I normally hate the clubs after my bad experience with Columbia House, but I am a bit tempted.

You only need 8 titles (4 for $0.98, the rest a club prices), then you can supposedly cancel.  I looked through the selection, and I can could probably pick out 8 books I'd like.  As long as you ordered them all and cancelled quickly I don't see the harm.  They don't seem to screw you on the shipping, unless I'm missing something.

Any opinions???

I did it for 5-6 years.  The only problem is keeping up with the monthly selections.  If you don't respond to them they send the books, then you have to send them back.  I usually brought them back to the post office, but I have been disputing some charges for 2 books I sent back.  Besides that, you can get some good deals and their website is nice.  I forgot what the S&H rates were, maybe $5-6.

Yes, it breaks down to a lot like just buying from Amazon.com pricewise.

Many books are also much smaller in size or thickness than expected. Pocket size or 101 pages, etc.

They sent me too many SR71 Blackbird books so I sent the extras back and there was also a billing error.

Those fcks still tried to charge me even though I sent the shit back.  They sent plenty of collection notices so in the end I basically told them to FOAD.

I think they need to hire qualified billing dept. people.

I had the same experience with book clubs.  If you wait at all to send the card back saying you don't want the selection or the alternate, they send it before you know it.  

Then sometimes they are slow to register your refusal, and say they didn't get it in time.

I quit both of them in disgust and they continued to send cards & books.

By the way, the Post Office has rules about what happens if you received unsolicited material or goods in the mail.   Theres some memeber who works for or is retirees from the USPS -  maybe he can chime in.

I used to be a member.  I quit because of their billing tactics, namely the very prompt sending of the "monthly bargin special" if you do not return your monthly flier marked NO on time, and the very slow processing of your return flier marked NO I don't want any, thanks.  These two practises, taken together, just about guarantee a club member will receive and be billed for items they did not want, leading to billing disputes and mail returns.

Almost every book sold by MBC can be found through Amazon or other on-line book sellers, and the prices at MBC are not always the lowest.

You must also buy a certain number (4, I think) of the Main Selections or Alternate Selections every year or you will run into trouble with their billing department.

When I had finally had enough and wanted to quit, I found it was moderately difficult to do so.  My "request" to terminate my membership was lost or misplaced several times over a period of three months, causing more returns of unwanted books through the mail.  It has been almost 10 years now and I still get solicitations through the mail to rejoin.  Yeah, right.

Done it,

They sent me to collections twice, despite the fact the items were returned.  I could not wait to get out.

They sent me a "Gold Membership", which they refused to honor.  

I was very glad to get out.

pat

I had the hardest time cancelling them , billing problems, like sending the books after told not too. Also some of the books say $24.95 and are only a little better than a magazine, real thin for the price.

I'm glad I didn't bite.  Seemed too good to be true....

Thanks for letting us all know,

TS

IMO....like these commercials ORDER these FREE cd's that teach you how to operate your PC. S&H is 7.95. Fuck them before they fuck you, order a few you like the first time and tell'em to screw. Unless your a real bookworm.................[;)]

I joined, bought a few books, more than I agreed to, resigned, they kept senting me fliers for a couple of years, I moved, and did'nt hear from them for 2-3 years....Somehow, they got my address, started with the fliers again, I throw them in the trash as they come in, don't even open them,They must be getting the point, as they've quit sending them to me...I would'nt recomend  those idiots to anybody..Stay away from them, buying in a bookstore is much easier, you buy what you want,leave, and they don't hound you to buy more books,or send you a bunch of shit in the mail all the time, Bookstore is the way to go....

Forgot to mention, there is a class action lawsuit against North Shore Agency, Inc.  These are the fcks who the book club used to harass people.

I don't have a scanner handy.

Clip from lawsuit:
[b]
TO:  All Military Book Club members who were sent North Shore Agency, Inc. collection letters concerning defendant Doubleday Direct, Inc. during the period of July 8, 1996 to April 30, 1997 who neither paid-in-full the amounts sought to be collected in the letter presented in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A nor in the letter presented in form attached hereto as Exhibit B, which were not returned by the postal service.

I.  [u]WHY ARE YOU RECEIVING THIS NOTICE?[/u]

 You received this notice because parties believe that you received a letter similar to letters sent to plaintiff Mark Kupfer.  [i]This is [u]not[/u] a notice of a lawsuit against you.  In fact you may benefit from reading this notice.[/i]

II. [u]WHAT IS THIS LAWSUIT ABOUT?[/U]

 Mark Kupfer ( Plaintiff ) filed a lawsuit alleging that a collection letter sent to you on North Shore Agency, Inc. ( "North Shore" ) letterhead concerning debts owed by you to Doubleday Direct, Inc. ( "Doubleday" ) violated the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act ( "FDCPA" ).  Defendants deny they violated any law or did anything wrong.  This is [u]not[/u] an admission by Defendants or a finding by the Court that the claims asserted by Plaintiff in this case are valid.  However, to avoid the further expenses and risks of litigation, the parties have agreed to a proposed settlement.[/b]
----------------------------------

If anyone was victimized by this collection shit email me and I'll forward you to the law firm who is handling this case.

So in other words, "buyer beware"?

I was thinking about getting all 8 required books in one sitting, and canceling right away.  But after reading the replies, perhaps it's not worth the hassle.

Another thing, as with most book clubs, is that you get "book club edition" books, which are smaller and/or printed on lower quality papers.  They are worth less, if anything, as collectables.  With deep discounts and free shipping, you'd be better off buying from Amazon.

Yup, that small size sucks IMO.  The paper [b]IS[/b] freaking weird on some of my titles.

At least their Gun Digest "Assault Weapon" books were standard retail models.

Don't worry, I hear they hired a new billing dept.

The "trick" to these clubs, whether it's for books, records, etc., is to complete your commitment and then write or call them and ask to be put "on order only status." That allows you to still be a member without having to send in the selection cards every month.

I've been a member of MBC for about nine years (this time), though I haven't bought anything in five or six years (or returned any cards).