I was just looking at my credit card statement and noticed a pending charge for $11.99 for "FYE BSP VIP". Since I hadn't bought anything from the nearby FYE in several months, it was easy to remember my most recent transaction with them about three months ago: I had bought a used CD with my credit card and the kid behind the counter was trying to sign me up for some sort of membership thingy. I told him no thanks, but he seemed persistant; finally, he threw a bunch of paperwork into the bag with the CD and told me to just go ahead and take it anyway. Needless to say, I threw it out without looking at it. Ouch! Luckily, a quick google of FYE BSP VIP immediately directed me to a phone number--1-877-351-2131--which I called and "persuaded" FYE to cancel the account. (Apparently the gimmick was that there was a $20 gift card among that paperwork that the kid threw in my bag.)

It sucks. My favorite mall destination used to be the various CD stores that wound up getting sucked up by FYE. Occasionally I still find something interesting on their shelves. And I'm trying to become a nicer, less angry person. But this is a company that's now hitting the skids in an industry that's hitting the skids, and it's just depressing.

Sometimes the kids in these stores can be awfully aggressive about trying to sign customers up for credit cards, e-mail lists, etc., but I'd say this was flat-out fraud. I'd have been pissed, and I too am trying to be a nicer, less angry person. That's not always easy in this world.

Not just there, unfortunately. A couple weeks ago, I had to move some money from savings in one bank to checking in another to cover paying for my latest guitar purchase. No biggie - except that that the bank branch where I deposited into checking was one that I don't use often. They always push credit card deals at me, and this guy just didn't want to take no for an answer. After three frigging nos, you'd think it would start to sink in. And in my experience, it's only been that branch - the one in the building I work in never pushes.

Alan

I bought their $25 10% discount card because for a short period i was finding a ton of clearance for my business. Unfortunately, since there is only 1 FYE left within 40 miles of me, it was a waste of $10 or so........... Back in the day (they closed last new year's) when their main clearance store was 10 minutes from me, I used to buy a ton from them.

I recently bought the VIP card but I'm going to give it up as soon as my $20 gift certificate comes through. I don't think it's been worth my money even with that and should have canceled during the trial period. My real problem with FYE is the selection. I just can't ever find anything there I want. It seems like, if it's not a brand new release, their inventory consists only of greatest hits, which is not my speed.. I sometimes wonder if they turn away lots of "regular," studio albums because they don't feel they'd sell. There are even 2 stores in my area and both are equally bad. And then on the rare occasion that I do find something, it's often not a reasonable price (counting the 10%). In fact, I've seen things there higher than the CD list price. Not impressed with their customer service either.

We still have a couple independent stores and it's usually impossible for me to *not* walk out with something from them. Maybe people with good collections that want to sell their stuff just know the score and take all their stuff to these instead. I don't mind forking over a higher-than-Amazon price to support these independent shops because they do such a wonderful job. It seems FYE is stuck in the 90s with a 90s business model, trying to sell mostly new stuff with the artist catalog an after thought, filling in the holes with Best Of collections. For them to last, they first need to improve their service, then they need appeal to the types of people that still go to music stores, which are increasingly the the music-lovers and collectors such as ourselves.

what i have found to be the problem with most music stores is that they got into DVD's. once that happens it immediately changes the clientele from the music buyer to the family DVD buyer. then the place gets overrun with little kids and lazy mothers who want DVD's to babysit their kids so they don't have read to them, or worse yet make them read on their own.

the one FYE left in my area has done this, they have at least twice as many DVD's as they do CD's. same situation with both buybacks stores and best buy and target and wal-mart etc.

when people start downloading movies like they do music what is going to happen is that all of those store will cease to exist and the big box stores will stop carrying all but new releases in movies and music, just like best buy and target do now.

Anyone with a decent cable net connection (10 mb or better) can dl a dvd in a little over an hour today.

some of my students have told me that too, but i have to ask this then:

why are DVD's such big business and CD's have gone in the toilet?

Most new DVD releases can be had for $9 - $15 on week of release, which is seen as a better value than a $18 CD (though to be fair, most manufacturers are selling new release CDs for $10 - $15)

My theory on that is that at least for now, DVDs are a little more difficult for the average person to copy or download. MP3s are killing CDs, though as we all know, they're nowhere near the same quality. People are just getting the hang of streaming movies, but as time goes on that will eat into DVD sales.

Folks, other then new releases, collector's films & art house, there are tons of brand new $3-$5 dvd's out there. I'm also already seeing ALOT of new $5 Blu's (new meaning not used) & saw a huge $4 Blu dump bin at Fred Meyer last week.

For non techies, the copyguard does make it a bit tougher, but there is lots of software out there that is extremely easy to use.

I agree that cd's are dying faster, but the death of dvd (& possibly Blu) isn't far behind.

I've wondered if the bonus material is a big enough draw for the average Joe/Jane to keep people buying DVDs. Streaming on Netflix, Amazon, etc doesn't allow you to watch the commentary, cut scenes, etc. As an extremely casual movie watcher, I love that stuff but maybe most people aren't as obsessive as me. As long as I'm watching a movie, I want the whole darn package. Plus, most of illegal downloads out there I've seen are a straight movie rip as opposed to a full DVD rip...could be wrong, not alot of experience in this area (although I certainly don't profess to be a saint).

