Complain about a product or service

Columbia House

Mel of Buffalo NY (05/13/08)
My 4 year old received a bill from the company stating she was owing $220. Contacted them and they said they spoke to my daughter already. Once I sent proof of her DOB these charges immediately dropped and were not reported to a credit bureau.

Annie of Toronto OTHER (05/12/08)
I also received a letter from a debt collector saying I owe Columbia House $78.61. I have never ordered from them and of course I refused to pay for the bill. However I was told yes I did signed myself up for promotion. They blamed me for the fact that I didn't read through the agreement before I clicked on I Agree. And once you clicked on I agree...basically you bind yourself to this contract - joining Columbia House...paying them a membership fee. It is very unethical how Columbia House is doing this. But well lesson learned!

Darlene of Chattanooga TN (05/12/08)
I have paid up-to-date with this company. And they sent me an email saying I owe for movies I already paid for. I have to receipts, and bank statements where they deposited the check into your account over a month ago. So now they just keep telling me to send them $100 dollars. I'm convinced they will just keep telling me the same thing. They have a list of movies I have already paid for. It's the principal of the thing. Times are too hard for them to try and profit on other people. This stops here!

Miraca of Kennesaw GA (05/12/08)
On 5/9/2008 I spoke to Cierra a Columbia House Cust Serv Rep. I asked her to please stop shipping me DVD's. Advised I only wanted the 3 or 4 dvd's for $12. and change, which I had already paid some months ago. She claims I agreed to more shipments and I told her I absolutely did not unless the writing was in a small covert place on the initial web site that I couldn't readily view. I

 told her to please cancel the account because I don't want anymore of their merchandise and instead she charged me another $87.76 Preauthorization Settlement charge. She Charged me that amount of money for products I don't have and didn't request. It's theivery and cold blooded trickery to be treated this way and have my child's account constantly bombarded with charges despite my continued request to Columbia House not to send me anything, (written on almost ALL the unopened, returned shipment containers).

This is a disgrace and a crime for Columbia House to abuse my private bank account this way and the customer service person Cierra was very nasty and disrespectful to me during the course of my trying to explain to her that I wanted the account closed and not to be charged for anymore DVD's. She insisted I agreed to more shipments that I did not agree to. don't have my signature anywhere agreeing to anything. If anything they covertly had something in small print that I was not aware of. Nevertheless, I DON'T HAVE THEIR MERCHANDISE OR PRODUCTS AND SHOULD NOT BE CHARGE OR PENALIZED FOR NOT ORDERING ADDITIONAL DVD'S OTHER THAN MY ORIGINAL 3 OR 4 WHICH I'VE ALREADY PAID FOR.

Sean of Hanover MD (05/11/08)
This is my first time and I sent Them a check for I am Legend and for 25.94 and I just got a new cd alvin and Chipmunks and they said i have a prior balance of 25.94 that didn't get cleared yet. I sent them a check last weekend so I don't know why they didn't deducted 25.94 I think they are scaming me to pay double for the movie that I already sent them a check.

Amanda of South Boston MA (05/10/08)
Collection letter from Hall & Associates for Columbia House products never purchased. Despite phone number on collection letter Hall & Associates do no pick up or return calls. Columbia House returned my email asking for my address and other billing information! I didn't give it to to them for obvious reasons...given they are telling me I have an account with them it seems like admitting it's a scam to me.

Has anyone gotten to the bottom of this? Figured out how they get peoples details? It's got to be illegal, how can they keep doing this to people with out getting sued?

Tanya of Bellflower CA (05/10/08)
I have had major shipping and billing problems with Columbia House.I am in the process of writing a letter to the president of the company to get out of my obligation. For some reason, the only movies I receive are the ones I pre-order. When I place an order with several movies, I do not receive the order. I have to call to let them know that I have not received the order.Then they send a theft investigation form for me to sign and then charge my credit card again for the order. Then once I send the form back, they credit my account and then I finally receive my movies two months after the order has been placed.

During the 2 months, I call and send emails.I have also asked them to check to see if the movies were shipped.There is a glitch in their system where the movies I have received are listed on my account as pending and the movies I haven't received are listed on the account as shipped. I have been told by several customer service reps that the pending status is a glitch, but the shipping status is unexplainable. If the pending status is a glitch, then it is possible that the shipped status is a glitch too.

Amanda of Boston MA (05/08/08)
I received a bill from a debt collector; saying i owe Columbia House $166.04 - i've never heard of this company, never received a bill from them or purchased anything.

it had damaged my credit rating.

The of Apple IA (05/07/08)
Well this is not a BAD experiance but a good one and a few tips to help people. First let me say I have been a member of Columbia House DVD club for years. I have had some problems but they fixed it fast. My only problem was when I return a DVD they charged me shipping and handling for the new DVDs which they say they credit me. I have not seen any credit.

Even though I cant complain because I have 100's of DVDs that I have got from them and I got them all really cheap or free. Columbia house also has DVDs you cant find at other places.

If you do not want your credit card billed then goto the HELP link at the bottom of there webpage and go threw the list until you see a small link that says CONTACT US under where it says Still cant find your answer or whatever. Type in the e-mail that you wish to NOT have your credit card automaticaly billed. Then from there on out you have to authorize it. Also you can do the same thing with the directors selections. Just put in the e-mail that you do NOT want to be on the directors selection list. They will no longer bother you with them then. Columbia House is great you just got to pay your bills and respond to the selections on time.

Eliza of Kelowna B.c OTHER (05/06/08)
i just got a letter from a collection company saying i owe 132.88 for suff they are saying i ordered from them... i have never ordered from columbia house and the address that the letter came to was my grandparents house ... i find it rather weird that i'm getting bills for things i have never ordered is it really that easy for people to order things offf the internet and bill it to you?

Mark of San Antonio TX (05/05/08)
WELL I SIGN UP WITH COLUMBIA HOUSE DVD MEMBERSHIP AND THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT GIVING MY visa card number to 2 differn't agency travler advantage,and tlg great.sun.They said it was in the agreement but it wasn't when i went back 2 look at the page.I told them that i just wanted a membership with calumbia house not with these other agency's.They said that i did tell them i wanted to which was a lie i did not give them permission to do that.I want justice!

STRESS AND WASTING MY TIME CALLING AND I HAD PLANS WITH THAT MONEY I HAVE KIDS THEY SHOULDN'T BE GIVEING MY INFO TO NO ONE....

Marie of Garden City NY (05/05/08)
I received an email from Columbia House indicating that the DVD I ordered was sent. There was a link from that email which brought me to a Columbia House web page which contained a membership account and zip code password ID entry box. Upon entering my zip code I gained entrance into the web site where upon I found out that an account had been set up for me. It indicated that I had a balence due of Five dollars and change. Plus that I had to purchase 5 additional DVDs to fulfill my membership obligation.

I received the DVD 5 days later in the mail. Let me make this perfectly clear. I have not or has any member of my family or friends sollicited any interest in joining the Columibia House or any affiliated company. I have not ordered any DVDs from Columbia House. I plan to immediately return the package marked return to sender. It bothers me to no end to find out that I am among many to have an issue with Columbia House's unethical and improper business practices.

Timothy of Vinton LA (05/05/08)
The double charged my order 5/5/2008 Card purchase authorization COL*HOUSE VIDEO SOURCE: AUTOA (Pending) $46.24 5/5/2008 Card purchase authorization COL*HOUSE VIDEO SOURCE: AUTOA (Pending) $46.24 I will continue to try to reach a live person. Have been unable to yet.

I am unable to pay my electic bill which includes water and sewage. If i do my account goes negative. If i dont i loose my electricity in 15 days. I am disabled and recieve ssi disability

Donna of Beaverton OR (05/04/08)
My credit card has been charged twice for movies that I didn't order nor had received. I tried emailing the customer service department from the link on their website only to have it returned to me as undeliverable. I have tried numerous times to talk to someone over the phone but apparently the company is ran entirely by robots, because their is no option to speak to a live person. My credit card company suggested I put a block on my card and order a new one, which I did, but I still would like the 75.00 and change back that they have charged me for the movies that I didn't receive.

I've wasted alot of time dealing with this issue and it's very frustrating and stressful to know that someone is using your credit card info without your authorization.

Janet of Stewartsville NJ (05/03/08)
Me and my husband is having a problem with the columbia house account named after my husband. This acct. was never applied for by my husband. We suspect that somebody else in the internet got his name and other details from a promotional offer that my husband received from the internet.

We were greatly surprised to receive the VCD and the bill in our mail. Though we dont apply for it we are compelled to pay the bill plus the surcharge with the plan to close the account the soonest because we dont want to mess up with our credit report. But when the time we close it we were charged by columbiahouse with exoberant fees for the CDs they said we should suppose to receive but those CD's we dont want to get. The present bill sent to us is $124.12 dollars.

We wont be needing those CD's and DVD's and we dont even register or subscribe for it in the first place. Its just that somebody got my husband's information. We tried to email columbia house about our woes but we cannot access their website and the email address they put in the bill wont go through. what should we do now? I dont think we need to pay for this big amount. Thank you.

We dont know how this would affect us... i mean with our credit report. Another thing, the name used in the account is nickname of my husband.. how would this affect us.

Christine of Wyncote PA (04/30/08)
I requested that my account be closed in Sept 2007. And in April 2008 Columbia House began shipments and charging my credit card again. They told me that at the time I requested them to close the account that I was told that they were putting me in a different status that would restore the original account after six months. I told them that I specifically expressed that I did not want anymore automatic deliveries or charges and at that time I was told that I would no longer receive them. But this was not true, the representative was not helpful at all and when I asked to speak to a supervisor she told me that they would tell me the same thing. But after I received the mailling just to return them and I would get a refund after several weeks.

I received call from a supervisor and she said that they now closed the account and made no appologies for what happened. She insisted that I had to have been informed about the terms and further I agreed to them. I insisted that I was not told that my account would be restored to its original status or I would have told her again the the purpose was to CLOSE THE ACCOUNT! I objuected to the fact that they bill my account prior to even shipping the meerchandise and she said that they would try to stop the shipping but did not address the fact that I was already billed.

These representative are often very abrupt and matter-of-fact with you and do nothing to ease the customers concerns. I will never purchase anything online again from anyone. This happened to me before and I lost several hundred dollars as a result. Online purchases are just too costly. My bank representative say as long as they have your account information you are at their mercy. As a disabled individual on a fixed and limited income I cannot afford the subsequent charges from my bank and creditors because of the shortfalls these unauthorized transactions cause.

Brooke of New Orleans LA (04/26/08)
My husband gets a dvd in the mail, with a bill for 5 dollars. He did not sign up to get any dvd, nor did any business with Columbia house. He thinks his identity is stolen, I suspect they got his name and that this was an insidious marketing campaign. It takes me 40 minutes to get someone to cancel the account. When the woman on the phone tells me to feel free to keep the subscription I know that I wasn't the first one to call with this problem.

I won't be shocked if in a few months, we get a bill with late fees. I'd like to sue, even more, I'd like them to stop. By the way, I think they got our adress from a hotmail account, as we set it up, and promptly forgot about it...we never used it. The email they had for us was this account.

40 minutes at least on the phone during a work day by me, another 40 minutes from my husband, and the impending trouble when this is not the last we hear about it.

Danny of Boulder, CO (04/16/08)
I was planning to order a dvd for $5, but never signed up. Lo-and-behold, I get a the dvd in the mail anyways. Apparently, in an extremely surreptitious way, this guys have got me 'somehow' to agree not only the $5 dvd, but to buy 5 more at a regular price of 19.99.

