BMG Music Services/ anyone done this

[tarheelmjfan]

I recently received one of many invitations to join BMG Music Services. The offer is for choose 7 CD's free, then purchase 1 CD at regular price ($14.98 & up) within the next 12 months. After the purchase, you get 4 more free. You are charged shipping & handling for all the CD's. It also says that about every 3 weeks (16 times a yr.), you receive a magazine w/ special sales like "4 for the price of 1" and "up to 70% off", + a specially Featured Selection. If you don't want the featured selection, you return the Reply Card by the date indicated. It also says you can cancel at any time by writing them. My DH belonged to a music club similar to this many years ago, before we met. I have always thought that offers like this seem to good to be true and there has to be a catch. My son (12) is now music crazy and is breaking us up on CD's. If this is legit, it sure would be cheaper than what we're paying now. Plus, I'm one of those rare females who hates to shop and would rather order anything than have to go to the store to get it.

My questions are: How much is the shipping and handling on each CD? Are the prices in their catalog much higher than at the store? Do you receive the Reply Card prior to the "featured selection", allowing you to reject it without having to return both the card and CD? How difficult is it to cancel, once you've bought all the CD's you want?

Thanks for any advice you may have. Any experiences that you may have had with this company would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have been a member for several years. I don't pay that much attention to the S&H, but it is fairly low, especially if you purchse more than one CD at a time.

It generally is a standard "negative option", where they send you a card and if they don't get it back within about four weeks they will then send you the featured selection(s). However, once you have been with them for a while, you can contact customer service and request changing to "positive option", where they still send you the card and everything, but will only send you the items you order.

My membership is through the Classical Division. In addition to the regular items sent, once a year I get a card which allows me to pick any two CDs I want for S&H only (which I think is under $5.00). However, I think that was a special sign up about ten years ago.

 

[Fooz]

I just did this!!
First I went to a site called Search Cactus and they paid me $10 to sign up. The total for 12 cds is around $52 or so. The Search Cactus put $10 in my account at their site. So, basically 12 CDs for about $42. I ordered 7 cds first then when they came I decided to buy 1 and get 4 more free and they came like a week later. I'm happy!! Not sure how good of a deal it is if you stay in the club, but my brother has quit and rejoined without a problem. Hope this helps.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for the responses, it sounds like it may be a good deal after all.

Cheshire Figment,
You make it sound like they're not that pressuring, and it is fairly easy to reject the offered CD. That's exactly what Im looking for, because I'm not good at all at saying no. This is the biggest reason I usually stay away from offers like this.

Fooz,
What is the Search Cactus site, and is it affiliated with BMG? Does this $42 include shipping for all the free CD's and the purchased one? How long did it take to get the first 7?

Thanks again!

 

[Fooz]

Originally posted by tarheelmjfan
Fooz,
What is the Search Cactus site, and is it affiliated with BMG? Does this $42 include shipping for all the free CD's and the purchased one? How long did it take to get the first 7?

Thanks again!

The $42 included shipping of all 12 and the 1 you have to buy. Just go to searchcactus.com to check it out, you can sign up for all different offers and they pay you money, just be sure to cancel the ones you don't want before they charge you.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry for all the questions, but how hard is it to cancel? How soon after I sign up can I expect my first CD's. I have promised my son two new ones to take on our trip next week. Any chance I could get them by the 7th?

 

[Fooz]

Originally posted by tarheelmjfan
Sorry for all the questions, but how hard is it to cancel? How soon after I sign up can I expect my first CD's. I have promised my son two new ones to take on our trip next week. Any chance I could get them by the 7th?

I don't think I would chance it. It took a little over a week, I think for the first ones to come. Especially with the holiday and all, I doubt you would get them before that. Sorry.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Fooz,
You're awesome! That's what I call a quick response! I guess I'll go ahead and buy the 2 for next week, but I'll definitely be checking into this very soon. Sounds like it can save me a lot of money between now an Christmas.

 

[brivers222]

My questions are: How much is the shipping and handling on each CD? Are the prices in their catalog much higher than at the store? Do you receive the Reply Card prior to the "featured selection", allowing you to reject it without having to return both the card and CD? How difficult is it to cancel, once you've bought all the CD's you want?

Thanks for any advice you may have. Any experiences that you may have had with this company would be greatly appreciated.

Hi~ I have been a member of BMG for 12 years now, and I love it!

Got to their website www.bmgmusic.com because they have a better deal.... 12 CD's for the price of 1 with only paying S&H for each CD.

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS LINK from the Entertainment book: www.bmgmusic.com/ent2004 (offer expires 12/31/04)
*** 12 CD's for the price of 1 (plus s&h) with nothing MORE to buy ever. You do this you are then done and your membership is fullfilled!

1) Shipping is Standard 10-14 Business Days $2.79 per CD. If you don't get a special deal, you will notice that shipping is about half the price of your entire CD's prices. But the more you buy the less the cost per cd is.

The rates are right it does take anywhere between 10-14 BUSINESS days (M-F). I received my order of 10 CD's once in a week but that was very out of the ordinary.

2) Regular Prices are about $18-$20 per CD, so it is relatively higher than retail stores depending on where you shop.

However, they often offer buy 1 at regular price get unlimited $1.99 or even 3 free. The price then adjusts accordingly... The more you buy the less you pay per CD.

