marcus@pyuxt.UUCP (M. G. Hand) (01/11/85)
I recently received some junk mail through the post which invites me
to join the International Preview Society - a record purchasing discount
club. The introductory is the set of nine Beethoven symphonies
on Deutsche Gramaphon, by the Vienna Phil under Karl Bohm. At 9.98 for
the whole lot, and no obligation to make any other purchases other than
membership of the society, it seems to be too good to be true. And, you
get the Violin Concerto (Karajan/Ferras) also Deutsche Gramaphon for free.
What is the catch, I ask? Does anyone know what the membership fees of this
society are? I would hate to order the records on ten days approval and
then have to send them back after finding the dues are $200 or some such
nonsense. Are these recordings good? New? Digital or analogue? Deleted
catalogue material? Or what? Does anyone out there in netland have any
experience (good or bad) of The International Preview Society? Hmmm,
they're claimed to be "silent surface" recordings, a term i've not heard
before.
thanks in anticipation an' all that,
marcus
--
Marcus Hand {ihnp4!}pyuxt!marcusrab@alice.UUCP (Rick Becker) (01/13/85)
> I recently received some junk mail through the post which invites me > to join the International Preview Society - a record purchasing discount > club. The introductory is the set of nine Beethoven symphonies > on Deutsche Gramaphon, by the Vienna Phil under Karl Bohm. At 9.98 for > the whole lot, and no obligation to make any other purchases other than > membership of the society, it seems to be too good to be true. And, you > get the Violin Concerto (Karajan/Ferras) also Deutsche Gramaphon for free. > > What is the catch, I ask? Does anyone know what the membership fees of this > society are? I would hate to order the records on ten days approval and > then have to send them back after finding the dues are $200 or some such > nonsense. Are these recordings good? New? Digital or analogue? Deleted > catalogue material? Or what? Does anyone out there in netland have any > experience (good or bad) of The International Preview Society? My wife was a member of the International Preview Society record club. There is no catch -- you pay your $9.98 and get a nice set of records. (In fact, if you get a member to sign you up, you each get a set of records). There are two reasons she is no longer a member: 1) The prices were basically the same as list price in record stores except when they had sales about twice a year; 2) They tended to get orders confused. Nothing malicious, just confused. Things always got straightened out after a letter or two. However the hassle of paper mail communication finally caused her to drop her membership. -- Rick Becker alice!rab research!rab
paul@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (Paul Schinder) (01/14/85)
<> The International Preview Society's service improved remarkably since they moved to Indianapolis. Orders were always screwed up before then; since then I haven't had any trouble. I'm still a member, but I rarely order anything. Their selection is somewhat limited, and they tend to be repetitious in their offerings. If you do join, unless you absolutely *must* have the featured selection, don't get it until it comes around again in a few months, when you'll probably be able to use bonus certificates to get it for ~1/2 price. Their prices are comparable to or higher than record stores in most cases, but the bonus certificates that you get with every purchase bring the total you spend in the long run down. You get one bonus certificate for every purchase of a single, and two for a boxed set. You use them at the same rate, one for a single, two for a boxed set. The price with a bonus certificate is about 1/2 the price without. So obviously the thing to do is to buy singles that you wouldn't mind having at full price, and the sets that you really want at 1/2 price. If you don't mind sending back the form every month, it can be worth joining. -- Paul Schinder Astronomy and Astrophysics Center University of Chicago uucp: ..!ihnp4!oddjob!paul
rjw@ptsfc.UUCP (Rod Williams) (01/14/85)
> Does anyone out there in netland have any >experience (good or bad) of The International Preview Society? Yes - my SO has got many records from them - mostly boxed sets. They appear to be the original pressings - nothing on the records or boxes to indicate a special pressing - and the quality is indistinguishable from store-bought. They have a large selection with frequent additions - mostly classical, some *pops*. Their *regular* prices are a bit on the high side - particularly when you add in postage&packing - but when you consider their *bonus coupons* (given when you buy at regular price) and frequent special offers (usually 50%-off deals) - it seems to work out well. The big drawback - common to all those record clubs - is the fact that you have to send back your postcard before a certain date or you automatically get the current *default* record. Personally, I much prefer shopping in a record store - mail-order just doesn't satisfy my consumerist cravings (:-)), and besides, I'm now shopping for CD's, which the record clubs don't yet seem to be aware of! -- Rod Williams "...uh...now what I was going to put here... dual!ptsfa!ptsfc!rjw ...um...er...ah...will this do instead...?"
kenw@lcuxc.UUCP (K Wolman) (01/15/85)
The International Preview Society is legitimate. You will get the
records advertised in the promotion; and there is no need to buy
anything after you've joined. I left after about a year because
their prices were definitely higher than what one would normally
expect from a "club." I netted out a set of the complete Tchaikovsky
symphonies with the Leningrad Philharmonic. Not so bad.
