Home | Tell a Friend | Donations | Resources | Blog

1/19/2008 - Linda writes:
My husband and I are members. I am not particuarly happy with the length of time it takes to get our merchandise. However, you are told ahead of time that you do have to wait. Yes, sometimes store employees make mistakes...so do all people. We're human. What I can say is we have saved a lot of money buying from Direct Buy. And no...not all their merchandise is cheaper. Yes...sometimes you can find things on sale at another retail outlet that costs less. Home electronics is a good example. And if you find it cheaper, buy it! However, for some items, you have to look at the quality you are getting. We recently bought vinyl flooring for our basement that looks like hardwood. We hunted around at different retailers. The best price we could get was $23.99/square yard for mid-quality flooring. We went to Direct Buy and got luxury flooring cut to spec for $18.49/square yard. Money in my pocket? I'll take it! Luxury flooring? Great for when I'm selling my home. But it's like anything...you have to check around. And Direct Buy is not for everyone and I tell my friends that when they ask. If you're just looking to buy a couch and loveseat in the next two years, don't bother signing up because it won't be worth it. If you are looking at renovating or building, it's the place to go.

1/15/2008 - chad writes:
Sorry, I just cannot get this blog thing straight. I just noticed another flaw in my previous complaint blog against the company that I wanted to set straight. I wrote that the cost of the membership was $8,000.00+. I do not even know if that is true. I just remember someone telling me before I left the store that the rates were going to be going up to 8k. Anyway, since I am not a malicious person (just an opinionated one), I wanted to be clear that it is in now way my intention to defame or slander anyone or any part of the company. It is only my plight to allow people the opportunity to be educated regarding their purchase decisions.

1/15/2008 - chad writes:
I recently wrote a complaint about the company and wanted to set a few items straight that may be misconstrued by potential Direct Buy customer's, and more importantly, the litigious powers that be. I said that since talking to the owners of the San Marcos, CA. store I have "heard dozens of complaints from my clients" in respect to Direct Buy's program. This is after all, just a blog where people are entitled to express opinion about their experiences, therefore, does not warrant a scrutinizing editing process. Nevertheless, I recognized my error and wanted to be fair with my previous statements. What I meant to write is that I had heard dozens of nightmare stories online and in respectively linked news articles. I admit that I was writing fast (as I am now), and that my fingers may have been wrting faster than my mind could allow to stet. Although we have many clients in the local area, to my knowledge, none of our clients are Direct Buy members. Hope this helps even the playing feild in the ongoing debate.

1/14/2008 - Bob writes:
I was a previous member of DB (previously UCC) for 3 years. I, like many others, did not like being forced to "join" that first meeting but I did. Was I ever glad I did! During building our house I bought all our cabinets and countertops thru DB. I got several quotes rom builders and local suppliers and I saved over $10,000 just on the Kitchen. They may have a little shady sounding membership practices but they deliver on their promises.

1/9/2008 - A. writes:
I am a former employee, and a current member. I can understand everyone's ridiculous uproar about the same day decision or the membership dues, but talking from experience you could have saved yourself the complaining should you have ASKED ON THE PHONE. If you ask, they give you an answer. If you don't like that answer, don't go. 2 1/2 years of my life as an employee and the last 2 as a member, I can guarantee that this is no scam. I don't even own a home and have purchased enough to make my membership dues back in savings. Anyone who has gone through the Open House is aware, THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Carefully study how much you'll be spending on your projects before attending. Or, ask what you want to know on the phone. You won't get the price down to the dollar, but if you plan on spending at least $5,000, it IS worth it. Yes, you sign when the tours over, yes it takes longer to get merchandise than a traditional retail store. But if you want to see your hard earned money in the form of a couch in your living room right now than in your pocket to do with what you please at the simple cost of waiting a few weeks, then the concept isn't for you and I don't recommend you go. I even left the company with a bad outlook on a person that worked there, but still know well that it is not a scam and I will continue to benefit from my membership whether they write my checks or not.

