Why does Columbia House still exist?

I happened to look over Columbia House's website today. With all
the options we have available now- Netflix, DeepDiscountDVD, numerous
online retailers and B&M stores, what group does CH cater to these
days?

It used to be that they made movie shopping easy for VHS users, since
they delivered the titles right to your door, and you could build a huge
movie collection with their catalog... but DVD is much more of a sell-
through format than VHS was, and web-based stores provide all the benefits
of the catalog, plus more.

What keeps them in buisniness these days?

--

Aaron J. Bossig

http://www.GodsLabRat.com
http://www.dvdverdict.com

Aaron J. Bossig

"Aaron J. Bossig" <> wrote in
message news:KfWcnf-...

<<I happened to look over Columbia House's website today. With all the
options we have available now- Netflix, DeepDiscountDVD, numerous
online retailers and B&M stores, what group does CH cater to these
days?>>

<<It used to be that they made movie shopping easy for VHS users, since
they delivered the titles right to your door, and you could build a huge
movie collection with their catalog... but DVD is much more of a sell-
through format than VHS was, and web-based stores provide all the
benefits of the catalog, plus more. What keeps them in business these
days?>>


Doesn't Columbia House still offer new members a bunch of DVDs for an
initial low price and then some specials on purchases made after the
membership requirement is fulfilled? That tired old come-on may appeal
to some people, but I would get tired of waiting for things to arrive.

I would also go nuts dealing with Optional Purchases, Savings Codes,
Preferred Status Numbers, Preferred Membership conversions, discount
codes, enrollment titles, backorders, rainchecks, credit card screw ups,
delayed shipments, lost shipments, incomplete shipments, incorrect
shipments, customer service representatives, long and involved telephone
calls, high shipping charges, damaged merchandise returns etc.

However, some people feel that it is worth the hassle involved to save a
few bucks with Columbia House. But working Columbia House for maximum
savings requires a lot of time, effort and expertise. If there is one
little mistake or oversight in your sign up procedure or DVD order, you
get screwed.

For those who are just starting out, collecting DVDs at an average cost
of $10 each is a good deal. Those of us who started our DVD collections
during the early days of online giveaway programs achieved similar
savings, but it was far easier for us to order and we got much faster
delivery.

Right now, there are very few DVD titles that I want to buy. I just go
to Wal-Mart and Costco for new releases and then to Best Buy for
everything else. And I rent exclusively from Netflix. The time that I
save by avoiding Columbia House can be used for watching DVDs.

One-Shot Scot

Some people do this:

Step 1: Apply for an account by selecting 5 enrollment titles
Step 2: buy the required (if you don't pay tax, it can be low as $22.94 x 4)
Step 3: cancel account after you have done your required (or after use of
funcash)
Step 4: repeat

I've never had a headache dealing with them. They send me something wrong I
just log in and request a postage paid return label and send it back.

Michael Walker

Aaron J. Bossig wrote:

> What keeps them in buisniness these days?

VHS survivors, trying to apply the old rules, and who don't know any
better. Seriously.

Derek Janssen (who'll confess to being suckered too, but this was much
earlier in DVD's history)

Derek Janssen

One-Shot Scot wrote:

> Doesn't Columbia House still offer new members a bunch of DVDs for an
> initial low price and then some specials on purchases made after the
> membership requirement is fulfilled? That tired old come-on may appeal
> to some people, but I would get tired of waiting for things to arrive.

CH arrives in your junk mail, whereas Amazon and DeepDiscountDVD do not.
Ironic that written material is the chief method by which they attract
idiots.

> I would also go nuts dealing with Optional Purchases, Savings Codes,
> Preferred Status Numbers, Preferred Membership conversions, discount
> codes, enrollment titles, backorders, rainchecks, credit card screw ups,
> delayed shipments, lost shipments, incomplete shipments, incorrect
> shipments, customer service representatives, long and involved telephone
> calls, high shipping charges, damaged merchandise returns etc.
>
> However, some people feel that it is worth the hassle involved to save a
> few bucks with Columbia House. But working Columbia House for maximum
> savings requires a lot of time, effort and expertise. If there is one
> little mistake or oversight in your sign up procedure or DVD order, you
> get screwed.
>
> For those who are just starting out, collecting DVDs at an average cost
> of $10 each is a good deal. Those of us who started our DVD collections
> during the early days of online giveaway programs achieved similar
> savings, but it was far easier for us to order and we got much faster
> delivery.

