Do You Like the Subject of History? Then Consider the History Book Club
Written: Mar 09 '06 (Updated Oct 24 '06)
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As most people already know, I read a good number of books every year across a wide range of subjects. I don’t use the local library for my reading needs. Rather, I purchase my books and add them to my own library- one that is presently growing at the rate of about three to six books each month.
I like to browse through book stores but the majority of the books found in retail stores are priced higher than I am willing to pay. This is why I use the internet so frequently to get my hands on new reading material. I use on- line stores like Amazon.com more than any other, but I also utilize several of the many different books clubs that exist in cyberspace because of the generally good deals they offer. One club I have been a member of several times in the past is The History Book Club, a book resource for history buffs.
Basic Fact About This Club:
This book club has been around since 1947 and its web site is historybookclub.com. In the past, History Book Club made its offers and conducted all of its business by mail. Today, most people hear about this club and join it via the internet web site.
The History Book Club offers a generous agreement that starts you out with (usually) four books at a cost of $1.00 per book plus shipping. There is often another item thrown in as a sweetener, like a free book bag or something similar. Also, the club will usually offer you the chance to buy one additional book when you sign up at fifty percent off the regular price.
As a member, your agreement for accepting this offer varies from one time of the year to the next. Sometimes, the club will require you to purchase one more book at regular price to fulfill your agreement. Other times, there is no requirement at all, making the History Book Club one of the most generous among the many book clubs in existence.
How Does This Club Work?:
With the History Book Club, members receive a mailing that details some of the highlighted books for the current month. These come out once every three weeks and they usually highlight between 100 and 150 books. The company, of course, offers many more books than this and members can logon to the web site at any time and purchase other books. But for the mailing, this relatively small number of books is what gains the spotlight.
Like other book clubs, History Book Club has a featured selection of the month that members can choose to purchase or can decline. If you want to make the purchase, you simply do nothing- the book will arrive in your mailbox automatically. If you don’t want the featured selection for the month, you must decline the offer one of three ways: By mailing back the card; by logging into your account via the on- line site; or by calling a phone number indicated in the mailing. If you forget to do this and you get a book you don’t want, simply mark “return to sender” on the box and mail it back. The History Book Club will give you full credit and will not charge you any money.
Memberships can be cancelled at any time. You can cancel either in writing, on the phone, or through the web site. The only requirement is that you have already fulfilled your membership agreement.
Customer Service:
The easiest way to contact customer service if you’re already a member is to logon to your account via the web site and send a message directly through the site. If you would rather send an e-mail through your own e-mail account, the e-mail address for the site is customerservice@historybookclub.com and this address can be used by members and non- members alike. For prospective members, there is a frequently asked question area in the web site that covers just about any issue you might have.
Final Thoughts:
History Book Club is one of the many book clubs I have joined over the years. As I strive to accumulate books for the lowest possible price, it makes sense that book clubs would be included in my efforts. Most book clubs offer members a way to get a substantial number of books at an overall cost that is often fifty percent lower than the cost in a book store. They give members a way to get the books they like at a lower overall price all from the comfort of their own home.
With the History Book Club, you get most of the usual benefits (and the few headaches) that are normally associated with book clubs. Among the benefits, the one thing that stands out with this club is the small number of books you have to buy to fulfill your club agreement. With most clubs, the membership agreement requires that you purchase another three, four, or five (and sometimes more) books at regular club prices. With the History Book Club, you need to purchase only one book and sometimes no books at all to complete your agreement (depends on the offer at the time- the going offer changes frequently). If you are lucky enough to join the club when one of these “zero obligation” agreements is being offered, then your initial shipment of four books for a total cost of about $17 is all you will have to pay. You can cancel your membership immediately after that. And as you can see from these numbers, this best-case scenario works out to a per book cost of only $4.25. This is about seventy percent less than the cost of buying in a store and it makes the History Book Club one of the best deals around.