1/8/2008 - Elle writes:
I cant believe the bad things people have to say about DB. My personal experiences with them are all positive. Been a member for 3 years, my husband and I have saved a substantial amount of money. I will admit the initial fee to join was higher then we had estimated but we have since made that up. They offer us a chance to get custom furniture without paying the retail markup. I designed my whole living room, I was able to pick out the style I wanted, I chose my own fabric, I have pieces that are unique and that you wont find in your everyday furniture store. I would say to date we have saved around 6 thousand dollars and thats conservative. Just last weekend I was pleasantly surprised to find out my DB Club deals with Sherwin Williams, which allows us to purchase items at our local Sherwin William store at a discounted price, great news to us since we are painting a whole house! I am very pleased with my overall experience I think this will benefit anyone who has a number of things to purchase, or for people who are looking for higher end furniture.

1/4/2008 - dick writes:
My brother has owned 2 Direct Buy Clubs for some years, and after reading some of the complaints, I'm puzzled. One complaint is that you get one shot at membership, that it is a sales pressure tactic. That isn't the case. If you listened to the presentation, they should have explaned why. The relationship between Direct Buy and wholesalers is dependent on not upsetting retailers. Retailers are the bread and butter for wholesalers. You can't have people showing up at retailers talking about the wholesale catalogs and prices they can get at Direct Buy. That's what happened before this policy started, and Direct Buy (then called UCC) started loosing wholesalers because of retailers complaints. This club is not for everyone, and you won't save on everything. It's up to you to estimate your purchases for the next 2 years and calculate if the membership fee is going to be worthwhile.

12/28/2007 - Holly writes:
My husband and I have been members of DirectBuy since 1991 (formerly United Consumers Club). Not only did we save money on our major purchases, but we also use the club to become educated about the products. We don't buy everything there, but we certainly save on the highly marked up items in the retail stores. There is no better way to furnish and decorate your home. If you are not going to be making major purchases, decorating or remodeling your home, wait until you are to visit the open house.

12/28/2007 - Lauran writes:
Buying a sofa set through the company saved me more than the cost of membership. They're franchised so if you shop around you can get a deal on the price. This is for people who want to save money, but not cheap people who want something for nothing!

12/21/2007 - Phill writes:
I work for DirectBuy and I see the savings first hand every day. Like it's said time and time again, "DirectBuy is not for everyone". I work here, but I'm not a member. Why? Because I'm not building, remodeling, or even own a home to do so. Besides, I can't afford the cost of the membership. And they're offered to us at half the cost. I just feel the need to give everyone my two cents on the fact that this illustrious Company is being called a scam. DirectBuy has been around for 30+ years and is doing $1,000,000,000 in merchandise sales a years. We're the biggest client to numerous high-end manufacturers and the reason some formerly small mom and pop companies have obtained nationwide sales. All people have to do is understand that they have to be building or remodeling to achieve the maximum savings through DirectBuy.

12/20/2007 - Mike writes:
My wife and I recently joined in El Paso, TX after attending the presentation. We were pleasantly surprised that we were not dealt with as I somewhat expected- a hard sales pitch and lots of pressure. We do plan to remodel our kitchen next year, but their sales staff (Ginger)allowed us to weigh all our options and see if it really was for us. She even helped us to see what we might be spending and what they had, to help us see if it warranted our $5000. Overall a good experience and we have already used the showroom to save me $800 on tile for my bath-- and made some friends in the process too. DB is not for everybody, but it seems to save money for somebody who is spending a lot-and we will next year

12/18/2007 - Mike writes:
Directbuy is not a scam. We are remodeling our house and building a new one next year. Direct buy offers huge savings, sometimes as much as 5-10% off retail for a huge variety of items from nearly 3 or 4 different suppliers. All they ask of you is $5,000 up front money, right here and right now. I don't need to go home and think about it, I know that I'll save several hundred dollars on my new remodeling job, what's to think about!?! If you plan to remodel or build new, you have to conisder Directbuy!

