BobO'Link

^Agree. I've ordered many OOP items from CH and they've always been what I expected.

shblay

How do we know if a higher price item will count as more than 1 commitment? Does it say somewhere on the product description page? I'm interested in buying Back the Future Trilogy if it counts as 2 commitments.

I saw the question in the OP about the pricing tiers and commitments but I'm wondering if that is indicated on the product page anywhere to confirm.

Thanks for any help.

Jedi Master 33

I would think, since it's over $40, it would count as two.

John Galt

1. Is there still a higher success rate for accounts opened on Monday and Tuesday?

2. Do accounts still need to be closed over the phone?

3. On all four of my accounts I opened on Monday, every fulfillment title (both BD and DVD, 24 titles in all) is listed as backordered. Am I that unlucky, or is that their default until I pay for the enrollment package?

IJMSPORT

Probably default until you pay them. I dont think the "bill me" option is a real winner with the intro offer. Theyre seemingly approving someone on the good faith that they'll pay; kind of 1998ish if you ask me.

Has anyone had any success with the "bill me" payment option on the intro offer?

John Galt

I was 4/4 on Monday.

lizard

While this stuff is “old hat” for Columbia House veterans, given the number of newcomers here I think it is time to take a look at some membership cost breakdowns using Blu-ray Discs as enrollments:

Scenario 1:
Fulfill with two $20.97 BDs (closest price to $19.95 minimum) with no deals.

Enrollment: 6 x 49˘ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 BDs)
Fulfillment: $20.97 + $20.97 + $4.98 (shipping) = $46.92 (2 BDs)
Total: $12.89 + $46.92 = $59.81 (9 BDs)

Average cost per BD: $59.81/9 = $6.65


Scenario 2:
Fulfill with two $20.97 BDs (closest price to $19.95 minimum) with B1G1F, using DVDs as freebies and valued at the traditional $4.80 each.

Enrollment: 6 x 49˘ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 BDs)
Fulfillment: $20.97 + (free DVD) + $20.97 + (free DVD)+ $8.96 (shipping) = $50.90 (2 BDs + 2 DVDs)
Total: $12.89 + $50.90 = $63.79 (9 BDs)

Average cost per BD: ($63.79 – (2 x $4.80)) / 9 = $6.02


Scenario 3:
Fulfill with two $20.97 BDs (closest price to $19.95 minimum) with free shipping deal.

Enrollment: 6 x 49˘ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 BDs)
Fulfillment: $20.97 + $20.97 + $0 (shipping) = $41.94 (2 BDs)
Total: $12.89 + $41.94 = $54.83 (9 BDs)

Average cost: $54.83/9 = $6.09


Scenario 4:
Fulfill with two $20.97 BDs (closest price to $19.95 minimum) with B1G2F, using DVDs as freebies and valued at the traditional $4.80 each.

Enrollment: 6 x 49˘ + $9.95 = $12.89 (7 BDs)
Fulfillment: $20.97 + ( 2 free DVDs) + $6.97 (shipping) + $20.97 + 2 free DVDs) + $6.97 (shipping) = $55.88 (2 BDs + 4 DVDs)
Total: $12.89 + $55.88 = $68.77 (9 BDs + 4 DVDs)

Average cost per BD: ($68.77 – (4 x $4.80)) / 9 = $5.51


The "take home" message is that there isn't all that much difference in which scenario one uses: they are all very good deals for Blu-ray Discs.


There are, of course, many other permutations that can be envisioned. The most obvious is the use of fulfillment BDs that cost more than $20.97. In that case just add the difference in cost for each BD to the average cost. For example, using the simple Scenario 1 with an average cost of $6.65, the purchase of a $23.97 BD for fulfillment would have a relative cost of $23.97 - $20.97 + $6.65 = $9.65. That’s still a respectable cost for a $39.95 MSRP BD.

As was mentioned by some others in the other thread, newcomers should be aware that it isn’t practical to purchase BDs priced at less than $19.95 from Columbia House. If such titles aren’t available as enrollments, they would best be purchased elsewhere.


Some other questions sure to come up:

• Can BDs be used as freebies in B1G1F offers? Not usually. It is very rare for Columbia House to issue such a sale offer, although they have happened.

• Are BDs eligible for free shipping offers? Sometimes, but usually they are excluded and free shipping applies to DVDs only. Scenario 3 above would apply only to a free shipping deal that includes BDs.

• Are there any B1G1F sale offers that also have free shipping? Sometimes yes, but they are increasingly rare.

• Should I take the second $9.95 "bonus" BD when enrolling? Generally no, because it doesn't count for fulfillment and it is more cost effective to purchase the additonal BD in a future membership. However, if the current 7:2 membership code allowing use of BDs disappears, it might well be best to have purchased the bonus. It's up to you.

blackmage214

I did one at the beginning of the year. Had my dvds within 9 days.

RoadToPerdition

I just placed an order for All the President's Men on Blu-ray @ $20.97 and took the two free DVDs with coupon code 801490. I'm a little concerned because the "Account" page still shows I have to buy two more at regular club price, but shouldn't the All the President's Men purchase count (it's only two because I took the extra one for $9.95 when I enrolled)? Does this counter not update until after the order ships?

Thanks,
Rob

jwstl

It does not.

RoadToPerdition

Thanks for the quick response. I want to place another order to satisfy the account, but was hesitant.