I sent the DVD back and asked that the acct be canceled. Three month later, they are sending me harassment letters and want $120. By the look of things, the postings on Columbia House are just the tip of the iceberg.

Jenniufer of Jacksonville FL (04/16/08)
My husband sign up for this we paid the first charge then they sent the next movie we paid for that one ,then four months later we get charged for 4 dvds they said were directory slections at 25 to 27 dollars a piece all on the same day which then we had stuff bounceing everywhere due to this and 3 overdraft fees of 35.00 a piece now we owe the bank 150.00 for 4 dvds that I do not even have yet !

When I called them they are rude and said the dvds were being sent out I said what if I dont want them ,return it they say ,Im like my understanding was that the dvds came if u wanted it then keep it and pay for it NOT bill somebody on they bank for 4 dvds they dont have and never got a bill for !

It stated when u gave the debit number they would only use it for default payments mine were NOT I had no idea they were just going to start deducting from your bank for what ever dvds they want to give you!

Shoshana of Oceanside CA (04/15/08)
Back at the end of 2005, I got a bill from Columbia house. I called and explained to them that I had never, nor would I ever, use them to buy movies, as they are ridiculously overpriced and a huge hassle getting movies you never even ordered and being expected to ship them back. I was told that the matter would be taken care of and they were sorry for any inconvenience.

Now, 2 weeks ago I start getting calls from a collection agency calling on behalf of Columbia house! I told them, that unless they have any info confirming my identity and that I was actually the one who opened this account, to stop harassing me. I'm assuming this is being reported to the credit bureau and negatively affecting my score! I've tried many times to call Columbia House directly but because I don't have an account number (because I've never had an account!!!) I can only email or write them a letter!

I assume this is being reported to the credit bureaus and I'm being called 5-10 times daily but when I've tried calling the number back there is no ringing, no people, etc.

Brandon of Wichita, KS (04/14/08)
I signed up for this because of my brother. Everything was okay and i ordered the minimum amount of DVDs to fulfill my obligation. Afterwards, I looked everywhere for the area to cancel membership. I couldn't find anything. Then,I tried calling them but there was no option to cancel or talk to a real live person.

After a while, the monthly Director Selection turned into every three weeks which turned to bi-weekly without me being aware. This caused me to miss the opportunity to decline two or three times causing me to be charged and send them back. Even then, it took forever to get the charges revoked.

Finally, I ended up changing banks which ended the debit card i was using to pay them. I still get e-mails saying i owe them money even though I stopped receiving the movies.

Laura of Toledo OH (04/14/08)
Today in the mail I received a bill from Hall & Associates collection agency based in Orangeburg, NY they sent me a bill of $141.65 (Hall & Assoc.) has been retained to represent Nationwide Collections, Inc. the title holder of your debt by assignment 'Columbia House DVD Club' or 'Columbia House Music Club'.

I have not had an account with Columbia House or BMG Music Service EVER. I have never received ANY merchandise nor have I ever received ANY kind of (wrongful) bill previous to now. I attempted to contact both Columbia House/BMG AND Hall & Assoc. both with no luck in reaching a human being. I can see from all the posts that I am not the first person this has happened to. And the fact that they make it SO HARD to reach them proves that they do not want to resolve issues with customers, AND could possibly be committing FRAUD in cases such as mine.

I have not yet been able to determine the damage caused. I JUST received this in the mail and turned to the internet to find PAGES and PAGES of complaints, sad stories, and frustrating moments. I have not yet pulled my credit history to see if this is on there. I do plan on contacting ANYONE else who will listen; including the BBB, Ripoff report, my Ohio congress representative, and most likely all the local call for action programs with my local Toledo TV to see if ANYONE will pay attention to this RIDICULOUSLY obvious problem that is being ignored.

Jason of Decatur, AL (04/14/08)
I received a bill for $8.00 from Colombia House Dvd club, for a movie I never recieved and then a few months later I recieved a bill for $120.70 for the movie, late charges and the due on my contract, seeing how I have no contract or never recieved any product from this company I refuse to pay it, according to them it will be turned over to a collection agency.

I have no idea where they got that I signed up for their service even. I was on the internet and was looking at their service but never completed any application thereof.

Amanda of Jordan NY (04/14/08)
I subscribed to the DVD club because they had a great deal on a DVD we wanted. I knew full well I had to make four more purchases within the next two years. Unfortunatly upon subscription I had to offer them my bank debit card information for the purchase, which they kept on file. The way this club works is they continuously offer you director's selections which you must deny or it will be charged and shipped to you. I made a point to do so and things were fine for over six months.

One day I check my bank account and there is a debit of $40.99 from Columbia House. I scoured the website for a way to contact them or at the very least view the details of the transaction and was not able to find it. After searching numerous Columbia House sites I was finally able to find a phone number. That was all that was offered, no e-mail address, no complaint form, just a phone number. I called this number and explained the situation. I was told I failed to deny my director's selection which is untrue. I was told my only option was to wait for the DVD to arrive, then ship it back and once recieved, they would refund my money. I asked for my account to be cancelled to ensure this didn't happen again.

I recieved the DVD and shipped it back unopened. I am now being charged a further $71.10 for cancelling my account prior to completing the commitment. I still have not recieved my refund of $40.99. Again I have tried to contact them, but when I go to their site I am only allowed to view my account page which asks for the payment. Even though my account is cancelled they continue to send me e-mails. I have replied to those e-mails with my complaints yet they have gone unanswered. I have recieved a bill by US postal service for the $71.10 they feel I owe them and I have written a note back again explaining the situation. They have yet to respond. In fact the only time I was able to actually speak to a live person, I was hung up on.

An unauthorized debit of $40.99 to my bank account and now a bill of $71.10. I was lucky enough not to have a fee charged by my bank for having a negative amount, since I was not expecting the debit, but due to it I was unable to pay a required bill on time and nearly had my power shut off. Basically the whole ordeal has cost me a lot of stress and anger. I am only lucky the financial consequences did not cost me more.

Kathleen of Portland, OR (04/14/08)
I have received notices from various collection agencies since 2003 regarding a balance I allegedly owe Columbia House. I do not have an account with them and have never purchased anything from them. I have attempted to reach a live person at Columbia House, to no avail.

To date, nothing negative has appeared on my credit report, which puzzles me. If I owed them money, why haven't they reported it to the credit bureaus? I'll tell you why - BECAUSE I DO NOT OWE THEM ANYTHING! Although I have not suffered any damages to date, I am sick and tired of receiving threatening letters from collection agencies and want it to stop!

Alicia of Sweet Home OR (04/13/08)
I recieved a DVD titled Alpha Dog about two weeks ago. Never signed up for the DVD program. And now i have a bill for $114.70 and no way to contact anyone to dispute the charges that are unwantd and un asked for.

Now i have a $114.70 charge sent to a collection agency for a service i didn't ask for and do not want.

Herbert of West Monroe LA (04/12/08)
I NEVER ordered anything from Columbia House and all of a sudden I get a DVD in the mail and they said I owe them money. So called and canceled but since I couldn't get a LIVE person on the phone and it said I had to pay for 5 more movies. This is INSANE. No way will I pay for something I never ordered in the first place. This is such a scam and I am going to do whatever I have to in order to get this rectified. This is outrageous and so unfair.

Julie of Chicago IL (04/10/08)
My account was cancelled 12/2007 & confirmed via letter by them of this 12/14/2007. March 2008 my American Express was charged twice - March 8 & March 26 for dvd's I did not order, nor received. I contacted them again and received a letter telling me to return these DVD's. Since the account was cancelled 12/2007 at that time Columbia House was to cease all activity. Today, 04/10/08, I received yet another email, one to rejoin the club and another to decline my featured selection. I have again contacted them via fax as I have called 8 times and cannot reach a live person to help.

I have lost money because my credit card was charged. I have lost valuable work time in addressing this issue.

Verka of Vancouver WA (04/09/08)
On 4/5/08 I spoke with a woman in the DVD Center in regards to cancelling my membership. I explained that I did not want to use the services. She infomed me that I had received movies. I agreed and explained how there was already funds taken from my account on 3/28/08 and if there were any other fees for the movies, to send a bill and I would take care of that. She asked if I would be returing the movies, unopened? I said No, I would pay for the ones I already had.

Then on 4/7/08 the company took another $65.82 from my account. I was not aware of this amount and I did not authorize them to take any other funds. I asked for a bill. Then on 4/9/08 I received a box with DVD's, which I never ordered.

Since they were able to just take whatever funds they wanted to,when they wanted to, this took from my ability to pay my rent for my home. At this point, I still have not paid my rent and have to figure out where to get the money to pay. $65 may not seem like much, but when living on SSI/SSA, I do not have much to budget. I could get evicted.

Katie of Charleston IL (04/09/08)
A DVD entitled Alpha Dog was sent to me, UNREQUESTED, UNSOLICITED and UNINVITED! In the paperwork, the company had ARBITRARILY AND WITHOUT NOTICE, assigned me an account number and issued me an invoice for the DVD. I have called numerous times to their customer service number to cancel this UNREQUESTED ACCOUNT and have been put into an IVR system equivalent to voice mail HELL! I have always been sent through a complete menu of prompts only to get to the same end result each time....NO OPTION TO CANCEL THE ACCOUNT AND NO OPTION TO SPEAK TO A SERVICE AGENT TO CANCEL THE ACCOUNT!!!!!I also called the phone for BMG DIRECT, the parent company, during business hours, with the same result!

This is an unwarranted waste of my time in dealing with this in an attempt to preserve my credit rating. This has taken valuable time away from my classwork and study time away from my goals as a college student. It has cost me personal long distance charges and the time I have spent in trying to address this UNWANTED AND UNREQUESTED ACCOUNT!

Stephanie of Hoxie, KS (04/08/08)
Our address changed in October of 2007. We declined the director's selection from October 2007 through March 2008. In January of 2008 we received a bill stating we needed to pay for two movies (Transformers & Spiderman 3 Bun). I notified the company through a written letter that we did not receive these movies and reminded them we had canceled our membership at the beginning of January. They still sent us statements in February, March, and we received another this month (April). We have informed them every month since January that we did not receive these movies, our address has changed (and they have YET to fix it). Since we are not going to pay for movies we did not recieve, we are being threatened with going to collections.

Barbara of Richmond TX (04/08/08)
Not posting payments to accounts. When placing orders on line, you are given an order number, individual DVD charges, shipping charges plus tax. Orders are not shipped as ordered. If you pay the amount of the order, you are later billed again when order ship. I made a payment on Dec. 11, 2007 of $95.53. I called customer service to inquire about the payment appear to be missing. They then sent a letter of all payments that they had posted up to March 4, 2008. That payment was not included.

I was called a liar, hung up on and bluntly told that I owed the amount being billed and that I had not made the payment. This went on for over a month. I then made copies of my statement, scanned the copy and emailed it to customer service. Once they received the copy, they then added it to my payments and did not deduct the amount from my balance owed. I called them again and had to literally argue the fact that I did not receive credit and was told that I received credit back in Dec. I then stated that I had been told that particular payment was never made and I had to send copies to prove that I had made the payment.

nce they had gotten the payment, they attached it to my payment but had not credited to the acct. She then credited my acct. I then asked what was the amount owed to put me at zero balance, because I felt like the charges shown online when I placed the order wasn't the same when the order ship.My balance at the time was showing $340.78. I also stated that I was being charged for a movie as being shipped that I did not receive and that particular had been charged to me twice. One as being placed over the phone, the other as a director's selection. She then told me that she would remove the charge for the movies that I did not have and the other movie would not ship but I would pay for the movie and it would credit back to my acct.After I paid the balance due. with the deduction of the $9553 & the $24.83, the balance for the order pending shipment to clear my balance was $220.42. I told her that I would pay that amount to clear my balance.