12/16/2007 - Susan writes:
I've read a lot of complaints about how people tried to cancel their membership but couldn't. We joined DirectBuy, but realized it just wasn't for us. We went in within the 3-day rescission period and cancelled and they gave us no trouble at all. Our sales rep gave us a call and I explained our situation. Everyone was extremely nice and professional. This outfit is great if you're going to be doing a lot of home improvement, otherwise you might not see the savings.

12/14/2007 - Karen writes:
It’s not a scam…My husband and I joined DB after the sales presentation. Since we were starting the process of building a house, we thought we could save some money...and we have. On kitchen cabinets, we saved about $7,000. On flooring, we saved about $6,000. On a spa, we saved about $2,000. You do have to go into this with your eyes wide open, though. There are "quirks" to the "system." You have to do your research because some products are not the best price through DB. For instance, I was looking for roll-up garage doors. After a few weeks of getting pricing (the showroom staff are very slow at times at getting back to you), we finally got the total we would be billed. The amount came back about $800 less than a local company and the DB price didn't include delivery to the job site or installation. The local door company's price did include this. My only complaints are the showroom staff (I use the Web site and the fax regularly since the nearest DB showroom is an hour away) and the limited delivery options. Many of the big items we needed (claw foot bath tub, wood stove), we bought elsewhere because they offered delivery to the job site whereas DB required us to pick it up at the showroom (again, an hour away). This may sound like I'm not defending DB, but I am...with the caveat that you need to go into this with your eyes wide open and a big project on the horizon (e.g., remodel, new build, etc.). You will make your membership fee back in product savings if you're ready to spend a lot in the first place. Like I stated before, it’s not a scam, just misunderstood and DB is not for the average shopper, but for the mega shopper. After the house is built, I don’t see us making any more major purchases through DB, maybe little things here and there and only if it’s delivered to the house!

12/10/2007 - Gregory writes:
We joined about 2 years ago before remodeling our house. Saved enough on just our flooring to more then pay for our membership. So far we've saved around $25,000 on our purchases. We have no complaints but a person should do the math before buying a membership. Sounds like most complaints come from people who can't afford the membership in the first place!

11/26/2007 - Kay writes:
I work with one of the companies that do the financing for the memberships for the past 2 years. I have found that a lot of the people that complain are people that sign the financial contract without reading it. These are people that live outside of their means. These people do not think that if you are saving $10,000, how much do you think you have to buy to save that much.
Direct Buy has great quality merchandise. You can\'t find this same merchandise in []. The people that are deliquent in their accounts complain that they can find the same merchandise cheaper at [] and []. They think that by complaining about Direct Buy\'s merchandise they can cancel a financial contract. If you know anything about financing, you can\'t complain to the finance company or the bank that your car isn\'t working or your house is flooding. People need to realize that the people that complain are the people that have buyer\'s remorse. These are the people who do not read the contract and realize that they have three days to cancel, then they want to call up 4 months later and cancel. Some people will even say that they called and cancel. Why would you call and cancel a legally binding contract? They have your signature on a piece of paper that is holding you responsible for a debt. What do you have? No proof of cancellation. Just your word against theirs. In conclusion, Direct Buy has great merchandise at great prices! Like everything else in life, it is not for everyone. It is not for you if you are on welfare, disability, social security, or other limited income. It is for you if you want beautiful pieces that you can display in your home and feel good that it will last and not fall apart.

