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7/3/2008 - Darrin writes:
I stumbled across this web site and felt compelled to respond. Myself and my wife joined in 2003 and have nothing but good things to say about Direct Buy. We have saved $1000's of dollars and paid off our membership, in terms of savings, in two years. We paid $2300.00 to join. Direct Buy is a franchise system where private investors pay a fee and open up a location. The investor/owner is the one who makes most of the rules and decides what a membership will be worth. We live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the owner here is excellent. Direct Buy also has a store in Edmonton which is a 2.5 hour drive from Calgary. Quite a few members from that area drive to Calgary to make their purchases because our location is more customer friendly (two different ownership styles). When we first joined we had bought a new home and wanted blinds. Direct Buy sent a rep to measure up all our windows and helped us place our order in home. They did not charge us a cent! The blinds came early and I installed them myself. On this one purchase we saved $1500 compared to retail stores who sold the same brands and gave us quotes. When we shop for an item the first thing we do is see which brands Direct Buy carries. We then go out to stores to view the products and price shop. Once we know what we want and have the retail price we go back to Direct Buy (or to the website) and see if a deal truly does exist. ( I agree with everyone that on some items Direct Buy is more expensive when you add S&H but, for the most part, you do save). We then place our order. I don't think we have waited more than 8 weeks for any one item and usually get the product within 2 to 3 weeks. I also agree that Direct Buy does not carry every brand name out there but they have most products covered by some manufacturer. If you are a brand name shopper then a membership here is probably not for you. I personally like [] products but [] is not carried by Direct Buy. WE recently purchased a [] 46" flat screen and I couldn't be happier with it. When we bought our membership we put down a $100 deposit and were given 3 days to think about it. After 3 days, if we had not purchased a membership, we lost the $100 but losing $100 is a lot easier to swallow then a few thousand. All our questions were answered when we returned to see the sales rep and we had a lot of them. The person we dealt with never lied to us. Most of the complaints I have read about on this web site we knew in advance of purchasing. I do feel sorry for the people who have been ripped off by some unscrupulous franchise owners but you can't lump them all into one category and say the whole company is terrible. There is not a company out there that does not have some sort of customer complaint against them. I also agree that Direct Buy HO should look into some of these complaints and straighten out some of these franchise owners if they are conducting business in an illegal fashion. Direct Buy, as a company, should be more diligent in monitoring their franchisee operations.

7/3/2008 - Keith writes:
I attended the high pressure presentation in the Brighton Michigan DB. I purchased a membership but set it up on installments to be sure I was getting the savings they claimed. After attempting several purchases I was amazed to find the price with shipping and handeling to be much greater than retail! There was no savings at all on most products. To be fair the price for carpet I purchased was less than I would have paid at a high-end carpet store and a few cents cheaper than the home improvment stores but I had to find a installer and pay shipping from Brighton to my home which used up the savings. I stopped the payments on the membership and when they called told them I was going to the state attorney generals office to complain about the deceptive practices. In short don't be fooled by the hype it is a rip-off!

7/2/2008 - Paula writes:
What a ridiculous attempt to rip people off! My expeience at Direct Buy last night was a nightmare from the start. I was met at the door by an annoying, cheesy and overbearing salesman. I flat out asked him what the catch was. He said there was no catch. I asked if there was a membership fee and he refused to answer me. He said he would get to all that when the presentation started. I again asked what the fee was and he got very hostile and uncomfortable and tried to turn the tables on me by telling me I was interrupting him. So, after almost 2 hours of the cheesiest presentation, low and behold, they want $6000 as a membership fee. I cannot understand who is gullible enough to fall for this nonsense. And it takes 8-14 weeks to get your stuff if you do order. Plus they make you decide then and there whether you join or not and try to pressure you by saying if you decline to be a member you will never be invited back. Whatever - DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME like I did.

7/2/2008 - Amy writes:
Okay these stories are nice to know. I also had an appt to go to seminar. I dont have this much money to front. And this does seem like they are making up for the money saving by charging a high membership fee. They also keep calling my house hounding me. I will not be scammed and will let them know. Thanks

6/30/2008 - Mario writes:
A year ago I purchased the membership from direct buy of Phoenix. The total cost was approximately $5400.00. We purchased this membership because I had seen the infomercial on late night television. My wife and I were in the process of building a 3250 square foot home. I also had other property that we rented. Considering that we were building a home and had rentals, I felt that I would definately benefit from this product. While building the home I found out like many others that there is literally little to no savings. Almost everything could be found at a lower price online or at big stores. The sales associate at DirectBuy was saying how much of a savings I would have on the Cabinets alone 50%. Dont be fooled, I was. 50% is not an actual amount if the price is increased at 150%. Bottom line. DirectBuy is a legal way to steal peoples money. WALK AWAY!