Alot of my friends complain about getting burned when buying a CD for a song and then that turning out to be the only good song on the album, so they welcomed the opportunity to never buy a full album again when digital downloads and portable digital players caught hold...I guess I was just always more tolerant of that situation as I just appreciate getting the full artist "statement", and most of the time tend to like deep albums tracks more than the singles anyway. There's no equivalent for DVDs...people don't buy DVDs for 1 scene, so maybe there is more of a knowing-what-you're-getting mentality.

i have to ask this:

how many times can anyone possibly watch the same movie?

in other words, at what point do you never want to see a movie again?

with music, you can put it on, do something else,anything else. with a movie you need 90 minutes to sit there and watch.

i can, as probably most people who come here, listen to a CD a million times and never get tired of it.

enlighten me, please.

I used to watch my fav movies several times. Now that I've gotten so into older movies, there are so many I've never seen that I rarely have the time to re-watch something. Though I just finished my second viewing of the 25 hour Berlin Alexanderplatz.

That's just it--there used to be an FYE in every damn mall, but the store in the mall closest to me has been having some sort of mysterious liquidation sale where everything in the store is 20%-30% off, yet for some reason, there are no signs stating that the store is actually closing. That said, the sticker prices on stuff like the deluxe "Some Girls" is still $29.99, so there's no real savings.

This is why it's so easy to remember my sole transaction at the store.

There are special movies that I can watch over and over and over, and others that once was too many. But, just like albums, there are ones that resonate for whatever reason and merit multiple watchings. The first two Godfather flicks, Pulp Fiction, Resevoir Dogs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Life Of Brian, Meaning Of Life, just about any Kevin Smith movie, Annie Hall, Wuthering Heights, to name but a few. Natural Born Killers is another - there's so much going on visually that there's almost always something new to see. And, clearly, it's not always classics that get me - I can almost never turn away from Red Dawn. Or Dude Where's My Car. Or Gargoyles (the one with Jennifer Salt - an unrequited love - and Cornel Wilde) or The Viking Queen.

I've picked up a few TV series, too, although I tend to find that I watch some episodes repeatedly more than the whole series. Coupling (especially the Inferno episode), Seinfeld, South Park, Family Guy, Monty Python, Kids In The Hall. What I've found odd is the occasional series that was a can't miss for me when it was airing new, but I haven't watched since. My daughter has discovered Friends in syndication. I watched that show religiously when it was new - we never missed it. Since it went off the air, I have never watched a full episode. I'm not sure exactly why, but I've never been able to work up the interest to watch it. On the other hand, if "The Contest" from Seinfeld is on, I'm there.

Alan

I just got off the phone with my bank after going over my statements for the past few months and discovering another "FYE VIP" charge for $11.99 about a month ago. I was talking to one of these dispute specialists and was asking him, thinking he had experience in such matters, exactly when and how did I authorize my credit card to get charged like this? The best answer he was willing to give me was that maybe the guy punched the wrong key on the register or something. As God is my witness, all I signed was a credit card receipt for a used CD. Frankly, unless somebody can explain to me how I authorized these transactions when I told the clerk multiple times I didn't want to join the stupid club, this whole thing smacks of criminal fraud.

One thing the bank suggested was that I go back to the store and ask to talk to the manager. I had to laugh--I told her the store is liquidating, and that there are big signs stating that customers with questions must stand in line at the register.

Of course, the other question I have is--what the hell do you get for $11.99 a month anyway? FYE already provides me with more than enough free Eminem every time I walk into one of those stores. Other than that, all they're really good for is killing time at the mall while my wife tries on boots at Macy's.

You get 10% off everything, some coupons for another 5% off, maybe a buy-so-many-cds-get-one-free coupon. A $20 gift card after being a member for 2 mo, but then they take 6 mo to process it. You get some discounts to local places, too, but I can't even remember where/how much and nothing stood out as a great deal to me. I think you have to buy alot of CDs there to make it worth your while...most of the stuff you can get cheaper online including the 10%, and it's not like they provide a business or service that I feel needs supporting (such as most independent stores). I really don't recommend it unless your FYE tends to have an inventory that meets your needs often. I can spend an hour in there and find nothing that I want from them and I'm practically an addict. It's really too bad...Blockbuster, who one of the stores was before, had a really good used selection for years. Coconuts wasn't bad either until they got bought out by FYE.

Do you know if they took 10% off your order that day? They should have if they signed you up (even if against your will). Not that it matters if you didn't want it, but it's twice as lousy if they didn't. I'm going to try to cancel tomorrow after I use my $20 gift card which, speak of the devil, came today.

Here is an example of what I don't like about their customer service:

When I canceled, they tried to keep me by offering to send me 4 $10 gift certificates. After explaining this to me, he said, "So I'll just send those coupons and we'll keep you signed up. Have a good day!" He did not attempt to seek confirmation. I had to quickly say, "Wait a minute!" and explain to him that I did not agree to stay on. While I'm sure there would have been a catch (something like it taking 6 weeks a piece to process and maybe sending 1 out per month), it sounded like it might be a good deal and had me strongly re-considering. However, this tactic made my ultimate decision to cancel a no-brainer.

This is likely a strategy that is taught to the customer service reps...it happened the first time I called to cancel, too, only I still decided to stay on that time. Thus, it's not a case of one or two bad reps, but a company-wide policy.

For what it's worth, I ran by the mall last week and noticed that FYE was still apparently trying to liquidate--dayglo signs were hanging everywhere screaming that everything in the store was at something like 30-40% off.

The thing is--unlike most of the liquidations I've experienced in recent months, the inventory at this FYE does not appear to have noticibly decreased. Either they're not really liquidating and are receiving new product, or nobody cares about buying CD's anymore--at any price.

You may have hit a FYE "clearance center". They have 1-2 in each FYE state. They get the stuff the other stores can't move, & often have some great bargains. I was really bummed when the clearance center near me closed.