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CD
MUSIC CLUB
FACE OFF - WHICH CLUB IS BETTER?
 So
which club is a better deal? Columbia House or BMG?
Here's a service comparison of both clubs. We
found that both clubs are very competitive and offer many
of the same features and benefits to their members. We have
made estimates on the CD costs of each, but it really depends
on what CD's you buy. Lower prices can be expected since
we do no list special sale prices. Let's start the face
off...
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COLUMBIA
HOUSE CD MUSIC CLUB
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BMG
CD MUSIC CLUB
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Introductory
Offer
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12 Music CD's for 99¢ each
(plus S&H and sales tax)
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12 Music CD's for the price of one
(plus S&H and sales tax)
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Number of Titles in Stock
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12,000
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12,000
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Listen to Music Samples
Online
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Yes
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Yes
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How It Works
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You receive initial 11 CD's, pay S&H/enrollment
fees, then buy 6 more CD's over 3 years
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You receive 7 free CD's, pay for S&H,
purchase 1 CD at regular price, then receive 4 more
free CD's
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Extended Commitment
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Buy 6 more CD's at regular price
($16.98 per CD)
Over Next 3 Years
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Buy your 1 CD at regular price
($16.98 per CD)
During Next Year
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Shipping & Handling
Costs
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Single CD $2.59 each
2-CD set $3.29 each
3-CD sets $3.79 and up each
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$2.69 (1st
CD)
$2.59 (2nd CD)
$2.49 (all others)
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Average Total Cost Per CD
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$3.78 per CD
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$3.92 per CD
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Estimated Total Cost
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$52.97 (total CD's=14)
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$54.86 (total CD's=14)
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Contests and Sweepstakes
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Win a Digital Music Player Walkman
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Win a Sony 36" Flat Screen TV and more
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| Number
of Members |
| 16 million members |
8 million members
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Tell A Friend Program
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No
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Yes, earn free CD's When your friend joins
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Added Bonuses
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Monthly magazine with specials offering “Buy one,
get two free,” “Buy one, all others for $2.99,” etc.
(you pay S&H and sales tax). No automatic shipments,
i.e.. you receive CD's by request only.
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A monthly magazine with new artist biographies. Earn
bonus points with each purchase for a free CD. Frequent
monthly specials offering “Buy one, get two free"
or "three free," etc. Free promo CD's (you pay only
S&H and sales tax).
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Return Policy / Cancellations
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10 days to cancel membership
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10 days to cancel membership
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Restrictions
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None
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BMG allows only one membership, per person, per year
restriction.
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Conclusion
Both BMG and Columbia House offer some excellent deals for
buying music. Both have nice, easy to use web sites
and work very much the same way. BMG has a Tell-a-Friend
program that can earn you some free CD's. If you have a
large network of friends looking for some cheap music to
buy, then that benefit may be well worth it. Columbia House
has a bigger selection of music to choose from, but both
clubs carry the most popular selections. Whatever you decide,
we think you will be happy with the service. Hey, go ahead
and try both - be the judge for yourself on which club is
best!
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THE
FACE OFF