laman@sdcsvax.UUCP (Mike Laman) (12/30/83)
Has anyone else suddenly been "enrolled" into Columbia House's Record and
Tape Club? I was in it ~5 years ago. (What a hassle). I had forgotten
all about them. Then suddenly I received their $%@!#, saying I had to
purchase 7 selections at their regular price since I had gotten their
"introductory package". So I wouldn't melt their mail box, my wife sent
back their monthly selection card with polite comments that we DIDN'T
enroll (I learn from my mistakes). We got a record mailed to us, which we
promptly sent back (refused delivery). Then we got another month's selection
in the mail a couple of days ago. I was just about to write up a letter
that would melt their mail box, when we received a letter apologizing for
the mistake. The also said that if we liked the record we could send them the
money. They also included a mailing label that I could affix on their
package to send the record back (which we already had). Boy was I tempted
to mail them a couple bricks... I'm still toying with the idea.
I know mistakes happen, but I'm wondering if it really was a mistake. Has
this happened to anyone else. Please send me a "yes" (and include whether
or not you were a member once) if you have. I just can't get this silly
idea out of my head. It seems we got the problem corrected too easily (nothing
gets done quickly or easily with them), and that option of buying the record
really rubs me the WRONG way! It is just like being in the club, a situation
which I DON'T want to be in. That option of buying really has me suspicious.
If I get a few "yes"s by former members, I think I will mail them a brick or
two (or three ...). Hmmmm... or maybe this weeks garbage...
Mike Laman
UUCP: {ucbvax,philabs,sdccsu3,sdcsla}!sdcsvax!lamangenji@ucbopal.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (01/04/84)
You seem to have had an easier than average experience getting that company (Columbia House Records) off your back. I usually have to phone a company as well as write a few letters to stop undue demands. Protesting notes written on returned invoices seem never to be read-- next month another invoice with more threats will arrive; and so forth. Some years ago i made about 40 phone calls to get American Express to erase some gratuitous charges. (I'd never spend all that time today.) AmEx then used a phony name like "L. Graham" who was supposed to be the customer's "personal representative". On one phone call, the AmEx worker said he would transfer the call to this L. Graham. I protested that there was no such person and he replied "It doesn't matter. You can talk with him anyway". --Genji
beau@sun.uucp (Beau James) (01/04/84)
[fix me!] U.S. Postal regulations state that unsolicited merchandise received in the mail is yours **free**. The recipient is under no (legal) obligation even to attempt to return the material. If you have not enrolled in one of these clubs and they send products along with requests for payment, try just keeping the product -- they usually get the hint very quickly.