After clearing up my balance, I then noticed a charge for $45.80. I called again to asked what the charges was for. I was told that the were for a pre-ordered movie and the movie that had been re-sent. I then informed them that I had in fact paid for both movies in the order that I had placed on March 19th. They told me that was impossible because it would only be billed when shipped. I told them that I could provide the order numbers, cost per movie, shipping and handling plus the tax. and both those movies were included in the amount that was paid to clear my balance. She then told me that the order number would serve no purpose. I then asked why then was it a pre-order if it is charged when shipped and why when you place the order the charges figure into the amount owed, then when they ship it they charge again?

When I place an order, the cost when totaled is the amount I anticpate paying, when I pay that amount I don't expect to be charged again when the order ships separately. It was ordered separately and was included in the total cost that I had paid. Then when they realize the mistake, they tell you that they are making an exception this one time and no more exceptions can be applied. They aren't doing me a favor,I paid for the order. I have printed copies of my orders have proof of the payment history.

Since dec. 2007 to March 19, 2008. I have spent $1007.00 with Columbia House.To be treated with such degradation. Called a liar, hung up on, offered no resolution, no one would even listen or try to resolve my situation. After going through these changes, there isn't a doubt in my mind that I was being cheated all along. I even called to inquire once, that I felt like I was being double billed. When I place the order I was charged, when it shipped it was another price. This is a scam to those who is building a library and order so many movies as I do. So much activity, you barely notice. I had to just stop and compare notes.Then when you request transcripts of your activities, they doctor them to match what they are telling you over the phone.

I just feel violated and abused and paid more than i ordered. They offer good benefits to being a customer, yet they siphon it back cheating unsuspecting customers. They are using Customer Service, when in essence it is telemarketing the sales of the DvDs. Their only oobjective is selling not satisfying the customers. I have the names of all the agents and a couple of supervisors as well. No information is given when you need to lodge a complaint. There have to be someone who can look into these matters.

I am not looking to bring about a suit. This maybe the wrong place to persue the fact that consumers should beware and to be educated on what they do to consumers that have a lot of activities on their acct. I know I am not the only one. I just want it looked into. It's sad when you're told they can't go by your order number.

Denise of Estill Springs, TN (04/08/08)
Columbia House billed a fraudulent charge against my credit card for $19.95. I assume this is a membership fee; however, I am NOT a member. I am unable to get a representative on the phone since I do not have an account number. I do not have an account number because I am NOT a member. I am having to rely on my credit card company to process the dispute.

Marilyn of Paterson NJ (04/07/08)
Someone has been using my debit card to purchase video items which I did not buy or purchase and did not give any authorization to do so.

This money they took out is for my daughters child support money that she gets every two weeks for her.

Leah of Philadelphia PA (04/02/08)
I NEVER ordered anything from Columbia House and all of a sudden I get a DVD in the mail and they said I owe them money. So called and canceled but since I couldn't get a LIVE person on the phone and it said I had to pay for 5 more movies. This is INSANE. No way will I pay for something I never ordered in the first place. This is such a scam and I am going to do whatever I have to in order to get this rectified. This is outrageous and so unfair.

Curtis of Elkton MD (04/02/08)
I've paid for the DVD's that I ordered and they keep showing up on the next month bill. I've tried hard to fine a number so I could call and get this matter straightened out, but the only number I can is the automated service.

Johnny of Fort Gordon GA (04/02/08)
I joined the Columbia House DVD club last year which worked out pretty good until recently. On 4-1-08 I paid Columbia House $79.86 for a bill I owed. Something told me to check my bank account so I did. There were two charges made to my account without my permission. The amounts were for $25.94 and $27.94. I really do think something need to be done to this company that is ripping innocent people off. I do not have thid kind of money just to give to anyone. Cam someone please help me out with this situation?

This unselfish con act will interfere with my checks clearing since I've already paid my bills.

Sharon of North Las Vegas NV (04/02/08)
I was charged for a movie that I declined. As a result, I was charged $35.00 for an overdraft because of it. All they claim I can do is, if I get the movie to return it and then, only then, will I get a refund, but not for the bank charge.

I was charged an overdraft fee which resulted in a domino effect for the other bills that came in afterwards. I am already having money problems with the IRS and this just adds to my stress.

Janice of Valley Park, MO (04/01/08)
I have an account with Columbia House.  They claim that I have an outstanding bill with them and they also claim that they have sent me a few dvd's that I personally have never received.

I have tried writing them to cancel my account and that they need to take those charges off of my bill. Trying to call this company is a waste of time because you can't talk to a person or leave a complaint on the phone.

Mary of Davenport, IA (04/01/08)
I kept telling Colombia House DVD Club that I didn't want a particular Director's Selection for four months in a row now. They keep sending them to me and keep billing my Visa card. I return them exactly the way I am supposed to but I have not gotten credit for any of them. 

I want to cancel my account but every time I call them I can't talk to a human being. They say I can cancel on line using my acct number from the invoice but there are only X's where the invoice number should be. I want out of this fruadulent club which I feel is nothing but a rip-off.

Tomoko of Chino Hills, CA (04/01/08)
Last month they mailed me a DVD movie that I've never ordered.  I called and there was no customer service to talk to so I chose the cancel dept to hope to terminate forever. Then I returned the package.  I regret now that I should have it certified.

Today, I received the bill of $114.70 for the cancellation!   I am terrified to think that they will keep sending more bills.

Larry of Bowie MD (03/29/08)
I ordered 8 dvds for $34.30 on-line and used my visa for payment. After putting in my security # for processing, it denied me and said to use another card. This lead me to believe that my order was denied and something was wrong with my visa card, which I know that I have plenty $ in my account.

The next morning I called my bank and they told me that I was overdrawn and that Columbia House charged my visa 4 more times for the same order. Now they say that I owe them payment. I then requested to speak to the Fraud Dept. and they told me to wait 5 business days to see or monitor my acct. to see if it is debited or credited. What kind of sense does that make, I guess I'll see.

Amanda of Price, UT (03/27/08)
I have been a customer for at least two years. They mailed me a selection that I didn't order and took money for it. They gave me a credit but I cannot use it for some reason.  I have had this credit over a year. I have emailed them several times over the past year and I get no response, nothing!

Then I checked my bank account and found they took $20 for some reason. My account is current and always has been.

I typed "need to speak to columbia house" in Google.  All of these other complaints came up and some answers on how to speak with a representative and get past the system. So I called it and now I have been waiting on the phone for 20 minutes so far with another automated message.

Brandon of Preston, ID (03/27/08)
I just received a bill for $46.20 that was sent to my old address that I moved from over a year ago! I cannot get a live person when I call them.

I was a member about 2 years ago and fulfilled my agreement with them as outlined. It is frustrating to me that this is happening. I refuse to pay this until I at least speak with someone about this fraudulent charge.

Rashaad of North Charleston SC (03/26/08)
I closed my account with this company over two years ago. Today I got a bill in the mail stating that I owe $42.47, they want me to order two more DVD's, and check this out I even have a credit balance of $69.12. I used this company from around December 2004 til February/March 2005, while in the Air Force deployed in support of Iraqi Freedom/Global Wor on Terrorism. This robbery without a gun and this company and owner should be shutdown. Money is being stolen from the consumer, we have little to no defense from this, cant make contact with the company.

Cases like this put the credit history and financial integrity of individuals in question! Once reported to the Credit Bureau this could prevent home purchases, high debt to income ratio, personal loans, and many other financial burdens. With financial burdens come mental/emotion disturbances within an individual and/or disruptions within a family/home. What can we do about this?

Chris of Baltimore DE (03/18/08)
This company is making fraudulent charges, and there os no way to contact anyone without the 11 digit account number.

This is a University held card; who knows how deep this could run. We had to cancel the card vs. having the charge removed.

Keli of Vacaville CA (03/15/08)
I was part of columbia house and was buying my movies and paying them. Then I started getting movies I did not order and I told them this and it kept happening and I just wasn't going to continue my account. Now they have me in collections and want $87.76 and it's now on my credit report.

Nikkel of Tyler, TX (03/12/08)
I ordered movies and paid them off in full but now Columbia House is trying to say they never received payment and charge me again. I tried to explain to them they had already been paid but they were rude and demand more money.

Now they call and harass me on the phone stating they will ruin my credit if i do not pay them again.

Lisa of Kenner, LA (03/12/08)
We randomly received a DVD in the mail that no one in the household ordered, along with a bill.

On the bill was a phone number if we needed help.  When we called we could only reach a machine, so we went through the process to stop the contract that we neither ordered or signed to have.  A couple weeks later we received a bill for $114.  At the bottom of this bill was the same phone number, only this time it says that this number is not for use and that one can not reach live help.

We have talked to a lawyer friend but he believes that we have no choice but to pay the bill and that there isn't much we could have done because we canceled the contract and thus proving we had one.  If we pay the bill who is to say that next month we won't be exactly right back in this position paying another $114 or more for a contract that doesn't exist.

I don't want this to happen to us or anyone else.

Carol of Salt Lake City, UT (03/10/08)
They sent a bill for $109.70 but I never received the merchandise.  I tried to call but no operator was available, but they are wanting the money.  I now do not want the merchandise but I refuse to pay for things that I have not received.

Tammy of Baudette, MN (03/10/08)
I recently received a collection letter from Nationwide Collections Inc. stating that I owe $42.90 to Columbia House for movies. I have never ordered movies from them EVER!!!

This happened to me about 4  years ago and I told them the same thing, that I had never ordered movies ever.  We finally came to an agreement to settle on 20 some dollars, after they threaten it would affect my credit score.

So now I am dealing with this again. They say they have no information about the account except that $26 was paid about 4 years ago. The lady told me that these are accounts between 3-10 years old that she is trying to collect on. To me it sounds like a good way to get money from people by threatening them with reporting it to your credit report.

Rick of Pittsburgh PA (03/10/08)
I received a nasty collection notice from OSI Recovery Solutions saying I owe $117.65 dollars. I have NEVER, EVER done business with Columbia House nor have I communicated with them in any way. I have never received any merchandise from them, but at past addresses they have sent me offers to join their clubs, which I've avoided like the plague because of all the horror stories I've heard about them.

Rick of Pittsburgh, PA (03/10/08)
I received a nasty collection notice from OSI Recovery Solutions saying I owe $117.65.  I have NEVER, EVER done business with Columbia House nor have I communicated with them in any way. I have never received any merchandise from them.  At past addresses they have sent me offers to join their scam clubs, which I've avoided like the plague because of all the horror stories I've heard about them.

Paul of Chandler AZ (03/09/08)
I am getting calls constantly (in some cases 2-3 times a day). They have a predictive dialer and not enough people to answer the phones. I understand this industry pretty well. I finally got an answer; I called back their out going line and got connected. It picked up on that line and was for an out going call.... I told the representative to stop calling us, and he said ok. But it hasn't stopped. This is the second time, maybe third, that I have asked them to stop calling. Most of the time I'll answer, and since there is no one to take the call, it will hang up. I'm not sure you will get through at this number, but he brought up our account via my home phone number. Please feel free to reference it.

