you're buying something you don't know, or if the artist is dead, it might make it easier to deal with. Who am I to judge? Bill Murphy www.murphonics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted May 17, 2001 Share Posted May 17, 2001 Originally posted by murph: I was led to believe years ago that the artists don't get paid as much in royalties for these recordings. Don't know how true that is, but they do have different packaging on them, so you know that they were made at the pressing plant especially for the clubs. If I like an artist enough to buy their album, I want them to be paid for it. If you're buying something you don't know, or if the artist is dead, it might make it easier to deal with. Who am I to judge? murph You're right Artists sign a special clause in their contracts with regard to record clubs and, imho, it's an absolute rip off and one I have always resented signing. By the time you've finished, as far as these clubs are concerned you might as well have given the f***ing things away. Simon http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/mad.gif ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truebeliever Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 Yep, this is one of the issues Courtney Love is addressing in her pending lawsuit. I don't really like her music, but god bless her, her efforts may actually lead to some positive changes. I believe that right now, many artists are not given royalties for albums that are given away for free under record clubs. It's your choice, just like napster . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg music Posted May 22, 2001 Share Posted May 22, 2001 Originally posted by truebeliever: Yep, this is one of the issues Courtney Love is addressing in her pending lawsuit. I don't really like her music, but god bless her, her efforts may actually lead to some positive changes. I believe that right now, many artists are not given royalties for albums that are given away for free under record clubs. It's your choice, just like napster . . . The problem is that this is not your choice, you have to sign the contract and to the best of my experience you cannot exclude your obligations in terms of the record clubs.... I only wish you could!! As for Courtney Love I wish her every success with her campaign as it could alter a lot of things dramaticaly for the better.... Good For Her http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif Simon ...remember there is absolutely no point in talking about someone behind their back unless they get to hear about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.