In the old days ('99-'00), back when the entire online DVD industry
consisted of two or three sites just coming out of a private niche
market, newbies still didn't trust the Amazons and the DVDExpress's--

They did, however, trust CH's old-school rental-clearance marketing for
VHS tapes--Unfortunately, since there *were* no DVD's being sold at
rental prices, CH wasn't offering anything different that the rest of
the market didn't already offer, and at regular prices.
Still, oh, how those CH'ers would DEFEND how many ways you could
"strategize" out a whole program of getting back your savings on those
first 5 DVD's...The clinging was downright religious.

Derek Janssen (no, really!--Y'see, if you buy a two-disk, you can count
*that* as two disks, and take the 30%...)

Derek Janssen

"Aaron J. Bossig" <> wrote in
alt.video.dvd:
>
>What keeps them in buisniness these days?

They're very convenient for people just starting out on DVDs. If you
buy carefully, they're even reasonably priced.

And there are still many millions of people who are not on the
Internet, or are on it but barely know enough to send e-mail. e-
tailers don't appeal to such people.

Finally, as we've seen here and on misc.consumers, while CH may
appeal to people who read the rules and think about how to maximize
their received value, it also appeals to the stupid, to people who
never read past "8 DVDs for a penny!" and sign up. Nobody ever yet
went broke underestimating the average person's intelligence.


--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Fortunately, I live in the United States of America, where we are
gradually coming to understand that nothing we do is ever our
fault, especially if it is really stupid. --Dave Barry

Stan Brown

I just obtained 11 new (current) DVDs for only $136.50 including all
shipping, etc.
That is only $12.40 each! THAT is why they exist.

===================================
"Aaron J. Bossig" <> wrote in message
news:KfWcnf-...
>I happened to look over Columbia House's website today. With all
> the options we have available now- Netflix, DeepDiscountDVD, numerous
> online retailers and B&M stores, what group does CH cater to these
> days?
>
> It used to be that they made movie shopping easy for VHS users, since
> they delivered the titles right to your door, and you could build a huge
> movie collection with their catalog... but DVD is much more of a sell-
> through format than VHS was, and web-based stores provide all the benefits
> of the catalog, plus more.
>
> What keeps them in buisniness these days?
>
> --
>
> Aaron J. Bossig
>
> http://www.GodsLabRat.com
> http://www.dvdverdict.com

Richard C.

"Michael Walker" <> wrote in message
news:Spq9d.51314$. ..
> Some people do this:
>
> Step 1: Apply for an account by selecting 5 enrollment titles
> Step 2: buy the required (if you don't pay tax, it can be low as $22.94 x
> 4)
> Step 3: cancel account after you have done your required (or after use of
> funcash)
> Step 4: repeat
>
> I've never had a headache dealing with them. They send me something wrong
> I just log in and request a postage paid return label and send it back.
=====================
Or, you can just stay a member for years and get excellent deals on new
DVDs.

Richard C.

Stan Brown <> wrote:

>"Aaron J. Bossig" <> wrote in
>alt.video.dvd:
>>
>>What keeps them in buisniness these days?
>
>They're very convenient for people just starting out on DVDs. If you
>buy carefully, they're even reasonably priced.
>
>And there are still many millions of people who are not on the
>Internet, or are on it but barely know enough to send e-mail. e-
>tailers don't appeal to such people.
<snip>

That's probably a big part of it. My old auntie can't even work an
ATM much less a computer, she doesn't even own one, but she has a VCR
and although she's not too sure how to program it to tape shows, she
belongs to CH -- and has for years and years -- and has all these
movies (unfortunately they're all with old actors from her childhood
and mostly musicals, so there's nothing I can borrow ).

PL



Paul LEFEBVRE
londonpaul@*removethis*sympatico.ca
Visit my website!
http://www.geocities.com/joeyp99

Paul LEFEBVRE

>"Aaron J. Bossig" <> wrote:

>I happened to look over Columbia House's website today. With all
>the options we have available now- Netflix, DeepDiscountDVD, numerous
>online retailers and B&M stores, what group does CH cater to these
>days?
>
>It used to be that they made movie shopping easy for VHS users, since
>they delivered the titles right to your door, and you could build a huge
>movie collection with their catalog... but DVD is much more of a sell-
>through format than VHS was, and web-based stores provide all the benefits
>of the catalog, plus more.
>
>What keeps them in buisniness these days?

At the moment I can get my CH DVDs for an average of less than CAD$9
each, which is my incentive for joining, resigning, and rejoining.

Maureen Goldman