I am ready to change my phone number; the calls are day an night--never at illegal hours, but close to it. We get calls every day between 08:00 - 21:00. My caller ID has a log of them. My wife is very ill, and this is a nuisance to us at the very least.

George of San Diego CA (03/08/08)
I quit this lousy club approximately six months ago; today they charged my credit card $27.84. Trying to contact them has proven fruitless, as they have endless voice mail that WON'T connect you to a live person. I am going to demand my money back somehow and if anyone is starting a class action suit against them I would love to be included. They took money they had no right in taking from my account, money I was depending on for other things.

Antonio of Manor TX (03/05/08)
I paid for dvd movies but have not received them. It's been 3 weeks since I've sent my money order check.

Irena of Riverside CA (03/04/08)
Some how I had 2 accounts with these yahoos and even though I've only been using one and never knew I had the other one, they still said I had to fulfill the commitment on the unused account. Hence pay $89 or get sent to collections. I went ahead and paid it since there was some dvds I wanted, but getting a hold of these people is near impossible. And all I can say is be persistent and question all their so called rules

I've paid the 89 dollars, selected my dvd's but I'm still showing a balance. I'm still trying to get this taking care of.

Cappi of Gorham NH (03/03/08)
I'm having a difficult time ending my relationship with Colombia House DVD Club. After getting very tired of dealing with their telemarketers calling me everyday, I decided to try and cancel my account. They make it very difficult to cancel an account. They have a phone number that they provide which gets me to a voice recorded message telling me this service is unavailable at this time. Then I find a mailing address where I can mail a letter requesting to end my account. So I mail a nice polite letter requesting my account to be cancelled. Figured I was all set. Done deal. No way.

In the meantime one of their telemarketers called me trying to get me to buy some more DVD's. I decided not to hang up on him immediately and listened to what he was trying to sell me. After he got through his sales lines about what was supposed to be an offer he started telling me how they were going to start mailing me DVD's and that I would owe them money for. I was never asked if this was something I was interested in. He was basically telling me that these were the DVD's that I was going to buy. I finally told the guy I don't want you to mail me any DVD's. He didn't want no for an answer. He kept trying to push the DVD's on to me. I finally hung up on him. Anyways, after all that, they mailed me the DVD's anyway. I mailed them back. A few day's later I get a letter saying that they cannot cancel my account because I owe them money for the DVD's I mailed back. I am not going to pay them for DVD's I don't even have and I am going to get upset when my excellent credit gets messed up because of this pathetically run company. I find it hard to believe what they are doing is legal.

They cause me mental pain. They may screw up my credit score. They waste my time by being so difficult to do business with.

Lavisha of King Of Prussia PA (03/03/08)
I received a box in the mail and when I opened it, to my surprise, it was from columbia house. Being aware of their tactics on how they force people to get into their subscription, I started to wonder how they got my information in the first place. Tried to cancel, it is automated system and I have no way to return the dvd I received which I never even ordered. And they are billing me for the dvd they forcefully sent. And the automated message says if the next selection of dvd's is already sent out, I am obliged to pay that as well. It is a total scam and rip off.

I will take every action necessary to get my money back and even become part of a law suit on this organization if I do not get my money back. This has caused me enough stress and pain - It is the issue of principal and Ethics.

Julie of Oakland CA (03/03/08)
I became a member ordering possibly $200 dollars worth of DVDs. I was the usual promotional-type customer. I would get monthly DVDs unsolicited, but always returned them. I purchased probably as many as I returned. Finally, I had a conversation with a Rep stating that I wanted a true balance subtracting all returns and purchases against my membership commitment. I was given a zero balance pending receipt of returns. Yet still I felt they were telling me that I had yet another commitment selection unfulfilled. I stated that I had reached fulfillment and that I continued to receive unwanted selections and was forced to return them all. I asked that I continue to get emails on the monthly selections so that I could place orders if I wish. They agreed and said no more unsolicited mailings would come.

Still I continued to get unwanted DVDs. I emailed them a complaint. That didn't seem to work. They finally responded saying that it was very costly for them to ship DVDs to me that I repeatedly return. I agreed and reminded them that I didn't want them making choices for me and that I had no further obligation to them. The most recent letter dated February 22, 2008, Columbia House still says that I have $21.94 balance due. Among other things, they threatened to report me to a consumer reporting agency for a disputed delinquent balance.

I lost trust in Columbia House and any online product membership services. Much time and frustration with an unresolved situation. As I lodge a public complaint, perhaps it maybe worth $21.94 to expose their unethical consumer tactics.

Angela of Virginia Beach VA (03/01/08)
I received an order today from Columbia House that I DID NOT PLACE. I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THEM TO CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD, either. This is obvious FRAUD on their part. I AM NOT A MEMBER and did not have ANY communication with them. I had to open the box as it is unmarked. HOW convenient for them! They say you can't return the box if it's been opened except for an exchange. I DO NOT WANT A REPLACEMENT ITEM AS I DIDN'T ORDER THE 1st ONE! I want a refund, and I want it NOW to include shipping charges. I will complain to every possible source/area. I've started with THE FCC. I don't know how they got my information, but I DIDN'T GIVE IT TO THEM. They are not available by phone.

I had to cancel 3 credit cards as the invoice doesn't say which credit card I authorized them to use. I am sure that this isn't over. I am seeing from your website that they will continue to defraud you until they get what they want.

Roger of Scotsdale, Az 85258 AZ (03/01/08)
Columbia House bilks people by placing a person's name and address in as a subscriber to their service, without the person's permission. Many times the person does not even receive the product, just a bill. They should be closed down.

Either a person receives a product he/she did not order, or they receive a bill for a DVD they did not order. They threaten legal action if you do not pay the bill. They then go out and try to ruin your credit rating. They have a long history of nefarious activities involving bilking of old and defenseless people. Damage is loss of one good credit rating. I have asked time and again that they be closed down, but with no success.

Will of Locust Grove GA (02/29/08)
I did not sign up. Somebody signed me up as a practical joke, using only my name, address, phone number, and email address; information readily accessible via internet search sites. Now I am receiving DVDs and bills. I canceled my account, but nothing happens. You can't call and talk to anyone. I fear they are going to ruin my good credit FOR SOMETHING I NEVER SIGNED UP FOR!

Much aggravation, bills for stuff I never received or wanted.

Holly of Fuquay Varina NC (02/29/08)
I filled out the introductory offer on their website and per their advertising. I ordered another one to reduce my membership obligation and ordered another at a reduced price. Received an e-mail stating "welcome to the club" and that my order would ship soon. They sent me 3 of the dvd's and wanted full payment for the order they agreed to bill for. I made a payment for the 3 items that I have received, and they said they would send the others--but now are saying they won't until payment is received.

I have not given them my card number through their website, so they can't automatically bill it.

Carl of Fort Wayne IN (02/28/08)
I enrolled at Columbia house in December of 2007. I received my first shipment already but I have not received any information since. They are taking money out of my account and overdrafting the account 3 to 4 times a week and I am not receiving any movie or information. This is without proper authorization from me.

They are overdrafting my account a lot, to where my whole check is being used for overdraft fees and I can't afford it. I don't bring home a lot of money and I have to pay rent every week and I can't do it if my account is overdraft.

Sherry of Pineville LA (02/25/08)
I want to cancel my membership, but I don't have my account number--and the phone number to contact doesn't have anyone to talk to. I am being billed for absolutely no dvd's and being billed often. They don't have a way to allow me to cancel, and they keep charging my credit card with no way to stop them.

Devon of Grove City PA (02/24/08)
They sent me a movie and I'm not even a member. That's wrong and on the same hand I DON'T EVEN have an account. Shouldn't they check and see if there's even an account there? Well I don't have one so I am not paying for anything I don't want.

Scott of Winchester TN (02/20/08)
I received a dvd from Columbia House by mail. I did not place an order nor have I MADE ANY ATTEMPT TO PLACE AN ORDER. I tried to cancel the account, and the automated service said I WOULD BE BILLED FOR 5 MORE MOVIES. What do I do?

I will not pay for something I did not order!

Ray of Hillside NJ (02/20/08)
Columbia House is taking money out of my account without my authorization. Also, there is no way to get in touch with Columbia House service center. This company needs to be dealt with. Thank You.

Richard of Vero Beach FL (02/19/08)
I have canceled my membership twice, and yet they continue to send DVDs and charge it to my credit card. Isn't that interstate bank fraud?

When I send the DVDs back, I have still been billed for the shipping and handling for when they sent the undesired and not-ordered DVDs--PLUS I have to pay to ship them back!

Samson of Rohnert Park CA (02/17/08)
I have been trying to cancel my account with Columbia House, but it's impossible. To start with, they do not provide any phone number so you can talk to anybody. Secondly, they do not provide an option online to delete your account; and thirdly, I keep on getting CDs and DVDs I did not order.

They have already reported me to one of the credit reporting agencies claiming that I did not settle one of their forced bills on me. Why should we be suffering as if we are in a third world country, instead of enjoying our democratic rights? Is Columbia House above the law?.

M of Sedona AZ (02/16/08)
STAY AWAY FROM THEM! After enrolling, I began getting not the once-a-month 'director' selection notices they promise but a barrage of almost daily junk mail and more offers. In addition, although I refused the selection in the manner they suggested, I still got them anyway. And when I did order, I continuously got the wrong titles. I demanded they close out my contract/account because they breached their commitments to me, repeatedly. Yhey said "Sure" and quickly billed my account almost $70.00.

I deal fairly with people, but how these crooks have cheated people for so many years and gotten away with it says a lot out where our Congress' head has been. But I will pursue them. Oh, by the way, once you 'cancel' you are blocked from all further online contact with their customer service or your statements; you can, however, order more merchandise. They did not cancel my credit card as I requested!

Jack of Flushing NY (02/15/08)
On Oct/13th I bought 4DVD at a Columbia House online offer being charged my credit card, US$13.44. For my surprise, on Nov/14th they charged on my Credit Card US$28.11. On Nov/15th I called them to cancel the charge because I didn't accept to join their DVD CLUB that was promptly agreed; so, on Dec/4th I got a refund for this amount. In the meantime I received one DVD by mail that I have never asked for and I returned it. On Nov/30th Columbia House charged me again an amount of US38.95. I called my Credit Card Service to avoid any charges from Columbia House because it could be a fraud. Then on Dec/19th I received a refund from it.

On Dec they send me again one parcel with DVDs by themselves, I returned it unopened again. On Feb/5th I received a letter from Columbia House charging me an existing balance of US$ 118.88 for a service that I have never received or asked for; inside they included a threatening advice: UNLESS YOU SEND US YOUR PAYMENT PROMPTLY OR CONTACT US TO REACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP, WE WILL REPORT YOUR ACCOUNT TO A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY, WHICH WILL RETAIN THIS INFORMATION IN ITS FILE FOR UP TO SEVEN YEARS.

Caitlyn of Austin, TX (02/14/08)
While I did not complete my purchase commitment on time, I did end up completing it by paying Columbia House $71.25, at which time they issued me 3 certificates worth $19.95 each.

I sent in the 3 certificates to redeem in early November.  Two were sent back to me because my dvd selections exceeded the amount of each certificate, which is understandable, but what about my other certificate? They have had more than 3 months to send me that dvd.