--
Ken Wolman
Bell Communications Research @ Livingston
lcuxc!kenw
(201) 740-4565
("My doctorate's in Literature, but that feels like a
pretty good pulse to me. . . .")paf@cornell.UUCP (Peter Fenyes) (01/15/85)
> doesn't satisfy my consumerist cravings (:-)), and besides, I'm now > shopping for CD's, which the record clubs don't yet seem to be aware of! > Rod Williams >-- The Musical Heritage Society recently began offering CD's from London, Phillips, and D.G. They are offering them at reasonable prices - about $15. I have been pleased with their prices, services, and selection, but I have only bought records, no CD's. Peter Fenyes
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (01/15/85)
[!] I wish you were right about Musical Heritage Society selling CD's for about $15. Unfortunately they want $16.99 for CD's you can buy for that or less other places. Nevertheless, desperate as I am I just ordered three of them. Will comment later on quality. They seem to be similar to other MHS fare - off beat stuff that no one else really wants to market. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg
larsen@utah-gr.UUCP (Mark Larsen) (01/18/85)
I currently belong to the International Preview Society and am very
pleased with it. Unlike the experience of some, I have never had
any order mix-ups or mail problems. With the bonus certificates,
records end up costing a little less on the average than the local store
I frequent. I am very happy with the beethoven set.
I also belong to RCA music service, Musical Heritage Society and
Discount Music club. I end up buying most of my records locally
but those purchased through the mail usually come from IPS or
RCA (I'm a half-price-for-life member). IPS has also recently
started a new program for older members wherein they receive
two free records per year of your choice.
I think it is a good club as these things go.
--
-----------
Ma faut! Comment cela? L. Mark Larsen
UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|hplabs|seismo}!utah-cs!larsen
ARPA: oper.larsen@utah-20
USnail: 4602 So. 600 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84107jlg@lanl.ARPA (01/22/85)
The only problem I have with the International Preview Society is their lack of CDs. About 9 months ago they sent out a questionaire which asked whether people would be interested in CD from them, they even gave a free bonus certificate to anyone that responded to the questionaire. Unfortunately, no result was ever published and they still don't carry CDs. Guess it's time I used up my bonus certificates and got out. J. Giles
abc@brl-tgr.ARPA (Brint Cooper ) (01/27/85)
In article <1227@cornell.UUCP> paf@gvax.UUCP (Peter Fenyes) writes: > > The Musical Heritage Society recently began offering CD's from > London, Phillips, and D.G. They are offering them at reasonable prices - > about $15. I have been pleased with their prices, services, and selection, > but I have only bought records, no CD's. > Peter Fenyes My Musical Heritage Society booklet lists the CDs at $16.99 (i.e., $17) plus a shipping fee. -B
arora@sunybcs.UUCP (Kulbir S. Arora) (01/31/85)
> The only problem I have with the International Preview Society is their > lack of CDs. About 9 months ago they sent out a questionaire which asked > whether people would be interested in CD from them, they even gave a free > bonus certificate to anyone that responded to the questionaire. > Unfortunately, no result was ever published and they still don't carry CDs. > > Guess it's time I used up my bonus certificates and got out. > > J. Giles The survey done by IPS was used to set up a separate club offering only CDs. Its called the Compact Disc Club and is owned by RCA which owns IPS. I don't think IPS will offer their selections on CD ever. The CD Club works much the same way as IPS. Their regular prices are $15.98, and for every two CDs you buy at regular prices you get one at half price. After adding postage & handling and 7% sales tax, it works out to about 14.60 per disc. Their enrollment offer is a free disc. Write to IPS for details, if interested.
sambo@ukma.UUCP (Samuel A. Figueroa) (02/04/85)
I don't know why several people are complaining about the International Preview Society not handling compact discs. I received an invitation about a month ago asking if I wanted to become a member of their compact disc club.
jlg@lanl.ARPA (02/07/85)
> I don't know why several people are complaining about the International Preview > Society not handling compact discs. I received an invitation about a month ago > asking if I wanted to become a member of their compact disc club. I don't want two seperate clubs (and Yet Another Card to Send Back Every Month - YACSBEM 8*). They don't have a seperate club for LPs and Cassettes. Not only that, I just got a free record every year for life from IPS, I'd like to be able to apply that to CDs. J. Giles