I was member of BMG Music Service ten years ago, when they were reasonably fair, competent, and had decent customer sevice. Now, IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY! They don't even provide an 800 number--they know their circuits would be overloaded with irate customers like me!
I recently had TWO accounts with them--BMG Music and BMG Jazz--same company, just different account numbers. I was ready to quit, when they told me I still had FOUR FREE CDS coming to me for each account, and, with the current club offering, THREE FREE CDS when I purchased one at "regular club price" (typically $21 to $35, depending on whether the disc is single or double). OK, sure, I could spend about $55 (which I did) for my two discs to receive a total of FOURTEEN FREE DISCS--who wouldn't?
It has now been about TEN WEEKS, and the company refuses to acknowledge that my two "required purchases" were met, despite DOZENS of pleading e-mails by me, and BANK STATEMENTS THAT PROVE I HAVE MET THE "MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT" TERMS!!!
They are trying to bill me an additional $75.00 (!)or so, including a recent $15.00 "shipping and handling" charge OUT OF NOWHERE for the last four discs sent! (They still owe me THREE MORE, which are at least SEVEN OR EIGHT WEEKS OVERDUE!!! Now they are even arguing that they ever offered "three free CDS with one purchase" those many weeks ago--they have changed it to "One at regular price, TWO free, then additional CDS at $2.99 each--a LATER OFFER, which came AFTER their stalling tactics! Furthermore, I am being charged TWICE for each "qualifiying purchase"! Long story short:
BMG HAS KNOWINGLY COMMITED FRAUD, has not listened to my MANY attempts to reason with them as I clearly and undisputably pointed out their errors, and they have wasted WEEKS of my valuable time in trying to get through to their their "customer service" department, who they audaciously call "your friends at BMG." (!) THEY OWE ME AN APLOLOGY AT THE VERY LEAST--not to mention the TEN WEEKS OF DELINQUENCY AND INCOMPETENCE in filling my order. They should pay ME $75.00 at this point!!!
BMG is undoubtedly pulling this crap DAILY, knowing their customer base is mostly young people (unlike myself) who won't pursue legal action for the $50 to $100 of over-charges they are guilty of with probably THOUSANDS of customers. Those younger customers are not yet worried about a bad credit rating--they just ignore the charges and drop out. BMG will NOT get away with this manipulation, exploitation, and fraudulent and incompetent "customer service" with ME, however!
Michael
Bellingham, Washington
U.S.A.