Each certificate limits me to a small selection of their DVDs which are $19.95, none of which I want to buy. While they do have other dvds for $19.95, I can't get access to their website for pricing, since my account has been suspended. How will I know how much it costs? They won't let me pay more to get dvds that I actually want. 

Charlie of Dallas TX (02/13/08)
I discussed a new account with columbia house dvd and 3 unauthorized charges were made to my account. This was before any dvds had been received, I had no account and no confirmation number at opening of account.

Ms Walker stated the charges would be removed, time will tell.

Kelly of Miami, OK (02/12/08)
I received a plain box in the mail with no information on it.  It contained a bill, with my info on it ,and movies from Columbia House. I never have signed up for anything!  Finally, after calling for two days, spoke to a human being and was told that I would have to pay the expense to send back or I will be billed continually for the account. 

They could not tell me where they got all my personal information. I requested they send me a pkg to return it and they said that would take to long and I would be billed more because of late fees!

Mary of Benton Harbor MI (02/11/08)
I recently put in a new membership online. I ordered some .49 cent dvds and agreed to buy 3 more in the next 2 years. I haven't heard any thing from them, so I checked my account I had with them before which I had paid in full. Now I have a balance of $26.53 that they want to take out of my credit card. I do not want it on my card, I ask them to bill me. Please have them to take that off my account, I have always been a good paying customer and if they don't want to send the movies, that is ok but don't charge my account with something I didn't get.

Tuera of Drexel Hill PA (02/08/08)
I signed up for the 5 DVD's for $5 thing, and a few weeks later, without my authorization they had chosen some random movie I would not have even picked out, sent it to me and charged my credit card $27+. I called them to cancel and they told me I need to receive and be billed for at least 2 more (random) DVD's before I could cancel. The lady I spoke to was very rude and treated me as if I was the one who was annoying her. I asked her why I could not at least CHOOSE the DVD's I had to pay for. She said that I should've received an email letting me know what they were sending, and that is the time to let them know you want something else instead. I then gave her a different email address that I check more frequently. Well, she must have put it in wrong because I haven't received an email since but I've been billed 2 more times since then. I was billed twice in two weeks and I decided to call, only I could not get through because I don't know my account number. I don't know it because they bill my credit card directly so I haven't been receiving any bills or statements or anything! I think it's horrible that they are able to get away with doing business like this. Is there anyone who can help?

Ronda of Paoli IN (02/08/08)
I fulfilled my obligation and canceled my membership. I have continued to receive selection of the month e-mails but have declined each time. Today there are 2 charges to my account.

This is going to cause me to be overdrawn and cost me approx 66 dollars in overdraft fees. I'm sick of this.

Paige of Butler NJ (02/05/08)
I signed up for an account but was charged for 3 movies in one week. I believe that the contract was for 5 movies. So, when I checked my debit card, all of my money was gone. They pre-charged my account for movies that I never agreed to. I canceled my account, and now they want me to reinstate or pay 90+ dollars.

The consequences are apparently that they are going to report me to a consumer reporting agency. I feel that they violated just as much for deducting that money when I didn't authorize it. So my question is this: How come I can be penalized but that corporation can deduct money from my account with penalizations, and cause reprimands against me?

Cynthia of Watertown CT (02/01/08)
I was called to join up again after quitting the service. I was told I would receive only half price on all dvds. I never received mailings from them, but I would get DVDs I did not want. Therefore I returned them. I then received a condescending letter about my returns that was extremely aggressive. I then quit the service. They have since been demanding money claiming I owe them for a DVD I am supposed to purchase, even though I had been told my earlier completed purchases would be applied to my reopened account with them. I am seriously thinking of finding an attorney to consider a class action lawsuit. These people are so careless, rude and ruthless.

Helen of Irasburg, VT (01/29/08)
I received a bill for products I did not receive.  I cannot get through to anyone because the number is automated and I get no response to written complaint.

The bill is going to collection.

Benjamin of Brooklyn, NY (01/28/08)
Received notice from Nationwide Collections, Inc., stating that I owe $113.99 for an outstanding Columbia House Balance. I have never been a member nor have I ordered any goods or services from Columbia House. I called NCI and the operator was unable to give me any details of the purchase proving the validity of the claim. She said that this open balance that NCI purchased from Columbia House was 'certified' by the government. She said for $39, however, she would 'make it go away', because of the lack of purchase information. I refused to pay.

NCI claims that once the claim goes into litigation they will report this debt to the credit bureaus. The operator even said, 'wouldn't this be a shame if you were trying to buy a house and this came back to 'bite' you' and your new wife.' I never told her I was recently married.

Netecia of Bronx, NY (01/28/08)
I joined the columbiahouse dvd club on December 15, 2007.  They took money from my debit card and never sent me any dvd's or the membership information. On January 25th they took more money off of my debit card and I still have not received anything from them at all.

I tried contacting them for over the past month and they never responded to any of my e-mails.

Elizabeth of Fort Myers FL (01/27/08)
They say I enrolled in their club, but I never did. They keep charging me for dvds that I never order or receive. I've called but do not get answers. I've emailed them but never resolved anything.

Mark of Deer Park WA (01/25/08)
We have taken advantage of a very generous membership offer, fulfilled our obligation, asked several times to not be on the "DVD of the Month" automatic mail-out and we are still (going on more than two years now) being mailed the DVDs.

Brian of San Diego CA (01/24/08)
I was filling out a questionnaire that said I could win a new TV, and they asked for interests. Somehow I got enrolled into Columbia House membership. They would not cancel without charging me hundred of dollars that was part of the membership. So now I have 6 movies I didn't really want--especially for $130 out of my pocket that I didn't agree to.

Sara of Ogdensburg NY (01/24/08)
I am a member of their club. They have charged me for an item that I did not order and did not receive. I went through the website for the club and have submitted four or five complaints. I never heard back from them. I then called a number that I had called once before when the same thing had happened. The first time I called it was not during their 9-5 business hours. The second time, I was connected to the department that handles accounts, but they were at lunch. This lunch came at 3 in the afternoon.

Today I have called several times, and no one is answering the phone. It is only 3, and their message says they are open until 5. I am extremely upset because I have been trying to get this bill removed from my account for months, and I am worried they might send it to collections.

Jayson of Brooklyn NY (01/24/08)
I am being harassed by a collection agency saying that in 1996 I did not fufil a CD membership, and now they want cash. I called Columbia House; they said: sorry, they made a mistake and the account is okay. But this collection agency calls daily, yelling at me and saying that if I don't pay them they will mess up my credit and my name. I don't know what to do; please help. I think this is illegal.

Larry of Irvington NJ (01/23/08)
Columbia House is charging me $22.76 for a dvd (director's selection) that I did not order. They have so far sent me one bill with two late fee charges for non payment of an order I did not make--and a dvd I did not receive. I did not receive the first bill with just the initial charge for the dvd, nor have I received a bill with the first late charge for the same dvd (Transformers). When I call their automated service, it tells me that I may have not receive the dvd and that when I do, I could just send it back for a refund.

One of the many problems are: How can they be charging me late fees for a dvd I did not receive? Secondly, they give you no number or extension to talk to a customer representative (a live person) to straighten this matter out. Thirdly, how can they charge me for a dvd I did not accept nor have received to this date (1-23-2008)? I have even emailed them two days ago and still have gotten no response. I am very worried that they will send this to a collection agency, and are almost forcing me to pay this bill that I did not create, while ruining my great credit which I worked so hard to build and keep. I need help badly.

Jay of Bloomington MN (01/22/08)
NCO Financial Systems sent a letter saying I owed $86.82 to creditor Columbia House Records. Transaction was November 22, 2006. I have never ordered a thing from them, never been billed before, and never knew a thing about this until this letter. I called NCO immediately and my two options are to pay it, or file a fraud report. No telephone numbers for Columbia house go through, no description of the transaction avaialable. This is not right.

Ynah of Saskatoon OTHER (01/21/08)
I signed up in this company believing that they offer a great price, but I realize that was their only catch to be hooked up with them and up-sell everything. Recently I was receiving phone calls that I need to pay $150.00 for the DVD that I ordered, which I haven't received. Someone please help me to get out of this horror situation with with Columbia House.

Beverly of Bristow VA (01/20/08)
We received a letter in the mail telling us that we owed money to Colombia House for the amount of $20.66. No one from this residence had ever ordered anything from this company. We tried to call the company number with negative results. We then received a letter from the collection agency called Nationwede Collections, Inc. Again this company would not return any calls or answer their phones. What is going on here?

According to this nonexisting firm, National Collection Inc, my wife is now in their delinquent files.

Anthony of Lakewood CA (01/17/08)
We received an unmarked package in the mail. Upon opening discovered that we had unknowingly become a member of COLUMBIA HOUSE DVD. We tried to contact and cancel but can only hear a recorded message stating the member ship can be cancelled but not until 4 more DVDs are purchased. HELP!!! We have 5 kids with grandchild on the way and have no money for this. Someone needs to shut down this gangland type of extortion.

Sherry of Hartford KY (01/14/08)
I recently received a bill for $43.99, that also said I had to order two DVDs. I had already canceled my account with them; but they said if I would reactivate my account they would drop all the charges on the account. Sounds like extortion to ME. I have no interest in ordering any DVDs, and I do not see how they can force us to order anything. What kind of country do we live in now? You can be forced into paying for something you do not want, or they will report you to the credit bureau. Somebody needs to do something to stop this rip off.

Am just notices as of now, but if I don't pay the bill I am sure they will report it to the credit bureau.

Tessa of Hermitage TN (01/14/08)
I was checking my credit report, and there is an outstanding debt for this company. I have never opened an account with this company.

I am trying to refinance my house and cannot proceed until this debt is paid.

Jaime of Cypress TX (01/11/08)
I made a payment of the amount of $36.82 but Columbia house overcharged three more amounts for $27.82, $37.46 and $38.55 and CH agree that when I return the movies that they send me they will credit my bank but CH does not take any responsability on the $140.00 of overdraft that the bank is charging me.

Bank of america is charging me $35.00 for four items that thanks to Columbia House I'm overdue on and they not accepting any responsability.

Tracy of Airway Heights WA (01/09/08)
I got a call that when answered played music. I listened for about 10 seconds when someone came on the line and said hello. They then asked for me by name and I said yes, this is her. He then proceeded to tell me I had a debt of $65 something and that I had to settle with him now or he would put the debt on my credit report. I told him I've never ordered anything from Clumbia House and he said I would have to prove it, but in the meantime I needed to settle with them now then take it up with Columbia House. I was near tears and asked for the number for Columbia House. He gave me the number 317-452-6000. I then asked for his name and id number. He asked why I wanted it. I told him I wanted to know whom I was talking to. He finally gave me the name Steven Brooks. He said there was no id number but I could reach him if I called 866-452-6655. I then asked for the name of his supervisor. He refused to give it to me and then asked if I would like to hold to speak to the supervisor.

