bmg columbia house

[Chrissy]

Stupid people? Doesn't everyone realize why you are receiving bills and having such a problem? It is because you are all idiots. Nobody bothers to read anything. Everyone wants as much as possible for as little as possible. If people would just take their time and bother to read the paperwork they are given it clearly states that if you don't respond, then you will billed. If you put your cc info in, it states "all future billing". It states that if you cancel your membership before you fullfill the agreement then you will be billed for the remainder of the contract. Also, people are always going on and on about their credit report and how it better not be on their, well it won't show. It never will. Not because they are lying (honestly, more than likely its the consumer who is full of it and just trying to rip them off and then complaining when it all doesn't work out thier way). Its because you never gave your ssn (social security number). A past due charge can't post to your report without that number. So next time, before you decide to join something. Protect yourself and read what you are joining. Nothing is free and there is always another side to everything

[bellvegas]

Anyone have the toll free number for Columbia house?

[Mike]

tsol wrote:

We never signed up for Columbia House and Nationwide Collections sent a notice for $41.88. I told them that we didn't owe it. The rep said,"I'm sorry there's nothing we can do about it. If you need to know the charge's details you will have to call Columbia House." There is NO PHONE NUMBER on the CH website. I had to google for the numbers and then if you put the account number from the collection letter in it says that you have to call Nationwide for further assistance." I tried playing around with the phone menu trying to talk to anybody. I never could get to a real person. I'm mailing a letter of dispute via certified mail to Nationwide Collections.

If you received an unsolicited item from ColumbiaHouse and never joined, you are under no obligation to return it or respond to their threats of collections. Just throw it out or keep it as a free gift. USPS ref. Title 39 United States Code Section 3009. If they continue to annoy you, file a complaint online with the United States Postal Service.

[Confused]

What could those collection agencies do, worst case scenario?

[Al C]

I too got a letter from Nationwide collections asking for $123.54 for a Colombia house account.
I called & talked to a representative from Nationwide & they said it could have been from an account as old as 12 years. She gave me an original address which the account was created under, I did not recognize it. At that point she said it would be kicked back to "research".
I had asked her if without a SS number they could actually put a mark against my credit rating, she did confirm that they could not.
If you get this, toss it in the garbage & don't waste your time.
Glad I found this thread!

[Shawnia]

Same story- Says I owe 59.31 to Columbia House. I ordered from Columbia House ONCE over 10 YEARS AGO. I went to the Columbia House website and emailed Customer Service. Also this company has an F with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB has even told them to stop putting the BBB logo on their letters, and the letter I recieved has it at the bottom. DON'T SEND THESE PEOPLE MONEY! I am going to print out the email response from Columbia house, as well as their F rateing with the BBB and send it back with a copy of the letter I recieved to let them know I know they are a SCAM.

[Cade in KY]

Alright people, I just caught wind of this yesterady. Here is my story: I made an offer on a house and had no reason to suspect my credit was tarnished. My lender ran a score and it was sub-prime (my score has always been prime or above prime my whole life). SO red flags went up.

I pulled my own credit file and found that Nationwide Collections actually filed a collection through the three primary creditors (Equifax, Trans and the other one).

I called Nationwide and they said it was related to a Columbia House issue as well. They said they could settle the bill $113 for $60 and having already signed a contract on a home I paid it via Discover card yesterday. They also were sending a letter to my lender stating that the collection had been completed and Nationwide was putting in a request on the 15th of the month fot the collection to be deleted from my credit file.

Nationwide told me that my address (the address they read off to me used to be an apartment I lived in 10 years ago) received a specific DVD from Columbia House that I was liable for. I was like, hello, I don't live there anymore nor have I for 10 years.

I had no reason to doubt that Nationwide is fraudulent because their number is on my credit file so they have to be legitimate right? I mean, how can the major agencies accept collections from there if they are not? Are the major agencies being scammed too?

I thought that the way this might had happened was that Columbia House sent a flier to former customers (which I was in 97) and the existing tenant there sent it back under my name.

There are all kinds of fraud avenues my situation can take, but it's horrible timimg for me due to my housing situation. I think I will pursue this through the courts and police to find out the parties responsible and hopefully nothing will happen with my credit card use, but I will check with Discover soon too.

[Simon Quizno]

How can they get at your credit file without your SSN? They are sending me this crap too and don't even have our full name!