11/25/2007 - Kevin writes:
Whoa! The complaints are very crazy..They all seem to be complaining about the $5,000 membership and the fact that they do not have time to search for the items they need. When my wife and I went to direct buy for the open house our first son was just born and we had plans to build a house, so like most we thought it was a great idea, well at least my wife did and becasue she just went through 9 months of pain and stress, i felt like she can have whatever she wants!! Except this, I was dead set against it but you all know what happen...I gave in! Now its 1 year later and I am extremely happy that I said yes, last week I decided to go to the showroom and price the tile for my new home. I called first and informed the receptionist that I would be coming in and need someone to help me look and price tile. I arrived and the rep was standing in the front waiting area for me I found the tile I needed see priced it and filed out the entire pre-order form for me. I was in and out in less than 1 hour. I selected the Amber Gold marble tile, the total cost delivered to my door $27,000. I saved over $12,000 compared to [] and []. I think that is called SAVINGS!!!!!! Take the time to set-up an appointment and have an idea of what you need before you get there. The website sucks and its a pain to go in and look for everything, I live almost 1 hour away from the showroom, so don't get e wrong its not convienent, but 12k savings is worth a 1 hour drive!

11/13/2007 - Tori writes:
My husband and I have been members of Direct Buy for over 3 years now and have not once regretted our decision to join. We purchased our first home 2 years ago and were able to furnish the entire home through Direct Buy for thousands less than we would have been able to otherwise. If we had bought furniture at retail price, we would have been able to furnish maybe one room of our home. Instead, we furnished the whole house and, combined with membership fees, still saved thousands of dollars. We can relate to the feelings others have about not being given time to think and research the company before joining and hope that Direct Buy can alter this part of their program. All in all, we recommend them to all our friends and are very happy members. We look forward to continued savings in the future!

11/10/2007 - Gino writes:
I am what is considered a merchant member of a Direct buy store. I am a self employed individual who owns a home Improvement company that provides materials and labor @ disconted prices for Direct buy members. I have been working for Direct buy for approx 10 years and can honestly say my company alone on a single transaction has save an entire membership fee on 100s of occasions over the time I have been associated with Direct buy.people have stated it is a scam, That is the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard. how can a company that has been in business for over 37 yearsstill stay in business if it was. The people who own Direct buy stores are all individually owned and all stores should not be compared to each other, just as any other type of store or busines can offer better service depending on the owners standards of his employees service to thier customers. I strongly believe myself in Direct buy and what they stand for.If The only way a person will not recoup thier membership fees is if they do not shop @ the store and reap its benefits. if you do not and you are a member than it is your own fault and you should blame no one but yourself for not using your investment properly.

11/5/2007 - Joe writes:
I been a member of Direct Buy (formerly UCC Total Home) since 2002. Overall, my opinion is positive of this institution and the concept behind it is excellent: one stop for all your home furnishings and more without the middleman. While the sales pitch can be cheesy, pushy, or to some, deceptive, I never had a bad word to say about the center that I dealt with. Almost all the items I ordered arrived within 4 weeks and the sales staff, while of varying intelligence, seemed to do their best to help me. The only negative incident I had to speak of was of a sectional sofa I ordered in 2003. The sales lady somehow messed up my order, was fired while I went on reserve duty, then upon my return discovered my order had been cancelled because D/B no longer carried this particular manufacturer. However, after discussing the issue with the branch manager, the sofa was reordered as I originally wanted it, it arrived in about 3 weeks, and they even offered me home delivery! I think alot of the complaints have to do with certain individual branches and the people that work for them, not the Direct Buy corporation as a whole. While the initiation fee has risen considerably since I joined, I am (and continue to be) glad I did join and will continue to be a member. I feel that Direct Buy is for a consumer who hates browsing in stores for hours (like me), will do some research on what they want to buy, and are willing to sit at the showroom/branch for 2-3 hours to look through the various catalogs. Obviously the bigger savings will be with any of the higher end items, such as furniture. The open-house attendee has to weigh this with what their plans are for their home when they join. For me, having just purchased an empty house, it seemed as a good idea when I went to the open house, and I did save a considerable amount of money buying the sofa and other items through them. I would urge anyone considering joining or going to an open house to consult with both members and critics before deciding.

Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9