I agreed and was transferred to a man named Shaun Rogers. He reiterated to me that I needed to make arrangements to settle the debt they claimed I had. I told him I've never ordered from columbia house. I asked who I needed to contact to clear this up. He said I would have to prove I never placed the order and that since I couldn't, I would be responsible for it. He said it had happened before to people that their information had been used to order things and they had to pay upwards of $1000.00 to clear it up. He said I should make arrangements to pay and once they had my correct information they would send me an itemized bill that I could then dispute. I said I wasn't paying for something I never ordered. I told him that Columbia House would say I was accepting responsibility if I paid and could refuse to refund money. I asked if I needed to find a lawyer, change my social security number or what. I was crying by this time. He wanted me to go drink a glass of water while he held the line so I would clear things up with them. He said I didn't need to get so upset and that he was my friend and trying to help me out. He said the best solution was for me to make arrangements to pay or postdate payment so I would'nt be sent to collections. A lot more was said and I was on the phone for proably a 1/2 hour. I finally was crying so hard I said I would have to call my husband and ask him what I should do. The man didn't want me to hang up without clearing up this matter. He wanted my correct home information and I said I wasn't giving out my info over the phone for anything I wasn't responsible for. I told him I had to call my husband and hung up.

I then tried to call the number for columbia house they had given me. It was a wrong number. I then looked it up online through a search engine. I got through to a live person and they told me I needed to contact the dvd department. She gave me a number and it, too, was a wrong/disconnected number. The other numbers I found online and tried never reached a live person. They kept asking for my account number and then would hang up on me when I couldn't provide one. I don't know what to do!

Emotionally I was a wreck for quite awhile. I suffer from a few disorders and I had major panic attacks and bouts of crying. Financially if it goes on my credit report I don't know what to do. My credit isn't great to begin with and this is at least the second instance of someone ordering things with my information. I'm on disability and only receive SSI and SSA. I don't know what to do.

Rajeh of Richmond VA (01/09/08)
I was in the hospital when I decided that I could watch a few movies. I subscribed with the Columbia House, then I read the fineprint on the contract, and decided to unsubscribe. So I sent over five e-mail requesting to unsubscribe. They said that I was unsubscribed. But guess what? They sent me a DVD that I never asked for, and they say that I am still a member! They are charging me over $113. Or they threaten with harrasing mail to turn me over to collection agencies. Guess what? I am willing to pay 10 times that amount to a law firm and sue them and not pay them a cent.

Teku of Houston TX (01/07/08)
I pulled my credit and saw a collection for $88. I paid the charge but the colection agency told me it was collecting for Columbia House. They gave me an old address of mine for the charges.I have not lived there for over 2-3yrs. I need to know how this is possible, but I have paid for the account to stop affecting my credit score. I need to get to the bottom of this please. What did I get from Columbia House for 88 dollars. I have no clue. I do not buy cds or movies.

Janice of Binscarth, Manitoba, Canada (12/27/07)
Columbia House started sending shipments of DVD's to my previous address months after I had moved. They had been informed of my move weeks before the actual move and I had been declining selections to avoid any deliveries being made to that address. The current occupants obviously have kept the shipments.

CHC made no attempts to contact me at my current address and the first time I knew that there was even a problem was after NCO, a junk debt collector, contacted me to pay up on the shipments (Dec '06). We were back and forth with emails when finally NCO decided that they weren't going to pursue it further (June '07). Now another debt collector is taking it up again (Dec '07). CHC is again claiming that I owe money for shipments that I didn't make, didn't receive, didn't accept and don't want. CHC has refused to confirm the address that they actually sent the DVD's to.

Jose of San Fernando, CA (12/27/07)
Last month I was billed $5 for a DVD I did not order or even sign up for. Later I find that one of my nephews, a child/minor, signed me up for this membership. I sent the $5 and canceled the account.  About a month later they billed $114 for cancellation and the DVDs I did not order. They also charged me a late fee.

I do not understand this at all. Why should I pay for something I did not even sign myself up for?

Stephanie of Wyomissing, PA (12/26/07)
I joined Columbia House a few years ago. I fulfilled my contract and have had virtually no problems with the company. Then I decided to order DVD's for Christmas again this year since they were running a special that gave me 50% off all dvd's.  I ordered a total of 12 dvds and paid for expedited shipping. The email confirmation said the items were shipped DHL ground in 2 separate packages. I received the first package but not the second package, even though they were shipped on the same day. 

I tried to call an 800 number that appeared on my charge account.  Two different reps hung up on me after I asked for a supervisor.  They told me there was no supervisor available and I was not able to wait.

Karen of Petersburg ,VA (12/26/07)
I was charged $25.94 on 12/21/07 for an item I did not order. I have been very careful to decline all the Director's Selections because I simply did not like their choices and did not want the items. Each time, I responded to their choices, I got a confirmation email stating that my rejection request had been received. So the question is, why are they charging me?

It's like trying to contact someone on the moon to get to speak with someone, and my account number was never printed on a previous order, so I don't even have it to use as a reference number should I actually get to speak to REAL person at Columbia.

Patrick of Livonia MI (12/22/07)
Columbia House keeps sending me dvd's which I never ordered. I drop them right back in the mail and get billed for them. I never signed up for anything from then.

This is affecting  my credit score. I'm under Chptr 13 protection and shouldn't be ordering them anyway.  Now I'm getting nasty letters from them.

Kim of Jacksonville, FL (12/20/07)
My Ex wanted revenge on me, after we broke up, so he signed me up for Columbia House DVD movies.  He gave them an account I had when we were together. I had closed that account but had opened a new one at the same bank.

I received a package from Columbia House but did not open it and mailed it right back to them. Then I received a letter from CH stating I must fill my obligation to buy  10 movies from when I "signed up".  After calling CH a dozen times I finally reached someone, not a machine. They told me, after I explained to them what happened, that since there was no proof that I did not sign up (I could be lying to them) I had to pay $100 cancellation fee and fill my 10 movie obligation.

I was not about to pay the $100 for movies I never watched so I ordered my five 1 cent movies and exactly 10 full priced DVD movies. I paid over $200 over the course of 6 months.  Then they started to send me literally 2 movies every 2 days. I mailed them all back unopened.  They still send me fliers like mad, but finally after 6 weeks of calling every week they stopped sending director movies.

All this grief over something I never signed up for.

Ken of Birmingham, AL (12/19/07)
I fulfilled my obligation to Columbia House DVD and canceled my account in December 2005. I just received a notice (December 2007) that I am a preferred member and would be receiving the monthly selection in January if I did not respond.  And that they would automatically bill my credit card.

After searching for a phone number to contact the company I was only able to get automated response and cancel my account once again.

Tyler of Romeoville, IL (12/19/07)
There was a $25.94 charge made to my visa credit card. Me nor my wife knew anything about this charge. I've just filed a dispute with my credit card company. I phoned 1-800-262-2001 to try to reach these people and all I heard was 'on hold' music for 2 1/2 hours. I finally had to hang up.

Angie of Stratford IA (12/18/07)
I joined Columbia House a couple of years ago. At the end of the 1st year they simply went into my account and took the money for the last 2 cd's, fulfilling my obligation without my authority--and said I could pick out two dvd's. Later they were sent and charged me for 2 dvd's/director selects that they say I did not respond to. I have the decline confirmation saved for the one they just sent in November. That was after I tired of attempted phone and internet contact; and I sent in the statement from the movie to the service center with: CANCEL my membership written all over it.

Today via email I get a new director select, but it will not let me in to my account to respond to it; so I'm sure they'll be trying to get into my account and charge me (even if they still owe me 2 movies). I just want it to stop and to never hear from them again. It would be nice if someone could make them pay everyone back what they owe us!

Patrick of Folsom CA (12/17/07)
Columbia House has billed me for DVDs that I have not received, and I refuse to pay for something I did not order or receive. When I tried to contact them via email phone and a written letter, I get no response. I have also tried numerous times to cancel this account with a written letter, but this does not work.

I have been turned over to collections (North Shore Agency) and my credit score has dropped because of this. I now do not qualify for a loan that I need because of this $35 bill that I supposedly owe to them. I just think it is bogus that I have to pay for something I did not receive nor want in the first place.

Maria of Albuquerque, NM (12/17/07)
In June, 2007 I ordered dvds and charged them to my bank card.  After 2 months I inquired about my shipment and they claimed my card would not allow the charge and they would resubmit my order.  They said they would email me on it's progress.

Immediately after I received that email I went to my bank and asked if there were any problems with my account, there were none.  I've been emailing for 6 months and have yet to receive an answer to what happened to my order, nor when they will mail it.  I did get one apology over my inconvenience but not a word on when they would mail the order.

I resently asked the company to close my account. I was surprised to recieved a response: I owe them $87.76 to fulfill my purchase agreement and can order their dvds now in order to fulfill such agreement. OK-where is my original order and why have they not owned up to the fact that they broke their own contract with me?

Hammond of Castro Valley CA (12/17/07)
I had a membership with Columbia House that I canceled at least 3 years ago. All of a sudden, I've received two catalogs in the past 2 months with an order card that states if I don't mail the card back or go online to de-select the offer of the month, it will be auto-shipped to me. I returned the first card with large black print informing them I am not a member and do not send further catalogs. I just received another today. How can I get these people to leave me alone and not fraudulently bill me for merchandise I have not requested? This is mail fraud!

I don't want to wait for the damages....I'm going to have to keep returning these cards or return DVDs when they show up.

Jasmine of Powell River (12/17/07)
Columbia House has continued to send me bills for dvds not received.  Even when I canceled my membership, after fulfilling my obligations, they still continue to try to get money.  They try to bill for 'late charges' also.

Jerri of Lexington SC (12/14/07)
I joined the club. Columbia House sent me a card after the first shipment for the featured selection. I did refuse it online,then I noticed they debited my account for the movies. I returned them the day they came, unopened. I have been waiting for them to refund my money, and they have failed to do so.

The money they debited made my account go to a negative, causing me to pay bank fees.

Aurelia of Matteson IL (12/14/07)
Columbia House took it upon themselves to use my credit card number to charge me for purchases that I didn't ask them to charge me for. They charged me three days in a row. I called my credit card company and told them not let them charge me anything else. Then they sent me the movies that I didn't want. I am having the hardest time getting my credit card refunded for the returned movies. They even charged me twice for the same movie.

I wouldn't recommend Columbia house to anyone. They are crooks. They took over $200 out of my account. The customer service rep was real nasty to me , as was her boss Mr. Krause. I tried to find the number to the Greenville, SC office but it's not listed. The numbers I have is for the Terre Haute branch. These people are nothing but rip off artists. I have returned all movies to them.

Tracy of Arnold MD (12/14/07)
I had joined Columbia House DVD Club in October 2007. The agreement was to buy 5 DVD's at regular price in a year. They did an unauthorized transaction to my Visa Debit card as they charged it for the Directors Pick which I never even knew about. I never received an email nor mail from them regarding this. When I saw the charge on my online banking, I immediately tried to contact them; the phone number they give is automated, and it would not let me through to speak to a human being. So I have been contacting them through email. In the email I had told them that I did not authorize the charge, and I was unaware of the directors pick as I had not been notified of it. Someone emailed me back and said they put my request to cancel the order through, but my credit card still has not been refunded.

This unauthorized charge resulted in insufficient funds in my bank account when my bills were paid. It caused an overdraft of $90 in my account. I would have been fine until they Columbia House charged my card. Now through email they tell me that they are not responsible for my bank fees. I think they should be, considering they make it impossible to communicate with them through a human being and had I been able to do so, this possibly would not have happened. I am in a financial struggle right now due to a change in income and I do not need any insufficient charge fees taken out of my account. I think Columbia House Customer service is lousy, and they need to make it easier to contact them via telephone. 

Jan of Chicago, IL (12/13/07)
I recently purchased some movies from Columbia House.  The offer was get five for the price one, with two more tapes at the regular price, within two years. I received my tapes, but not all the ones I ordered.  I never received the other tapes but I did have $35 deducted from my account, without my permission.

