I recently signed up online and got my initial 7 "free" cds about 10 days later. I'm pretty pumped up about this. It's not like when I did business with them as a kid. They have a huge online selection. You can read independent reviews on most discs. You can listen to 1 minute snippets from most songs on most albums. Really made it easy to pick 7 winners.
S/H runs $3.01 per disc. Average in the $17.98 you have to pay for the one cd you have to buy and each disc ends up costing $4.50 each or so. Pretty good deal in my opinion.
If there are similar sites w/ similar deals I would be stoked for some links.
TYVM.

its amazing how things change. I remember putting those stickers on the order form and sending it in!

Will,

is it tough to cancel the subscription before they start sending you monthly cds that you have to return if you don't want or any of that kind of nonsense?

Indeed a good deal. But:

"You will receive updates via email or postal mail, whichever you choose, about every 3 weeks (16 times a year) with information on a Featured Selection, tailored to your specific listening interest. If you want it, do nothing; it will be shipped to you automatically. If you don't want it, respond online or through the mail by the date specified. If you receive an unwanted Featured Selection, return it within 10 days at our expense and we will credit your account."

I'm not crazy about having to take action so that I'm NOT charged. Of course, I'm old and forgetful, so I'd end up with 42 CDs I didn't want and had to pay for.

A few months ago they had a promotion that a bunch of us here on the board to advantage of. $6.99/cd, free shipping, and NO commitment. You didn't even have to join the club.

I wish they'd bring that deal back again!

Last year I ran across quite a long thread somewhere (you may have to Google to find it) about Columbia House and their CD club. Some guys had figured out how to join, drop out, rejoin, etc. and get a gaggle of CDS at a "dirt cheap per piece" price. I wish I could remember where it was. Hell, I wish I could remember what day it is.

If I get someone else to join (like my brother, my wife, my 8 mo old son, my dog, etc...) I get 5 more cds free. They get the same 12 for one deal ($4.50/cd). The problem was they didn't have adequate selection in those little magazines they sent out. I ended up with crap like Chick Corea "Return to Forever" by the time it was all said and done.

The email option is as easy as can be. It took me all of 15 seconds to click "no thanks" to their featured selection.
I think I'm going to sign my cat up too!

BTW, Chet Atkins absolutely rips on my M60s. Don't believe me? Get the remastered Chet Atkins Greatest hits and let that old boy play. He could do some fancy fingerin'.

In reply to:

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Some guys had figured out how to join, drop out, rejoin, etc.

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Let me preface this by saying there is NO hyperbole here.

My uncle ran the system to the point where he had literally ordered every CD in their catalog, I guess just to see if he could do it - and he succeeded. Everything from Charlotte Church to Rage Against the Machine.

He recently had someone from a used CD reseller come out and buy the whole collection off him for more than he'd payed Columbia.

Bren R.