Complain about a product or service

Columbia House

Erin of Rindge, NH November 18, 2009

Signed-up for DVD program. Get x amount of selections for ridiculously low price and buy just 5 more "at regular club price" during the next x amount of time to fulfill your obligation. Made my first "regular club price" purchase for 17.95 and it was not counted toward my 5 obligatory purchases. When trying to find out why, I was never able to contact a human for clarification.

I wrote to Columbia House but never received any response and when calling the telephone number provided on correspondence, I was always hung up on because my issue could not be answered by their auto-attendant system. I refused to make additional purchases without understanding what a "regular club price" meant and how to select the DVDs that would count toward my obligation.

Then I started receiving collection notices but still was not able to EVER speak to a human representative. They finally sent my account to a collection agency who was not able to clarify my issue either. Now I have a collection being reported on my credit! Numerous phone calls from collection agencies, letters written to Columbia House with zero response or clarification and now my credit has been compromised.

Kirsti of Everett, WA October 29, 2009

I got a credit card cancellation in the mail saying they closed my credit card account to do a negative collection on my credit. I pulled up my credit and I had a collection for 66. I called the collection company and they told me there is nothing they can do and that I need to call Columbia House. Calling Columbia House and getting a hold of someone is impossible.

I signed up for Columbia House back in early 2003 and I fulfilled my end of the deal by buying all the full priced DVD's. They kept sending me movies after that and I repeatably had to tell them to cancel my account. I told them to cancel my account 8 times and then I finally stopped getting movies.

And now over 6 years later I get a collection on my credit. The worst of it is that the collection company says this account was opened in Jan of 2009! This has dropped my credit score by 30 points and also caused one of my credit cards to be closed down. I don't know how much more my credit score will drop now due to my closed credit card account.

Jim of Chaska, MN October 14, 2009

I just received a call from a collection agency telling me that either I pay them 135 by credit card RIGHT NOW or they are putting this on my credit report for an account through Colubia House that I never signed up for. Not only did I not sign up for it, I never received anything from them, and I haven't heard a peep from anyone until now. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Nice company. I asked the lady to send me something and she said they don't send things to people to prove this claim. Sounds like Columbia House is a total joke. I guess I'll wait and see what happens.

John of Los Angeles, CA September 24, 2009

I have been trying to cancel my auto dvd orders, i have fulfilled their requirements. trying to contact someone is impossible. I try to login to my account to cancel the service, which I dont know if it is possible to do, I enter my password and it rejects it and offers to email me my password and displays my correct email address but it never sends it to me. I have tried several times to request my password and have never received it and I cannot find a number that will take me to a live person to talk to.

Ashleigh of University Place, WA September 21, 2009

I recently pulled my free credit report and was shocked to find a collection on my report from a collection agency called National Credit Solutions. I have NEVER had anything derogatory on my creit report.

The collection was from a company called Columbia House (which I had never even heard of). When I called the collection agency, they said I owed money for an account I had with Columbia House DVD club. I have never had an account with Columbia House, never aouthorized an account, never received any products and never receivd a bill from Columbia House. In fact, the address they have on "my account" in not an address where I have ever lived.

After numerous calls to Columbia House I have not been able to get them to give me confirmation that they are going to clear this matter up with Nation Credit Solutions. I was dropped from my new home owners insurance policy for the reason of the collection from National Credit Solutions (from Columbia House). My credit score went down over 100 points. I have spent numerous hours trying to clear this up.

Diane of Belvidere, NJ September 19, 2009

I signed up by buying a 5.00 DVD and then fulfulled my contract and they KEPT ON sending DVD's after that and bills. I talked to people and I even spoke to someone who says she cancelled my account and then got another bill, for something I returned.

Richard of Hamilton, OH September 3, 2009

Sent in payments on this account was told they never got them it went to collections now they are charging me more than the account was, plus when i informed them that when i was sure the payroll was deposited into my account I wouild call in a payment, but they wanted me to give them the card number in advance. I told them no not until I knew the money was available. so I would not get charged an overdraft fee. That was not good enough for them and now they call 2-3 times a day

Helen of Canton, NY September 1, 2009

I order CD's from them in 2005. It was order 12. You would received 6 and when you bought one at regular price they would send the other 6 and you needed to purchase 3 more at regular price during the membership. I received the 6 CD's and paid for one. I never received the other 6 but kept receiving bills for them. I e-mailed them on 3 occasions when I received the bills that I had not received the other 6 and sent back any other's (return to sender) that they sent me for purchase (2 of them). After my third email to them, I never heard from them again and assumed (I know that is stupid of me) that it was all taken care of. I could not call them because a number was never listed just an email. Now in October 2009 I apply for a load and find out that I have a credit bureau account of 185.00 that I owe. They told me they received the account in December 2008 but did not need to notify me, it was up to me to find out and contact them. Now I have to pay because I broke the contract (when I never received the other 6 CD's that they were suppose to send). I was not going to pay full price for CD's when they even gave me my full introductory offer. They broke the contract first and now I have to pay. The sad part is that I have been a member of Columbia House for DVD's for years and have purchase 50-60 CD's from them during this time. If I had known this, I would never have been a member. Is there anything to be done?

Shawn of Queensbury, NY August 28, 2009

This company is a scam, I was somehow sucked into being a member, and justified it by thinking, the prices were good, if I just fulfill the obligation to buy a few more, etc... I'll be done... turns out, you're never done, they will forever send you one more each month for jacked up prices (28)... I finally figured out how to request they not send them, but also, I was stumped that I could not get out of my membership, despite having dropped over a hundred dollars (way more than I thought it would be) to fullfill my obligation... and still, they made it impossible to cancel. Finally, I sent a letter requesting it... (almost 4 weeks ago, after my last DVD) and the other day... another stupid DVD!!! I'm so sick of Columbia House... and they are charging my credit card... (four charges so far I didn't want)... Plus, I've been trying to send the movies back the way they instruct "write return to sender, put back in mail box"... first of all, if that is their policy... isn't that fraud against the USPS??? Second, if I'm doing this, but once in awhile, they 'forget' to credit my money back... isn't that STEALING??? And how do they get away with not being able to provide anyone a secure for sure way to cancel? Isn't buyer protection a right we have as citizens? HOW DO YOU STOP THESE PEOPLE??? PLEASE HELP!

rena of beaverlodge, AB August 28, 2009

I started to fill in the video club online. I didnt finish it and stopped next thing I know is they are sending me a bill for videos I never recieved, I contacted them and they said they would fix it,,That was 3 yrs ago.. I just got a letter in the mail from a collection agency and they are demanding money in full or it goes against my credit.. I am totally frustrated and dont understand how they can charge someone without sending the merchandise.

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