Every time I call I keep getting the automated service.

Marilyn of Colorado Springs CO (12/13/07)
One year ago ColumbiaHouse continued to debit my bank account after I was finally able to close my account. This time without my consent, they appearely sold my Visa card number to another company and they too debited my account.This compamy could not even tell me what I supposely purchased. Is this illegal? Marilyn

The account that was debit did not contain the funds.I have no idea what the bank paid for, but I was charged an overdraft fee. I am on a fixed income with social security and cannot afford this!

Thomas of Linden, NJ (12/12/07)
An account was set up in my son's name by a classmate.  The account had a different address, that was actually a neighbors' house.

Upon getting a call from the neighbor that told me he had received a package for my son, I tried contacting Columbia House but the only number is for an automated and not a live person.

The account that was set up has a balance of $5.35 due and is obligated to purchase 5 more DVD's at regular cost totaling over $100.

Heather of Columbia, SC (12/10/07)
I have been enrolled in a Columbia House DVD Club without my consent and very much against my will. I can find no way to get in touch with them to cancel my account, and I am afraid to 'log in' as they might use that against me. What can I do?

Laquinta of Mccomb MS (12/06/07)
I bought two DVDs from Columbia house that I was exicted about getting. I was willing to pay $77.00 for both but they did not arrive after a month of looking for them. I contacted them about this and they said they would send them again but they would pay for one of them and I would be refunded for the other. I did get the orders but did not get a refund for one of them. After emailing them for what seemed like forever, they said that they would pay for both of them and refund me through the credit card. I am still emailing them about that but I think they are ignoring them now. This has been fustrating as they keep giving me a hard time about the refund and it wasn't even my idea about the refund. I am about to cancel my membership but I want my refund and I don't know what to do. I wish I had never even gotten involved.

Ryan of Clinton WI (12/05/07)
I was recently a victim of identity theft by Columbia House with my credit card. There was absolutely no way I could get hold of a living person without an account number. So I couldn't call to let them know that it wasn't a valid charge and to please remove that card from future use. I finally reached a girl who said to email them @ dvd_customer_service@columbiahouse.com., but after reading all of these complaints I am worried they will never respond.

Amanda of Aurora CO (12/05/07)
While reviewing my online bank statement I recently came across two consecutive charges from Columbia House for equal amounts of $25.94. Neither my husband nor myself has ever had an account with Columbia House or any of its affiliates. I attempted to contact Columbia House through the phone number that was provided on my bank statement and found myself calling an automated number. The number could only help me if I knew my Columbia House account number--a tad difficult to find since I never opened an account with them. I opted to email them, explaining my situation. I received a return email the next day providing me with the same phone number that was strictly automated and required an account number. They also gave me the option of sending in my bank statement for them to review! Can you imagine: Columbia House can not provide me with the number of a live Customer Service Specialist or provide me any information, but expect me to mail in my personal bank information to a PO Box in Indiana and trust that THEY will handle things for me?

I immediately called my banking institution and filed a claim through their fraud department. My husband and I are canceling our Visa debit cards--the only way to move forward with the fraud complaint and assure that Columbia House does not charge us again. Thank God I regularly check my online bank statements. $51.88 could go unnoticed, and this company could have continued to steal from our family without consequence. I  definitely encourage anyone who has experienced something similar to contact their banking or credit institutions and file a Fraud Complaint. Columbia House MUST be held accountable for this type of behavior. It is personally violating not to mention--illegal!

Don of Calgary OTHER (12/02/07)
I cannot find anything online from Columbia House that is worth having, and they still send videos even though I have mailed the "Do not send" notice to them.  I will try by phone one more time before I start litigation to stop them from sending their trash my way.

Yvette of Williamsburg VA (11/29/07)
The DVD club charged my credit card without my consent and continually sends me videos after I have rquested them not to do so. I called and spoke to a customer service rep requesting that they remove my credit card number and never automatically charge it again. I was told you have to refuse the directors selection by email and no dvd will be sent but I refused a selection and still received another one. Please help in getting these concerns addressed.

The economic damage that resulted was my account was overdrawn once because I had not anticipated that these charges would post to my account. I endure stress worrying about if I missed an email from Columbia house to decline and if they will automatically send out a dvd without my permission or arbitrarily charge my card again.

Virginia of Augusta GA (11/29/07)
I have been trying to cancel this membership because they keep claiming that I need to fulfill my membership by ordering one movie at regular club price and getting others on discount. I should have fulfilled my membership a while ago but now they say that I have only 2 credits towards my membership fulfillment. They have charged my account three times in a row for movies not ordered and I am sick and tired of this. They are well kno don't want to change my account but need someone's help on cancelling this membership before they take anymore money.

The amount of money taken is $25.94 twice, $59.94 once and now there is a $35.94 charge for something that isn't even showing up to show me what movies this time. I don't have money to give away.

Diana of Algoma WI (11/24/07)
This is the second complaint for Columbia House. After all I've been through with Columbia House billing me for videos I didn't receive, and I have been now receiving DVD's which I have returned and with over 6 emails telling them that I had enough of their business and that they were crooks. I now get an email saying I did not honor my contact and now I owe them for 2 DVD's. This company needs to be shut down. I have contacted them again telling them to stuff it! There are many complaints in here about that company, and they are still going. WHY?

Matthew of Austin TX (11/19/07)
Colombia House sent me a DVD in the mail, saying I'd signed up for a service. They sent a package that implied a trial offer. I never explicitly signed up for any service and don't know where they got my information. That first DVD I kept, and paid them, expecting they would stop. I was shocked when they sent me 3 more DVDs, unsolicited. I sent them back w/ a letter of cancellation and wrote to NOT try to bill me for these. But they did, and they are now trying to collect, despite not having kept the DVDs I returned to them! This is just outrageous! Pathetic!

They're trying to get around 50 dollars from me for a product I returned and never asked for in the first place. They're threatening me w/ a bill collection agency! This is appalling!

Joaquin of Hayward CA (11/18/07)
I cannot get in contact with Columbia House customer service and don't even know what is my account number. please call me

Lynn of Mayville WI (11/17/07)
My mother unwittingly became a member of Columbia House. Somehow they decided she is a member, unbeknown to her or anyone else in the family. She tried unsuccessfully for an hour to talk to a human on their consumer relations number. She wrote a letter stating this 'misunderstanding', requesting a cancellation. (I'm still baffled by the concept of canceling something one's never signed up for.) Now we've received notice that she owes them $89 for canceling and not fulfilling her purchase agreement. After recovering from the outrage I felt upon learning of this absurd scandal, I called consumer relations myself--to no avail. After the experience of calling various automated systems that led to nowhere  I emailed a complaint to the company. However, I'd like this to be on record in case they do not respond in a reasonable and timely manner. Thank you and hopefully all will be resolved. 

Anne of Taunton MA (11/14/07)
I entered into agreement with Columbia House. They did not send all of my selected items I wrote to them by email and they asked me to tell them which DVD's hadn't gotten. I asked them if they could email me a copy of my purchase and I would tell them which ones I did not get. They sent me absolutely nothing! however, they are withdrawing money from my account monthly. I have tried to email them on several ocassions and get no response.

Tony of Elk Grove CA (11/10/07)
Recently I received a letter from Nor-Don Collection saying that I owe Columbia House $43.88! I tried to get a hold of customer service. IT is always automated service (no answered person). It is frustrating me. I returned dvds to them but they forced me pay 43.88. If I didnt pay, they will send it to collection agency right away.

Shenena of Washington DC (11/09/07)
I had an account with Columbia House (CH) and did cancelled after I bought the required amount of DVD for a certain price. My account was cancelled months ago and in October I received a the same DVD I purchased from them months ago. Now they are charging me another fee for the same thing after my account had been cancelled. I called the automated number listed on my bill but to my suprise there aren't any customer service HUMANS available to help me understand why this fee and DVD occur.

Courtenay of Kannapolis NC (11/04/07)
On Nov 3 2007, my account was charged $65.81 by Columbia House. I have no idea what this charge was for. When I tried to contact them, I got an automated answering system. I tried to sign into my account, but it was suspended and only allowed me to make payments--for what, I don't know. Something needs to be done with this company

Sandi of Ft Thomas, KY (11/02/07)
Today I saw that Columbia House DVD took $25 out of my checking account.  I canceled my account after I fulfilled my obligation (and then some) about a year ago.

The credit card I used back then has long been canceled, so now I'm wondering how they got my new information.  It scares me that they got into my checking account without my permission.

I went to the web site hoping there was customer service info but it's under maintenance.

Tangie of Philadelphia, PA (10/30/07)
I joined Columbia House in 9/07 and made some introductory purchases with my credit card, and with the knowledge that within one year I needed to make 4 more dvd purchases. However, they have taken it upon themselves to charge my credit card at will for additional purchases that I had not ordered nor did I receive.

I have emailed and called several times. They have responded saying that I gave them permission to charge my card for future selections even if I don't choose them. I ask, "who would agree to something like that?" 

They apologized in an email and deleted the transaction and later I find that they went back and recharged my credit card for the same amount three days later.  I feel that they have breached our contract and that I should be allowed to cancel membership without fulfilling any obligation to them.

Anna of Greenwood Village, CO (10/30/07)
They keep sending me DVDs I didn't order.  I finally canceled but there is NO way to talk to a person to get credit for the items returned.

Dana of Waterford CT (10/26/07)
I cancelled my membership with Columbia House a few months ago. Now my account is being charged again twicw a month for DVD's that I'm not receiving. They will not speak to me nor give the name of or allow me to speak with their Supervisor. Someone has changed the address on my account, but of course left it in my name with my billing information.

The funds are coming out of my checking account which is causing me financial issues and resulted in NSF earlier this month.

Wendy of North Lewisburg OH (10/24/07)
Someone opened a Columbia House account with my name in 2002. I received a letter from NCollection Service on Sept. 20th, which was the first I'd heard of an account with Columbia House. Email after email to Columbia House got me no where, and the stuff they did tell me did meant nothing to NCS about the balance I owe them. BUT...I have found a number not automated like CH's number.

The lady's name is Shana and she's in customer service. Her number is: 317-542-6421.

Charron of Utica NY (10/23/07)
I received a bill statement from Columbia House, and when I pulled out the contents there was a broken, dirty piece of metal in it.

I called the police & the post office, but no one could help me with this matter. When you call Columbia House you get an automated service. So, I can't even tell someone about this issue. What if one of my kids opened it and was hurt? Take precautions before opening your mail.

Ann of Brooklyn NY (10/16/07)
I never joined Columbia House. They started sending me CD's. I returned two packages with a note to stop.

I just found out that my credit report now lists an "Account in Collection" with Columbia House for approx. $160-$200.  I cannot reach them. I don't have an account number and their contact (800 262-2001) asks for one. On the internet BMG is listed as the company to call. I called them at 317-692-9200. They say they have nothing to do with Columbia House.

Kentin of Vancouver OTHER (10/07/07)
Recently I received a letter from Nor-Don Collection saying that I owe Columbia House $79.01! I recalled that a year ago I got another collection letter from another collection agency asking for $49 for membership with Columbia House. I felt this was nonsense, all of it, because I am not a member nor order anything from this company, Columbia House.

Just like a nightmare to me--how can people like Columbia House do business like this?