BobO'Link

As stated in the OP:
Selections purchased at $19.95 to $39.94 count for one
Selections purchased at $39.95 to $59.94 count for two
Selections purchased at $59.95 to $79.94 count for three
Selections purchased at $79.95 to $99.94 count for four
Selections purchased at $99.95 and higher count for five

This fulfillment structure/range is still valid.

This *used* to be shown in the cart but since the site redesign it's no longer there. AFAIK it's never been shown on the product page. It was also once in the help section somewhere but I don't know where and do not know if it's still posted anywhere on the site.

Keep in mind that these prices are the actual *selling* price. Unlike Disney Movie Club purchasing a title at a discount *counts* towards fulfillment as long as it's in the price range. That is, if it's still $19.95 or higher following all discounts it'll still count as a fulfillment (or 2 or more depending on final price).

BobO'Link

?? Did you mean to leave "as fulfillments" on that sentence?

Ragged_Clown

Does anybody know why a lot of CH's DVDs don't come with the security sticker at the top? It seems like the majority of the discs I order from them are missing this. I remember reading that that CH Music Club manufactured their own CDs/records -- do they do this sort of thing with their DVDs, or do they get them directly from the studios like normal retailers? It just seems odd to me that so many of their discs are missing the security sticker.

g

I actually noticed this particularly with Paramount DVD's from CH. Then I went to the store nearby and saw all the Paramount new releases were missing the security strip. So I'm not sure this is only occuring with columbia house.

BuckNaked2k

Fixed.

BobO'Link

^True, but I believe he meant to say:

"...newcomers should be aware that it isn’t practical to purchase BDs priced at less than $19.95."

Meaning you will only hurt your average if you do so. You should *rarely* purchase a title from CH unless it's a fulfillment. The exceptions being titles that are less, after shipping, than the average cost *or* titles that are less, after shipping, than from other vendors.

lizard

Yes, that's the point I was trying to make but didn't word quite right. The hierarchy:

• BDs eligible for enrollment can be purchased as enrollments

• BDs with the standard 40% off MSRP price < $19.95 should not be purchased from Columbia House because they are usually available for less elsewhere. (An exception might be if a future B1G1F offer allows BDs as freebies.)

• BDs with the standard 40% off MSRP price > $19.95 make excellent fulfillment purchases because the relative cost is ~$6 + ( CH price - $19.95) and that is a bargain for most.

lizard

Like many on-line stores, Columbia House often gets DVDs and BDs without the security devices usually seen in B&M retail stores. The DVDs and BDs that Columbia House sells are otherwise identical to those from Amazon, Target, or any other retailer, right down to the UPC code.

Columbia House has never manufactured its own DVDs/BDs, stories about the old record/CD club days notwithstanding. They buy regular retail DVDs/BDs in bulk from studios or distributors at very low wholesale prices. Columbia House makes money from customers who "forget" to decline the monthly Director's Selection, buy additional DVDs at regular club prices over and above fulfillment requirements, and things like that.

lizard

[email protected]

jwstl

FYI...After I saw your post about A River Runs Through It digibook and stated my confidence you would get the correct one, I went ahead and ordered it too. Today, I received it and it is indeed the digibook version. My thanks to you for pointing it out.

rider555

How long does it take for CH to charge ones debit card?
I got a surprise in the mail the other day...I am pretty good about replying to the directors selection,but one got by me some how.
It turns out that while I was pretty sure that I only have 2 CHTV accounts,but it looks like I have 3.
I don't even remember enrolling for a 3rd account..Although I do remember trying to enroll again and this time using my Visa debit card,having it charged and never getting my enrollment titles and than having CH tell me that they have no record of said account.
I wonder if now that they acknowledge this account,if I tell them that I never did receive my 2 enrollment titles(order history shows that they shipped the first of February,but I do not recall receiving them)if they would send me them..?I only fear that they would than charge my Visa again..
Hmmmm......
But back to my original question...the cut off date to reply by to this title was the 14th.Here we are 2 weeks later and so far,no charge from CH for this appears on my checking account history...
Oh yes,do i need to mark this refused,or do I need to contact CH about a return address label?

BobO'Link

^I'd mark the unopened package "refused". Next I'd change my default billing to a virtual CC, remove the debit card, and put only a couple of dollars on the virtual card so it can't be charged unless you want it charged (up the amount for each purchase to enough to cover only that purchase with a few $$ buffer). Doing that should stop any unwanted shipment as they'll not likely ship without that charge being authorized.

IMHO debit cards are a bad idea on *any* purchase as they offer little/no protection against unauthorized charges. It's worth a few $$ in service charges on a disposable credit card for the protection offered rather than use a debit card.

rider555

I will return it.
But this still leaves the matter of the enrollment titles which I was charged for yet never received.Not sure what to do about that.
Also,I am hesitant to tell them that I have 3 CHTV accounts.
Damn Columbia House.They let me have 3 CHTV accounts,but every time I try to get a second account opened in their other DVD club,I only get to provisional status.

ec461

I know there's an old thread that tried to predict when titles would become available for enrollment picks. Do Blu-rays work the same way, i.e. after a certain time period they can be used for enrollments? And if so, does anyone know the time period?

I'm interested in the following titles if it helps:

All the President's Men
Gandhi
Dirty Dozen
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Don't Look Back
Taxi Driver
Goodfellas
Apocalypse Now
Dirty Harry/Magnum Force Double Feature or just Dirty Harry
Kelly's Heroes/Where Eagles Dare Double Feature