I called CH with the account number and they kept asking for my full name which I did not give them.

Now after getting the letter from Nationwide, I get another from CH with a past due of $6.00.

The name they are sending to is not even a full name. If my name were John Q Smith, they are sending it to S Johnq which is a pretty good clue that they don't have our full name, and they sure don't have our SSN #s and I know they don't have our CC#'s either.

I'm thinking they bought a mailing list that did not include full names or something and are just hoping we're stupid enough to call them up and give them our real name. When I called them and punched in the account #, they answered my call real quick and were asking over-and-over for my real full name.

They also have never tried to call because they don't have our phone #. Wouldn't matter, we don't answer the phone anyway.

I think they have just done their math and figured it costs $x to send these notices and X% of the people will pay it and figure they'll make profit.

If a collection agency serves me with some proof that they have any personal information on me, then I'll take notice and inform them of my rights to ask for proof of contract and copy the letter to the state attorney general and the postmaster general.

What a bunch of losers. They are getting killed by netflix & walmart and are struggling for their lives. Just go down quietly and do the American thing and declare bankruptcy you LOSERS!!!!

[Cade in KY]

Correction to my post above. My agency was not Natinowide, it was National Recovery via Capital Management Ventures. They are reputable.

[RenZ]

My wife just received a notice from Nationwide stating an outstanding debt to Columbua House.
I am surprised that this scam is still going on. We will notify the Attorney General.

[younglady]

I called Columbia House at the 800-262-2001 number today and told them I never ordered,(the letter said they were sending it to collections if I didn't pay $124.70) they told me it was ordered on the internet back in May, 08. I said not me, asked how they got my address, if they had my s.s.number. No they did not. No cc# had ever been given, they did it all on giving credit. She said she was cancelling it and to deregard any future mailings. Hope she's not a liar.

[Jeep]

WOW You guys talked me out of it.

[Suki_Vancouver]

I need help.
I had same experience as Charlie, and Columbia house keep bothering for a couple year. So, how can I get rid off them.

[Mari and Bill]

i dont know what this BS is...my wife has never had a BMG or Columbia House account and here we are, letter in hand. Apparently we owe $87.58?!? That sounds like pure bull...
What might we be able to do about this?
We shouldn't have to pay for something in which services were not rendered...

[Heather]

Well for one you don't have to put your ssn in to have it post to your credit! All they need is a name, number, address... I never had a memembership with bmg something stole my information used my *name* Heather Brewer to open the account with my phone number address. My name is Heather Cramer and it was posted on my credit report thats how I found out about it. I don't see were you have any right to call anybody stupid. It's a failure to read fine print not being stupid. Lack in Judgement maybe. EVERYBODY JUST REMEMBER SHREAD ALL PAPER WORK WITH YOUR FULL NAME ADDRESS PHONE NUMBER SSN ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE CAN STEAL. I GOT MY STUFF STOLEN WHEN I WAS 16 - I'M 20 NOW AND STILL PAYING IT ALL OFF... HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE LAST ONE I HAVE TO PAY :D

Chrissy wrote:

Stupid people? Doesn't everyone realize why you are receiving bills and having such a problem? It is because you are all idiots. Nobody bothers to read anything. Everyone wants as much as possible for as little as possible. If people would just take their time and bother to read the paperwork they are given it clearly states that if you don't respond, then you will billed. If you put your cc info in, it states "all future billing". It states that if you cancel your membership before you fullfill the agreement then you will be billed for the remainder of the contract. Also, people are always going on and on about their credit report and how it better not be on their, well it won't show. It never will. Not because they are lying (honestly, more than likely its the consumer who is full of it and just trying to rip them off and then complaining when it all doesn't work out thier way). Its because you never gave your ssn (social security number). A past due charge can't post to your report without that number. So next time, before you decide to join something. Protect yourself and read what you are joining. Nothing is free and there is always another side to everything

[Borgo]

I havent had a problem with them. But i do remember when i was younger they kept sending shit cds non stop, which is why i just buy the dvd's no deal plans. It's still way cheaper then buyin them at a store that way!!

[pediapod]

received a series of collection phonecalls telling me I owe a Direct TV bill in Ohio--and they told me the last 4 numbers of my SS. Scary. I refused to divulge my social security number to their "identity theft bureau" and now am glad--and am reading other people's tales of woe. Just finished placing fraud alerts on all of my credit reporting companies. Who are these people?