Play it right and you'll get cheap CDs
Written: Feb 01 '03 (Updated Feb 01 '03)
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Music fans are always faced with dilemmas when it comes to choosing CDs. There are always more CDs I want than I can afford. Music clubs offer intriguing prospects like 12 CDs for the price of one. Or some similar offer. You just have to pay full price for one and shipping and handling on all the discs.
BMG is one of the more famous of the music clubs. I have had several stints in this club. My first time to join was back in 1995. This was a couple years before I was online. It the usual 12 for 1 offer. A friend got me to join in order to garner 4 free discs for himself. I quickly completed my obligation and got all my free discs.
I learned that it could be beneficial to remain in the club. Most deals equated to getting three discs for one. (Never, ever order just one disc. The shipping costs will kill you). The total cost for three discs would generally run about 27 or 28 bucks. 9 bucks a disc is a decent price to pay. If you learn how to play the deals, you won't pay more than ten bucks for a disc. What I always loved was they would hold specials about three times a year offering buy one, get three free. The way the deal works is you pay full price for one disc. Then you can order three equal or lower price discs for free. Back in the old days, they used to let you get away with ordering box sets. That was my big scam. As soon as I saw buy one, get three free it meant four box sets were entering my collection.
They have since eliminated that quirk. It was fun while it lasted but they caught on to me. Then, I began having some problems with the club. Wrong discs being set and deals not being honored. I quit the club. Then I learned another facet to the club. If you quit the club, you will probably get an offer to rejoin within six months. So even when I leave, I end up coming back. And when I come back, I get the great 12 for one introductory offer.
My most recent stint began in February 2001. I started off sticking with snail mail. But it got frustrating because I would sometimes forget to return the cards telling them that I don't want their boring monthly selection. But I learned that I could go online with the service. They would send my monthly offers through e-mail. I could handle the entire business online.
So how is the online service? Well, in about a year of doing it, I would say pretty good. I usually receive e-mail notices about three weeks before the due date. I can click on the link and go to the site. The BMG site is not as user friendly as Amazon but it is easy. It's very easy to go in and click lack of interest. It's also easy to look up artists that interest me. I don't have to save old booklets for fear that a CD I want won't be in the next catalog. Now, I can look it up at a whim. They don't have every artist but they cover a wide range of artists. Some of my tastes are too offbeat but I am still occasionally surprised. Velvet Underground's box set was one find. I've also gotten Celtic music, African music etc. It's not perfect but there's still plenty to choose from.
They are also very good with keeping track on the shopping cart and bonus points. When you check out, you get a choice of paying with a credit card or paying when you receive. I usually opt to pay later. They are also very punctual. Every order has reached my mailbox in less than two weeks.
My experience remains satisfactory. Now I could quit to get the initial deal again. I'm always kicking that idea around. Considering that I received an offer to rejoin the club earlier this week, I know that I would be invited back in short time.
Recommended:
Yes
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fuche_bu
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Member: George Schaefer
Location: West Bristol, PA
Reviews written: 1103
Trusted by: 326 members
About Me:
Busy at work and missing a lot of epinions fun.
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