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© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy
Book clubs seem like such a great idea. They can save you money. That seems obvious. But, they end up costing me a fortune, and are a pain in the neck.
Book clubs usually send you a catalog and an order form that you just fill out, put a stamp on, and send in. And if you don't send it in, they send you a book. What could be simpler? Well, the stamp costs money, every month, when I don't want any books. And I sometimes forget to send in the form. And I get tired of sending back the books that I didn't want. And sometimes they don't tell you which book is in the package, so I have to open it up before sending it back (then I pay the postage). And I end up with twice as many books as I would otherwise have. And I will not live long enough to read them all. These cheaper books cost me way too much money, altogether.
So I cannot handle book clubs.
Addendum #1:
I recently tried an experiment. I had quit the Small Computer Book Club. And they called me on the phone, wanting me back, and offering me a really great deal on a pile of books. I did not want to rejoin, and I did not want them to call me back. I thought that maybe I could give them this hint by buying the cheap pile of books and then quitting the club again. I don't know if it worked. But I ended up paying a "startup fee" which they did not tell me about on the phone. And I have not even looked at any of the pile of books.
Addendum #2:
I've encountered another scam. In two very good paperback mystery books, I found cards glued between the pages. I wish they wouldn't do that to these nice books. Anyway, I scraped off the silver colored stuff and found that I had won three free gifts (6 gifts all together). I sent in the cards and got six books in two packages. I kept one and gave five to a used bookstore. Now I have received a bill from Reader Service Center in Buffalo New York, for $14.82. They will never see a penny from me.