6/30/2008 - Michael writes:
We purchased a membership 3 years ago and it has been one nightmare after another. My main complaint is with many items you really do not know how much your saving. They will tell you to get a model name or number but there always seem to be several different names or a manufacture will only make a certain product for a certain store. We recenty purchased bedroom furniture went to the warehouse to pick it up and found it to be mostly defective even after we were told by a worker it was pre-inspected. I refused it (waste of trip time and gas) not only was I lied to but the manager for our DB tells me that a furniture doctor will determine if the furniture is repairable, that was 3 weeks ago. When I complained to her that if its repaired its no longer new its damaged but fixed her reply was ALL furniture stores do it (I have the e-mails to prove it). DO NOT PURCHASE A MEMBERSHIP YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

6/29/2008 - Rick writes:
My wife and I were planning bathroom and kitchen remodels 3 years ago. We saw a DirectBuy advertisement and went to the showroom. The presentation was very well-done, with emphasis on how much money can be saved -- tens of thousands of dollars. By the time the shpeel is over, the $6000 7-year membership sounds reasonable. Reality: 1. Despite the sense that there are thousands of brands available, choice is limited. 2. You buy sight unseen. All you have is a catalog description and picture (not always the correct one). 3. Delivery takes 2-6 weeks depending on the product. If you want something fast, DB does not help you. 4. Delivery is to the store. It is your responsibility to get it from DB to your home. Leave it too long, and you'll be charged storage. 5. Additional charges are added to the DB price, such as freight, making displayed savings less. 6. Eg., I was interested in a [] exercise machine. There are several models, none of which are offered through DB. The only one DB carries is the 1700, which is an out of date model, no longer sold by []. (Save $200 off [old] reported price). 7. My wife had a remodeling firm come in and give a good price on our bathrooms and kitchen, so we went that way instead of DB. There was no way we could get all the pieces to our home, or places to store them, while the workers did the remodel. It just did not work. 8. So, three years ago we paid DB $6000 to save thousands. To date, we have bought one piece of furniture for our children, and saved $150 off list price. 9. Yes, much of this is our fault, but this is reality. It is hard to find the time to drive to the DB location, to find something that comes close to what we want, buy it sight unseen, wait weeks to receive it, and then transport it home ourselves, for savings less than advertised. DB plays on the desire to save lots of money (dare I say greed?) as well as high pressure sales techniques and buy now or lose the chance to get your $6000. We will never recoup our loss ... we simply do not buy enough furniture to justify the cost of membership. My advice is to keep the $6000, pay the 8-12% higher price when you need something, and retain your freedom.

6/29/2008 - Stephanie writes:
We became members several years ago because we were building a house. Since then we have post-poned the building and have bought properties since then. We have looked at Direct Buy for comparaison shopping with the newest edition of remodels that we have been doing since. The cabinets were first. Direct Buy's quote on cabinets was more than $10,000 more than the cabinets we are installing plus Direct Buy's cabinet quote did not even solid wood throughout. The appliances as well were more $1,000 more than a local appliance store. That was just 2/5 of the appliances we could get from them. We are very disappointed with the membership and will probably not go back. This was $4,000 down the drain that we could have put into numerous upgrades.

6/28/2008 - Jim writes:
My experience was in San Antonio a few years back. It was similar to most that are posted to this site. Very cordial until you start asking questions, then the charm turns to threats," take it or leave it, your deposit is non-refundable ". " No we cannot divert from the planned presentation, take it or leave it " No you cannot see poduct samples, catalogs, or pricing, until your membership application is submitted, approved, and due received ". I ultimately joined and quickly discovered that usually what I needed was not available or needed to be special ordered at extra cost. A price lower than " on the street " was the exception rather than the rule. I could buy better and cheaper merchandise at any membership warehouse ( $35.00 per year ) or major department store. Needless to say I was disappointed and wanted to cancel my membership which I was told was impossible. Rather than make waves I decided I would just let my membership expire. Even after I expressed my disappointment in no uncertain terms I was hounded forever for membership renewal payments. Doing business with Direct Buy was a terrible experience. Class action suit ?? Where do I sign ??

6/27/2008 - Mary Anne writes:
This people are sleeze balls. Must be another company from Texas. They have called me constantly for weeks; I finally answered. Salesperson's name is Paul. The Customer Service Manager is [] and the Sales Manager is [] (in). [] called me this morning and asked many leading questions about myself then asked if my salary was above or below $60,000. When I told him below (not including my inheritance!) he told me that I was not qualified for there promotional prizes (which he had just listed). He couldn't wait to get off the line!

6/27/2008 - T writes:
Gary-I have resolved my complaint with Directbuy of Syracuse and they treated me fairly and quickly. I have no more complaint with them.

