Not For Everyone, But I Like It
Written: Feb 22 '02
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I've been a member since 1999. Originally I had the same hesitations about joining as some of the other reviewers: suspicions about poor service and getting stuck with a commitment to buy high-priced items after an initial, too-good-to-be-true offer. I was previously a member of Columbia's cd club and found that after their initial offer, it was not worthwhile.
After studying the "12 for the price of 1" introductory offer, I concluded it made sense to join. After all, I was obligated to purchase only one cd, and I had no trouble finding 12 to my liking. The offer clearly stated I could cancel at any time after paying for the one cd, and I couldn't find any "fine print." So I signed up.
Well, others have complained about high shipping costs. True, paying $2.69 for the first cd, then $2.59 for the second and $2.49 for each one thereafter is pretty exorbitant but for an introductory offer, the average price per cd works out to be quite low. Not including tax, it comes to $3.93 each. Where else can you get brand new, popular cd's for such a low price? Not even used, cutouts or promos sell for that little. And after paying for this, your commitment is over. Note: this is a better deal than the one offered by Columbia House because the shipping charges are about the same, plus Columbia makes you commit to buying more at full price.
Once a member, you receive about 20 mailings per year offering you a "special selection." You have a certain time period in which to reject the selection, otherwise it is automatically sent to you. You can either mail back a reply card or respond via their web site. The special selections usually cost $16.98, plus shipping and tax. I've found they give you ample time to respond.
I think it is silly to pay full price for a cd unless you absoultely can't find it anywhere else. But what is good about BMG is that they make the offer more palatable by combining it with something else, such as buy one at full price (it doesn't necessarily have to be the special selection) and get everything else at anywhere from 50 - 80% off depending on that particular mailing. So the more you buy, the lower your average cost. For example, if you purchase two cd's when they offer "buy one at full price and get the rest at 70% off," then your average cost (before tax but including shipping) will be $13.68, and if you purchase three, it goes down to $11.64, and so on. Tax is computed based on your state's rate on the full amount, including shipping.
Since I joined, BMG has changed their shipping policy and now charge a flat $2.79 per cd, instead of the sliding scale previously in place.
Me, I wait until they offer at least 70% off on everything, without having an obligation to buy anything at full price. Most of the cd's are regularly priced at either $16.98 or $17.98, which makes the sale price $5.09 or $5.34, respectively. After shipping, the total before tax is $7.88 and $8.13 respectively, not a bad price at all for a new cd. They are of the same quality and look exactly the same as what you get from the store except the back cover indicates it is a BMG selection.
The not-so-good: If you are the kind of person who must have something immediately upon release, then BMG is not for you. It seems to take a few months before a "new release" becomes available on their site, at which time of course it is no longer a new release. Alicia Keye's debut cd, for example, took about 5 or 6 months to appear. But now it is available at the same 70% discount as everything else during this current offer. If you are trying to beef up your cd collection with older releases, then BMG is a good deal.
To address the complaints of some of the other reviewers, BMG is NOT for people who want the latest releases right away. And while the shipping charges are high, they have enough discounted offerings to offset the charges, resulting in prices lower than anywhere else I've found. Since I've been a member, I believe my average cost per cd is lower than had I purchased them elsewhere.
The web site: BMG recently redesigned their web site. The original site was pretty cumbersome and the response time to e-mail inquiries was very slow. There was also no phone number made available, so the only way to contact them was to either e-mail or write. The redesigned site is better, and while it is no amazon.com in terms of features, it is functional. At least the shopping cart works properly and you can keep track of what you've ordered. It takes about a day for your order to appear under your account, however.
Sound samples are available for most items, and you even have a choice of RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. Sound quality is decent, similar to amazon.com, except the sample time is shorter.
All items are shipped in sturdy cardboard boxes, via USPS standard, not first-class, mail. There is a shipping upgrade option but the pricing is ridiculously high in relation to the time saving, so I won't go into details. It takes about 2-3 weeks to receive your order, after it is shipped. Your order isn't shipped right away, either - figure on about 3 business days for them to process it and get it out the door. If you like to get your stuff right away, BMG isn't for you.
What I do like about BMG is that you are given the option of paying now or being billed. I always choose being billed, because you can always pay with a credit card regardless of the option you choose. Billing just gives you a longer time to pay.
Good stuff: A wide selection, as long as you don't want the latest releases; decent pricing that in the long run is cheaper than buying from the store or other online sources; the ability to order/decline your special selection and do other ordering via the web site; always have ample time to respond; never have gotten the wrong order or something I didn't order; introductory deal is a good one.
Not-so-good: It takes a while for new releases to become available on the site; slow response to web site inquiries; high prices if you aren't patient enough to wait for the right offers; slow shipping times.
For me, the good outweighs the bad. I don't buy a whole bunch of cd's, and I belong mainly to add to my collection now and then. BMG seems to be an honest company and I have never had a problem with them. By waiting for the righ offer, I get cd's cheaper from BMG than I can find anywhere else. These "offers" occur frequently enough, too - it's not like it's only once in a blue moon.
If you are thinking about joining, I'd recommend giving them a try. If you can find 12 cd's you would like to have, your average cost will probably be lower than anyone else's price. Then you can pay and get out if you'd like. It doesn't hurt to stay in, though, since you have no further obligation. If you have an internet connection, you won't even have to waste a stamp each month replying about the special selection, either!
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Location: san gabriel valley, ca
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me: I'm just another person who wants to add their two cents!
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