Columbia House to Stop Orders After Sept. 15, Ending 71-Year Run

Q: With the final shutdown looming next month, what happens to the forgotten credits abandoned by former mail-order customers?

Former Columbia House credits are only useful if customers spend them before the company’s final wind-down; after that, they are likely to become worthless unless the company announces a separate redemption or refund process. The company’s shutdown notice says that after Sept. 15, 2026, Columbia House will stop accepting new orders, but for now customers can still use existing credits to buy items listed on the site. The notice specifically says customers can still purchase books with credit cards or credits, and related reporting indicates the remaining catalog also includes some DVDs, Blu-rays and similar products while supplies last. What happens to “forgotten” credits after the cutoff is not spelled out in the public notice. In practical terms, that usually means abandoned balances do not convert automatically into cash and may expire when operations end, especially for a company already in wind-down mode after years of ownership changes and a 2015 bankruptcy. Former customers who think they still have credits should act quickly: log into any old account, check balances, review the site’s current redemption rules and contact customer service using the phone number listed on the website. If the company has no remaining inventory a customer wants, there is no public indication so far that unused credits will be refunded. Unless Columbia House issues new guidance, the safest reading is simple: redeem them now or risk losing them when the business closes.

3 articles · Updated · Pitchfork · Aug 17

Sept. 15, 2026 is the cutoff date after which Columbia House will no longer accept new orders, marking the permanent closure of the mail-order club.
The website notice says customers can still buy books with credit cards or existing credits until then, signaling a final wind-down rather than an immediate shutdown.
Founded in 1955 as Columbia Record Club, the company once thrived by mailing discounted albums directly to consumers and peaked at 16 million members in 1996.
Its long decline included a 2015 bankruptcy and an exit from music sales in favor of DVDs, while the brand also drew criticism over negative-option billing practices.