Richard of Pembroke Pines FL (10/06/07)
I keep on geting charges on my bank account even though i never set up and account with Columbia House. When I called I got a machine, so i e-mailed them to stop. When they replied they said they were canceling my account. This was in April or May of 07. It is now Oct. 2007, and I am still being charged.

These charges go against an account I don't use often or keep that much money in, so it ends up putting me in the red.  Then i get charged delinquent fees. This makes me look as if I'm irresponsible with my money.

Bertha of Smyrna TN (10/06/07)
In order to close my contract with Columbia House so I wouldn't have to buy any more dvd's, I paid $72.24 and was sopposed to be able to buy dvd's up to that amount. After I paid for them I received 3 certificates that entitled me to buy 3 dvd's at $19.95 each. Along with the certificates, I received a 2-page flyer showing what I could purchase. I am 64 years old and I am disabled. On these very few pages of choicest here is not even one dvd that I like. After a dozen e-mails back and forth one rep. said I could buy a dvd of lesser value, but I would have to pay the certificate price. I was not aware of any of this when I joined this rip-off company. I live on very little money and wish I had used better judgment joining this so-called "club", but it is hard for me to get out to make many purchases of any kind. I am not supposed to be under stress of any kind, and to me this is a lot of money and it has become very stressful. I have e-mailed them several firm e-mails telling them I was not going to be bullied into buying just anything.

As I described, I am not supposed to be under any stress, & $72.24 to me is a lot of money, not counting the monies I had already spent with this Columbia House.

Becky of Lennox SD (09/26/07)
I filled out a contest to win some movies and Cd's. Although I didnt finish and I didn't receive any email stating I had won I recieved a CD and few weeks later. Then in another few weeks I received a DVD. I had to pay for shipping on each of these packages. Every few weeks I get a movie or a CD that is sent to me and I have to pay for it and I do not want them anymore. I didn't win anything so Columbia House should not be sending me anything and I do not want anything to do with that company.

Neal of La Jolla CA (09/24/07)
I have been in the DVD club for 2-3 yers and about a year ago, I wanted to cancel, but I could not find out how. I finally did. On their website, they say to cancel call this number. 1-800 262 2001. You listen to the first menu, press the 5 for more options and then 5 to cancel account. Then enter your account number and you finally get to talk to someone. They offer you a few other offers, say no and they say it is canceled and give it 48 hours to take effect.

The lady said you might get 1 or 2 more mailers, but ignore them, I'm paperless so i'll just respond no on the emails and hopefully my account really will be canceled.

James of Albuquerque, NM (09/14/07)
I belonged to the Columbia House DVD club for some years and long since fulfilled my membership obligation.  I decided several months ago to quit after they messed up my account. 

CH sent me one of those invitations to cancel my membership, start a new one, and get several new movies; but when I sent it in, I got a reply saying I was not eligible.  After that, they left the old one open and somehow started a new one, so I was getting duplicate mailings.

I emailed them resigning my membership. They ignored this and continued to send me mailings.  I sent all the videos back unopened, and called their automated customer service line and told them I had already tried to resign.  They continued to send me videos and bill me.  I sent them a certified letter, and got a return receipt back.  I got another bill.

It appears they're calculating that if they pester people long enough we'll just pay them to get them to go away.

Joseph of Baltimore, MD (09/12/07)
I canceled my account months ago, but I am still getting DVDs and my Visa card is being charged.

I want my account with Columbia House closed!

T. of Hackensack, NJ (09/11/07)
I received a letter from National Credit Solutions collection agent stating that I owed Columbia House DVD Club $153.92.  I fulfilled my purchasing obligation and canceled my membership about 10 years ago. In fact, I purchased more DVDs than my obligation. I couldn't prove it because I don't keep my credit card statements for 10 years long (who does?).

I called National Credit Solutions and tried to find out the facts. They refused the details. All they have is my name and SSN.

I feel this is a fraud.

Lelia of Jacksonville FL (09/05/07)
Today, I received a statement from a lawyers firm that I owe Columbia House DVD club or Music $126.02. I have never received anything from this company because they asked for a credit card on line, which I did not have at that time and I did not further my information to them. How can I owe someone something if I never got anything from this company. I have call them and tried to call Columbia House but you have to be a member to recive information or a telephone number to call them.

Charles of Lufkin, TX (08/29/07)
I have fulfilled my obligation long ago and canceled my program but they are still billing my account. I cannot talk to an individual and nothing I have tried to do has stopped them thus far. My bank wants me to say my card is lost or stolen and get a police report before I can be reimbursed.

Les of Boston, VA (08/29/07)
I received a collection notice from Nationwide Collections, Inc. for a debt to Columbia House in the amount of $105.82. I did have an account with Columbia House, but it was a different account number.

I called Nationwide, and apparently a whole block of these debts were sold by Columbia House with the Federal Governments blessing. As a result, my only recourse seems to be, pay the extortion money or have my credit dinged.

I have tried to contact Columbia house to no avail. I have also tried to contact a company called AIS Services that seems to be involved somewhere. Also to no avail.

Debra of Dayton, OH (08/14/07)
I joined the club, have more than fulfilled my obligation, am currently still with the club but will soon cancel which apparently won't matter from what I have read.

They have reported me to a collection agency claiming I owe them $200.  CH has consistently over-charged me and they have not sent a proper billing statement showing my payments. I have tried to call but cannot get to an actual person.

Maria of Richmond, CA (08/14/07)
I received a notice from the post office regarding a package.  It was a set of DVDs, as well as two envelopes that had a list of more DVDs for "members".  I have never signed up with Columbia House or asked for any of the DVD's that they sent.  The envelope does not have a forwarding address nor a contact phone number, so we thought it was a free gift (my husband and I do not even like the selection they have chosen for us). 

We are now being charged $101 for membership and some other DVD we supposedly got.

Gustavo of New York NY (08/14/07)
In April this company had an interesting TV promotion: Buy one season of Stargate SG-1 and get the season 2 for free, only $29.99 plus S&H. I ordered on-line the DVDs but before sending me anything, not even a customer account #, I was deducted from my bank account $97.40 as it was also included another season of the show.

I sent many emails complaining to only receive the automatic response You will be contacted soon by a Customer Representative.

Deby of Littleton, CO (07/31/07)
I received what appeared to be a DVD from Columbia House. I have never ordered or even been near a site which would authorize this. (I AM SURE)

I had a bad experience with Columbia with CD's about 20 years ago and trust me I would never have anything to do with them. I received an invoice for $5.00 and now another for $8.00.  This is out of control and I sent the DVD back immediately.

Anthony of Neptune, NJ (07/27/07)
This company has refused to have a rep contact me to explain exactly what I have joined.  They also refuse to stop sending me DVDs and charging me. 

They keep threatening to report me to collections.  All I want is someone to contact me so I can resolve this.

S of Charlotte, NC (07/27/07)
Over the past few months, my family has received bills and actual DVDs from Columbia House. Nobody in my family has ever requested membership or purchased any products from Columbia House, and I have stated this to them by returning their products and sending them letters to that effect. They never replied to any of my letters, including one in which I stated that I would seek legal relief from harassment and fraud if it continued.

After receiving another mailing from them this week, I began calling their 800-number, but it is so automated that it took me 3 days to finally get through to a person. In Argentina.

Finally, a compassionate soul connected me with a Company official who said this: "Columbia House/DVD and CD has been the victim of fraud against their company in the form of illegally solicited memberships. They have taken care of future occurrences, but are working to satisfy the need to eradicate bills and accounts of consumers who have been victims in this situation."

A defrauded consumer can call the 800 number on their bill and get to a person (whether in the US or Argentina), and the consumer who has never requested membership WILL receive customer service to their satisfaction. She proceeded to resolve my situation, and asked that I let others know that they apologize for everyone's inconvenience!

Yasuko of Clayton, OH (07/24/07)
I accepted a membership with Columbia House (4/2007).  I had to purchase 4 more DVD's, regular price, within the next year, in order to fulfill my membership.  However I am receiving DVD's that I did not order, about 1 every three weeks.  My checking account is being credited for the amount of a DVD that I didn't order or knew I was getting. 

I have now fulfilled my membership in less than 3 months with DVD's that I would not have ordered. I have tried to contact customer service, what a joke. I have tried their e-mail address, this is also a joke.

Ganesh of Gaithersburg, MD (07/21/07)
Few months ago I got a DVD from columbiahouse.com with a invoice of $5.00 to pay. But I haven't signed up for their membership to my knowledge or ordered any DVD.

I returned the package immediately.  After few weeks I received another dvd, which I returned again.

But now I got a "Service Alert" letter saying that I owe an amount of $5.00 to columbiahouse.com and if I won't pay, I will be directed to national consumer reporting service.

Robert of Maysville, GA (07/20/07)
I canceled my membership with columbia house in April, 2007 and paid them in full.  I got a call today from a collection agency that said they represented columbia house and I owed them $108.  They refused the details.

Cynthia of Haltom City, TX (07/20/07)
My husband received a "final notice" statement saying he owed $60 in late fees for a movie membership he never signed up for.

I'm currently having difficulty getting a live body.  They're stating if I don't pay this amount, they're going to report it to the credit bureaus.

Ninette of Chatsworth CA (07/11/07)
I received an unsolicted DVD in the mail. I do not have an account and I did not order it. I have been unable to find any human to speak with and so I gave up. Now I've receievd a late notice with a late fee for something I never wanted or ordered in the first place. I see that hundreds of other people have had same or similar experiences. When will this company be dealt with?

Garry of Trenton NJ (07/11/07)
I'm constantly receiving dvds even though I've fulfilled my obligation and cancled my subscription. You can't talk to anyone and they don't answer e-mails.

Sandra of Milwaukee, WI (07/01/07)
After I canceled my membership with the company I recieved a bill for a dvd I recieved the same day.  I sent back the dvd, wrote "cancel" on it and the next I hear a collection agency has the account!

 I don't owe Columbia House any money and yet they still sent my account to a collection agency.

Riza of Elk Grove, CA (07/01/07)
I have received a letter from National Collections that I owed them $106.  I don't remember opening an account with them and for pete's sake, I have never received any bills before I got this collection!

Is this scam or what?

Anne of Brooklyn Park, MN (06/28/07)
About two years ago I joined the club and got the free dvd.  I ordered my 2nd dvd along with another movie, but I only received one.   Last month I got a letter saying I had to order three dvds to fulfill the membership and then last week I got a letter saying if a didn't order I was going to be sent to collections.

That was 5 days ago and now I get a collection letter and I have to pay for a service I didn't get. 

Roger of Dillonvale, OH (06/28/07)
I agreed to get a couple of movies free.  All I had to do is buy 1 movie at regular price.  All of a sudden I'm getting hundreds of dollars taken straight out of my checking account!

I called, got the run around, told them I did not want any more movies sent to me, and if I wanted something I would call them and tell them.  And I told them not take anything out of my checking account. 

When I approved it the first time that was a 1 time thing, not a 2 and 3 times a month deal!  

Cheryl of San Francisco CA (06/28/07)

I fulfilled my membership obligation with Columbia House DVD last year and cancelled my membership. They suddenly resurrected my membership two months ago without my knowledge and began charging my credit card $25.00/mo. I thought I had broken clean with this company without collection letters you read about and other horror stories. This time I have an account page on-lien with them that says the account obligation was fulfilled.

Cheryl of San Francisco, CA (06/28/07)
I fulfilled my membership obligation with Columbia House DVD last year and canceled my m