I have been a member of Columbia House Video Club since June.in August I ordered some DVD's for a gift for my brothers birthday. I noticed an option for entering your account credit/debit card information for future purchases and since I thought they were a reputable company I did so. They immediately charged my account for two DVDS whose offers had long since expired (Directors Selections). Although that was a pain and eventually got resolved (took a month) I have religiously cancelled my directors selections every month so I will not be auto billed. Well I was billed again today for $27.76. Since I had already cancelled the Directors Selection for the month and had not ordered anything I did not understand why I was charged. There is no customer service number so you cannot easily settle disputes. You can only contact through email and it can take up to fours days for them to answer. I filed reports through the BBB and the consumeraffairs.org and had to go to my bank to protest the charges. I eventually did contact a customer service representitive by calling 1-800-262. You have to trick the system by pretending you are placing an order and only then you can contact a live customer service representitive. They pretty much told me they were authorized to take a directors selection (which I had no prior knowledge of and never recieved mailings of email or otherwise)
from my account. It does not seem legal that they take from bank accounts for merchandise or services not personally ordered or requested. When I finally did reach a Live Representive I asked her how it felt to work for a company that routinaley takes unathorized payments from accounts. I asked if she would like to talk to my eight year old daughter and to explain to her why we cannot eat for the next few days. I live hand to mouth and struggle to make ends meet the rep did not want to speak to my daughter by the way. They took our food money for the next few days. This company is unethical and criminal at best. They will rob your bank account and charge you for items that you did not order and never received. I am so angry and pissed I am willing to join a cival suit against Columbia House. I would like other members who have the time to pursue this matter to contact me. I want to pursue them for undisclousure of terms and unethical use of credit card information and illegal billing for services/products not rendered. I am 100% serious and am willing to pursue this matter and those like this related to the company. I am a small fry by myself and don't stand much of a chance, but maybe if all the complaintants banded together and tried to fight this injustice we might stand a chance.
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