If you sign up for a deal that requires the purchase of one book, the overall deal is still pretty good. Let’s say your one book costs you a grand total of $19 (with shipping added). This means that you will have paid a total of $36 ($17 plus $19) for a total of five books. This works out to a cost per book of about $7.20, representing a savings of about fifty percent off of the store price.
Why does the History Book Club offer such generous terms of agreement? The reason is because, based on past experience, most members stick around and buy more books regardless of whether their membership agreement requires it. People who enjoy the subject of history like to read, and they usually want more books than just the initial four that you get upon signing up. Besides, the deal is so good that many members likely feel a sense of guilt over getting so many books for so little money. They probably feel they should buy at least something before they cancel their membership. But the nice thing with this club is that you don’t need to buy much at all. If you can get over the guilt, you can get a good number of books for very little cost. This is the way I deal with clubs like this. I join, get the most I can for as little money as possible, fulfill my agreement as fast as I can, and then quit. A short time later, if the basic offer is still good, I will join again. I will repeat the cycle as often as I can in order to get the most books for as little money as possible.
Even though this is a good club overall, there are two cons that come to mind: The selection of the month and the fact that the club doesn’t offer many books. The selection of the month is a problem with most all book clubs. It is an annoyance to have to remember to cancel your selection each month and I wish this and other clubs would eliminate this practice. Still, the process is becoming more and more simplified, making it less and less of an annoyance. With History Book Club, I can logon to the web site and cancel my selection of the month immediately. This way, there is no need to waste a stamp and I know the selection has been declined because it confirms instantly on the screen and I get an e-mail message that further confirms it. This eliminates much of the stress resulting from these selection of the month issues. I almost never accept these offers so it is nice that the clubs are making it easier to stop the automatic shipment.
The other problem I have with this club is its limited selection of books. Because this club focuses on history books, there isn’t very much to choose from. It is very different from the more generic book clubs that offer a sampling of everything under the sun. Here, history is what you asked for and history is what you get. I have noticed the site getting a little more open with what it considers “history” by offering titles that deal with current events and other topics not normally associated with the subject of history. This is good, but there aren’t many books like this. Most deal directly with history. There are some new book selections, too, and some of the national best sellers can be obtained through this club. But there are many new books that are not offered at all and hundreds of specific titles will not be available directly through the club. Often, it is still possible to buy an obscure title through the club because it does have affiliates that offer more books. But keep in mind that if you have a member agreement to fulfill, any book purchased through an affiliate will not count toward your membership agreement.
Customer service is good with this club. Whenever I have been sent a book by mistake, I have been able to send it back at no cost to myself and no questions asked. I simply write “return to sender” on the unopened box and drop it back in the mail. Even if the incorrect shipment was my fault (like from failing to decline the selection of the month in the required time frame), the History Book Club has ALWAYS accepted my return without question. They have never used this against me even when it has happened multiple times in the same year.
This book club charges shipping on almost all orders. The only exception is when there is a special offer going on. This shipping will cost you about $5.50 for the first book and $2.20 for each additional book. The amounts are subject to change at any time and they can add a significant amount to your total. There is no sales tax unless you live in Pennsylvania, New York, or Indiana. Once again, these added charges are the main reason why I tend to complete my agreement as quickly as possible and quit. With the shipping cost factored in, the deals on regular book purchases through this club are not very good. I would be better off surfing the internet for the best price.
Overall, the History Book Club is a very good book club for fans of American and world history. The selection offered in this club is minimal and there is a good chance you won’t be able to find every history book you desire. But when all is said and done, the cost paid per book is low and the membership agreement is one of the most lenient in the business. It makes the History Book Club one of the best book club deals around.
Be Sure to Click the Links Below to Read More Reviews of Book- Related Web Sites:
Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble
Books- A- Million
Mystery Guild
Zooba
Doubleday Book Club
Amazon Marketplace
Half.com
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? History books
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About the Author
Member: Bryan Carey
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 3611
Trusted by: 1570 members
About Me: Beer Drinker and Libertarian Political Activist. Great Combination, eh?
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