Change inbowl plans
creates travel woes
By Kasey Kekber
Senior Reporter
Some scientists say sugar causes
headaches.
Husker fans and travel agents
might agree.
After Nebraska’s loss to Texas
in the Big 12 championship game
Saturday, the team will be heading
to the Orange Bowl in Miami, but
many Husker faithful already pur
chased travel packages for the Sugar
Bowl in New Orleans.
But the headaches aren’t about
money. Many customers who pur
chased Sugar Bowl packages from
travel agencies have had prompt re
funds, or were given the option of
crediting their purchase toward an
Orange Bowl package.
But some agencies are finding
out that the fans aren’t as excited
when they’re not cheering for a na
tional championship.
Steve Glenn, president of Ex
ecutive Travel, said more people
were asking for their money back
instead of trying to get to Miami.
“There’s been about a 20 per
cent drop off from the amount of
people we had for the Sugar Bowl,”
Glenn said. “I guess people aren’t
as interested in this game.”
Nebraska fans have been to Mi
ami for four of the last five bowl
games, he said, and interest in the
Sunshine State has waned.
“They’ve seen the city and don’t
find traveling there to be as attrac
tive,” Glenn said. “New Orleans had
a bit more flair to it.”
Glenn said his agency’s new Or
ange Bowl package was nearly
complete, but it was difficult to find
a new charter aircraft because of
demands during the holiday season.
John DuPont, owner of Travel
Agents International of Lincoln,
fcfc
The real football
fans don't care
where the football
is. They just want
to get there.''
John DuPont
Travel Agents International
said he had a similar problem
squeezing through some Orange
Bowl packages.
The agency offered its package
as part of a wholesaler’s package,
DuPont said, and the supplier did
not have the option of changing the
airfare.
DuPont said he would collect
money from any customers for the
Orange Bowl package until after a
reliable chartered plane was found.
“Before I take people’s money,
I want to make sure that this charter
will be one customers can trust,”
DuPont said.
Finding hotel accommodations
in Miami have been another prob
lem.
Terry Werner, owner of First
Discount Travel, said the price of
hotel accommodations in Miami
were much higher than New Or
leans, which raised the entire pack
age cost.
DuPont said fans accepted the
travel changes because they still
wanted to follow the Huskers.
“The real football fans don’t
care where the football field is,”
DuPont said. “They just want to get
there.”
Music clubs add up to savings, hassles
By Kasey Berber
Senior Reporter
It’s an offer too good to be true —
joining a music club to receive free
compact discs with only a small num
ber of discs to buy later.
But David Niles, director of new
sales at BMG, said it’s an offer that is
just that — true.
BMG offers 11 free CDs in ex
change for the purchase of one, while
Columbia House music club offers 11
free CDs or tapes with the agreement
that six CDs will be purchased in the
future.
Niles said people joining a music
club are initially lured in by the offer
of free CDs.
“They find it to be a good deal —
which it is,” Niles said.
The facts agree.
For example — the newest album
from the Counting Crows, “Recover
ing the Satellites,” sells for $12.99 at
Best Buy and for $16.99 in BMG’s
music club.
Initially this might not seem like a
deal. But compare the price of 11
Counting Crows CDs purchased at
Best Buy with the price of 11 from
BMG’s “11-for-the-price-of-l” offer,
and the figures don’t lie.
A customer would pay $ 152.17 (in
cluding sales tax) at Best Buy for 11
copies of “Recovering the Satellites.”
With BMG music club, a member
would pay $39.26 for 11 of the same
CD, which includes shipping and han
dling charges. Students also appreci
ate having the CDs come to their door.
But Niles said the biggest advan
tage to being a music club member is
when a customer fulfills his initial
agreement with BMG and remains part
of a club.
“We make most of our revenue
largely due to the extended purchases
of members,” Niles said.
This repeat business is the bulk of
BMG’s business and customers’ or
ders, he said.
Niles also said the production rights
of BMG to manufacture CDs could
pass along minimal savings to club
members.
“It’s less of a cost issue aiid more
of a control issue,” Niles said. “We can
control how many CDs are produced,
which is more efficient.”
Yet there are certain disadvantages
that go along with a music club.
One problem University of Ne
braska-Lincoln students have encoun
tered with the music clubs is their
policy pertaining to “Selections of the
Month.”
Whether they want it or not, Co
lumbia House and BMG will send club
members their “Selection of the
Month” if the members do not meet the
deadline for mailing back a selection
card.
Dustin Nutter, a sophomore engi
neering major who belongs to both
BMG and Columbia House record
clubs, said unwanted selections have
been sent to him before.
“I just write ‘return to sender’ on
the package and put it back in the mail
box,” Nutter said. “They get mad when
you do it a lot, but they can’t charge
you for it.”
Niles said BMG was solving such
conflicts with the help of its web site
<http://www.tMngservice.com>, where
users can tell BMG whether they want
the selection of the month on-line.
“The Internet site has been effec
tive,” Niles said. “But we still think the
mailing system is our most effective
method of reaching club members.”
Niles said a toll-free number might
be considered and soon tested by
BMG.
Customers also complain about the
selection of music.
Erin Riley, a sophomore biological
science major, said she often has prob
lems finding specific titles in BMG’s
catalog.
Riley, who works at Best Buy, said
retail stores are often a better place to
buy music when it comes to variety.
Gail Shiba, manager of the Homer’s
record store at 61st and 0 streets, said
the.stoteVselectipn was far more'QX
pansive in certain music genres includ
ing international, Cajun,’death metal
and local music.
Niles said BMG is working to ex
pand its music selection.
“One of the classic problems is the
limitation of paper,” Niles said. “We
carry thousands and thousands of titles,
but it’s hard to get word out to every
one in a single mailing.”
Niles said the company created a
separate club for the Christian music
genre, and plans to add more.
Another concern students have with
the music clubs is the charges tacked
on for shipping and handling rates.
Currently, BMG charges $2.47 for
shipping and handling on the first CD,
$2.28 for the second and $1.99 to ship
each additional order. Columbia House
charges a flat $2.39 rate for each pur
chase.
Nutter said the companies shipping
and handling rates are too high.
“I don’t know if the postage is
right,” Nutter said. “If I went down to
the post office, I think I could mail a
CD for less than what they do.”
The Lincoln U.S. Post Office re
ported that mailing a CD at a standard
rate inside a CD-mailer envelope
would cost no more than $1.80. Co
lumbia House and BMG also get a .
bulk-mail discount.
But Niles said most mail was not
sent through the U.S. Postal Service at
all.
Instead, Niles said BMG operates
its own mailing service with two cen
ters located in Indianapolis and
Duncan, S.C.
Niles said the cost of operating
these centers, in addition to such costs
as data processing, order entry, and
system upkeep, added to the higher
cost of postage and handling.
Overall, Niles felt the reasons for
belonging to music clubs were simple.
“Three words: Convenience, selec
tion and price.”
Columbia House representatives
did not comment for this article, citing
a company policy prohibiting employ
eeSfttMTi panting telephone interviews. #
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