During Holidays (EVEN RIGHT NOW FOR ME) they offer 60% unlimited CD's and free S&H. Those are the deals I wait for.

3) Each month you will receive a reply card that you MUST reply to. If they don't hear back from you, then they will automatically send you it and charge it to your account. Even if you are declineing, you must send it back.

* If they do send one to you and you don't want it... DO NOT OPEN IT... Simply write "RECEIPT DECLINED - RETURN TO SENDER" drop it back into the mail and BMG will credit your account when they receive it back.

* If you do open it you must then take it to the Post Office and send it Priority Mail back (you must pay for the shipping in this case)

4) Once you fullfill your members agreement you can simply call them up and tell them you would like to cancel... Easy and perfectly acceptable.

5) Register online and you can shop and APPROVE/DECLINE your featured selection each month without having to send back the reply card. You will still get them in the mail with your special offers but as long as you decline online you will be all set.

When your membership is fullfilled you can call them up and tell them you want your account to be placed on "POSITIVE RESPONSE ONLY" meaning they will automatically assume you don't want your selection and will not be sent to you. You have to reply saying you want your selection to receive it. I have been doing this for 8 years now, and it has worked wonders.

Last year after we got married, I had my wife sign up so that we could get the 12 free CDs from her account and then 2 more for me for referring her.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks brivers222,
Very informative. Sorry more questions, if I first go to the Ent. website, can I get this deal, then join at the BMG music website later? Which do you recommend? By using the Ent. book link am I considered joining? Is the shipping price on the Ent. book link $2.79 per CD? I'm not quite sure I understand about the shipping price, if you're not getting a special deal. Shipping that is about 1/2 the price of the entire CD's prices seems awfully high.

I was thinking of joining this anyway, and am so glad I decided to come to the board first to ask for advice. Someone always has a way of getting a better deal. I don't know how I ever booked a trip or bought anything, before I discovered these boards.

brivers222,
If I do use the Ent. link, then join through BMG later, is there a way that I can get you the referral CD's?

 

[brivers222]

Originally posted by tarheelmjfan
Thanks brivers222,
Very informative. Sorry more questions, if I first go to the Ent. website, can I get this deal, then join at the BMG music website later? Which do you recommend? By using the Ent. book link am I considered joining? Is the shipping price on the Ent. book link $2.79 per CD? I'm not quite sure I understand about the shipping price, if you're not getting a special deal. Shipping that is about 1/2 the price of the entire CD's prices seems awfully high.

I was thinking of joining this anyway, and am so glad I decided to come to the board first to ask for advice. Someone always has a way of getting a better deal. I don't know how I ever booked a trip or bought anything, before I discovered these boards.

brivers222,
If I do use the Ent. link, then join through BMG later, is there a way that I can get you the referral CD's?

Wow the questions!

Onto the answers,

By Going to either BMG website our using the entertainment books link you will be signing up to BMG music club. You don't get a code or something like that and sign up later, you just click the link and then pick your cd's and enter your information. If you would like to use me as a referer my I.d. is Brivers222, thanks!

About Shipping:

Its a flat $2.79 per cd (double CD's count and 2 so its $5.58 for those CD's and they are clearly marked in the book and on the website when you are ordering them)

Lets work through and example that may clear things up.

Your Special : Buy one(1) cd at regular price get three(3) free. You look throught the catalogue and pick out four(4) CD's you can't live with out.

1)$17.98 + $2.79(s&h)
2) FREE + $2.79(s&h)
3) FREE + $2.79(s&h)
4) FREE + $2.79(s&h)

Your cost for CD's is $17.98 ($4.50 per CD)
Your cost for shipping is $11.16

Your total cost for order is $29.14 ($7.29 per CD)

As you can see Shipping is about half the cost of the total order but the overall cost per cd with shipping included is stil SUPER LOW compared to the best prices you can get at a say Walmart or Target.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Now I see! For some reason, I was thinking that it would be 1/2 the price of what the total would be, if you had to pay for all of them. Brain freeze I guess! Thanks for all the info., it really helps!

 

[SkylarKD]

Word to the wise: Both BMG and Columbia House can be good deals IF you do some research before buying. I worked in a CD store for 5 years, and during that time I was in BMG. (Now I'm in the Columbia House DVD program). I noticed that CDs that are 'budget priced' or 'mid-priced' in stores are often significantly more expensive through the CD clubs. (CDs that are $8.99 - $12.99 in-store can be $18.99 plus S&H through a club)

My best advice is to circle the CDs you want to buy in the BMG catalogue. Then go to amazon.com or another website that sells CDs and do a search to find out the retail price of the CDs, to make sure you're not getting ripped off. Don't waste one of your 'free' CDs on an $8.99 CD - use the club to get the higher-priced CDs.

 

[brivers222]

Originally posted by SkylarKD
My best advice is to circle the CDs you want to buy in the BMG catalogue. Then go to amazon.com or another website that sells CDs and do a search to find out the retail price of the CDs, to make sure you're not getting ripped off. Don't waste one of your 'free' CDs on an $8.99 CD - use the club to get the higher-priced CDs.

Exactly!

I am looking at buying some CD's for $7.19 on BMG that are 9.99 - 13.99 in retail stores.


As for Columbia house DVD, I am in that to. I bought enough to fullfill my requirement, now I only buy DVD if they are at a good price. Target usually has new releases every tuesday for $15.99 or just about that price... Which is the better deal.