I signed up AGAIN for Columbia House DVD club. I knew better because of multiple billing problems I have experienced in the past, but I did it anyway.
My first experiences were the automatic shipments. I was responding online to them years ago when they first started the internet reply service. I kept receiving the DVDs. OK service was new and had bugs.
Then the problems started with me paying online and the payments not showing up on my account.
Then I started getting charged late fees for the payments not being received on time. They eventually, after a lot of phone calls, emails, and letters fixed those problems.
Then I would call in my payments and speak to a live operator and pay my bills over the phone. Then I would get more bills with payment not received and late fees. WHAT! I called it in.
Ok. This went on for a while until I finally made my commitment. Not like they made that easy. And I had through all my pruchases earned a free title. So in April I ordered my free title.
I then that same night went to the website and cancelled my account. I got my DVD. And called to pay any shipping or any loose fees that may have been on my account and to also tell the operator that I canceled my account. I also had the operator make sure my credit card information was not kept on file.
I made that point, because I was completely done with my obligations to them my account was paid in full and canceled and I wanted my card information off their books.
A few weeks went by and I got a mailing. I called and said that I had canceled my account and had received the mailing. I said that I had responded online to that directors selection and re-canceled my account online again.
The operator said that sometimes I may get mailings because the cancelation has to process. I did not believe that but ok that's what I am being told. I double checked with that operator that my credit card was not on file and it was. I repeated rather angry now that I told them to remove it from their books. So this second operator claimed to have then taken care of it for me. It is not on file anymore? No ma'am it's not. OK then.
I got several more mailings and tossed them without even opening them figuring I had canceled my membership twice already and been told that it should be ok.
I did not reply to any directors selections figuring if they sent something to me I would just drop it back in mail unopened and refused.
So now. End of June I receive a DVD. WHAT?
I checked out the envelope that came with it and said it was paid for. 27.00 charged to my credit card!!!
Oh no they didn't. I imediately called them to complain and they said that I must of NOT CHECKED the box to keep charging my card. BUNCH OF CRAP!
Number 1 it should be you have to check the box to keep being charged, just in case someone overlooks that they won't be automatically charged without knowing it.
But I not only remembered to check boxes both online and off, but I had more than made sure that the operators I had spoken to had assured me my card was not on file.
Then the 3rd operator after the unauthorized charges phone call said also that another DVD was just charged to me and mailed out the previous morning. That means 2 dvds in 2 weeks charged to me without any notification. Almost $60 in charges.
I called and tried to explaine to the columbia house rep and her manager that even if the box was not checked (which should be the other way around that you should have to check the box to keep charging) that I had canceled my account with them in April and also made 2 calls to make sure my credit information was not kept on file.
They took money out of my account so that I am shorted $60 (debit charge) I asked them to immediately refund my account back these charges and that I would mail the DVD back and the 2nd one also as soon as it arrived.
I did not want to be short money for things that I have to and want to pay because they ran charges through willy-nilly.
They said that they would have to wait for my refund until after they get the DVDs back. With experience this could take over a month with them.
They should never have charged me in the first place after I repeatedly asked them to remove ANY mention of my charge informaition. Then the operator went on to say that they had 3 credit cards on file for me. I said I did not want them even keeping 1 of my credit cards on file now I was livid to find out they have 3 of my cards still on file. What the heck kind of Enron type of fooling around is going on at Columbia House.?
I am in process of sending this complaint around, but like most of the complaints about CH. I will most likely get my money back when it is convienient for their accounting practices to give it back to me.
My main complaint is that they should not keep your credit information on file after you requested it not be kept in any of their records.
And second that check box should read:
Check here to continue applying future charges to this card.
Not that you have to check the box not to keep being charges. Especially if they have online transactions. The check mark may not go through because of a programming error. Or may be displayed too far down on the web page to be seen. There are far to many excuses that CH can use to say that you DID NOT check a box.
Juanita
allen park, Michigan
U.S.A.
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