Indeed, I joined Book of the Month Club to get the introductory offer of the two volume OED cheaply, and ended up leaving after paying $50 for stuff that I just didn't want. I still have the OED, but I couldn't tell you what the other books were. I do, however, remain the pain of writing the $50 check, which was a good deal of money for me then.
Yes, and the wiki is relevant... Columbia House, BMG and Bookspan were mashed together years ago. While Columbia House could a Dilbertesque nightmare, the Machiavellianism I watched unfold in Garden City was remarkable.