6/26/2008 - Shirl writes:
I too attended an open house at Direct Buy. I was interested in a membership right up until I started asking questions. They never did show me prices of what I was actually looking for so I could see the savings.I asked about what happens after the 10 years to my membership. Would I have to pay another initial $5,000+ or just the yearly cost. I was told some francises charge the initial fee again, but not this one. They couldn't guarantee that the yearly fee wouldn't go up which I understood. I asked if it was in writing that after 10 years I would not have to pay the initial cost again and I was told I had "trust issues". That's when they lost me. Because I was savey enough to ask questions I had "TRUST ISSUES" I do have trust issues with anyone who is pressuring me to make such a committment and not allowing me to take at least 24 hours to think about it. Good for me!!

6/26/2008 - David writes:
Just be aware that they will tell you that you must decide today. If you refuse to join right then, you will be denied forever! That is the arm-twister that scams use all the time.

6/26/2008 - Ruth writes:
My husband and I just went to an open house last night. We were extremely upset by the cost $5,200 just to join. For the first three years we would be paying for nothing because we wouldn't have the money to purchase anything. They were very nice but at the end when you have to decide right away it's ridiculous. If you have tons and tons of money maybe it would be helpful but for the average consumer it wouldn't help us. Very, very disappointed.

6/26/2008 - Tammy writes:
I saw an infomercial for Direct Buy so we went to the Open House. We own rental properties and spend a lot of money at hardware stores. We had also just bought a 3000 square foot house that needed remodeling and a lot of furniture boughten. So, we thought being able to buy wholesale would save us thousands (well worth the $5500 to buy the membership). We were confident we'd save that one one kitchen remodel along, assuming the average kitchen remodel at $30,000 and DirectBuy around $7,000. We had recently been to the appliance store and had picked out the exact set we wanted, the [] Series. We bought Direct Buy, wrote out a check, and went down the following weekend (Past the 3-day cancel period) to purchase our appliances! We were sooo excited. The appliance package was $1000 more expensive at Direct Buy than at [], where we ended up purchasing. Not only were they $1000 more, but the sales tax in IL is higher than we paid in Wisconsin. And, there would also be an 8% freight surcharge added to our order (at an estimate of $300 extra). Plus, our appliances would be delivered to direct buy, so we'd also have to pay to then have them deliverd (and stored while waiting to pick them up) to our home. We were totally astonished. We called immediately and demanded a refund. We filed with the BBB, but our complaint was denied. We even told them we'd take a partial refund, that we would not be using our membership, and they refused. I would do anything to get my money back from Direct Buy. If anyone has any suggestions, my e-mail is [] I purchased 4/2006. Please, do not let this happen to you. If you are thinking aobut going to an open house, don't even walk through the door! They will sell you and take your money. Thank you.

6/25/2008 - Hector writes:
GREAT IF YOUR LOADED AND HAVE LOTS OF MONEY TO SPEND ON HIGH-END PRODUCTS. NOT SO GREAT FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER. I bought the membership for $5k because I was remodelling a 2 unit building with new hardwood floors and complete kitchens and baths. I spent over $10k at DirectBuy but in actuallity I only saved around $1K. The reduced price is great, however, after they add 8% for handling and another 8% for shipping the savings quickly dwindles to pennies. The salesman made it seem like I would save over $5k just on this project alone. Needless to say I am disappointed. I ended up buying most of the material outside of DirectBuy because I found the hardwood floors and tile A LOT cheaper locally. I even purchased 2 sets of kitchen appliances locally because even though DirectBuys price was cheeper by $150, I could get them delivered to my home the next day instead of waiting 4-8 weeks and have to pick them up at the wharehouse. I figured that the delivery alone was worth the $150. Maybe one day it will pay off for me. I still have 2 years of membership left. Eitherway I highly disagree with their forcefull sales practices. Their 3 day right to cancel seems unethical too. Usually it is 7 days.

6/25/2008 - Deb writes:
Well, I had an appointment for the open house - until I read the complaints on here. To be fair I also read the defenders. What I don't get is with a membership fee so high, just exactly what service are you getting for that money? From what the defenders write, you basically do all the work. Sorry I ever made that appt.

6/25/2008 - ProactiveConsumer writes:
YES. You can get your money back if you act fast. Within three days(potentially more - you cant lose anything by trying after 3 days) 1. Write a letter(send through the Post office with guaranteed confirmation of delivery option- not return receipt which can be refused by the store owner) to the Direct Buy store, as well as to the Attorney general of your state, to the consumer protection agency, your local Better Business Bureau(DirectBuy seems to use this BBB satisfactory rating as a lure) and to the national consumer protection organization. Inform the DirectBuy that you are communicating with these state and governmental agencies and include copies of your letters(or certain the portions of the letters not containing any personal information ) with the letter to DirectBuy. Also send copies of the letters you sent to DirectBuy to the state and governmental agencies, to keep as records of your communications on file for further action is necessary. If you need assistance writing letters that you feel are effective for your situation, there are many people out there willing to help you out(family, friends, the BBB, perhaps members of your church/congregation)- do NOT be afraid to ask for help- DirectBuy relies on the shame of the defrauded consumer in order to keep the consumer's money and to keep their scheme in business. Proceed as though your case is not resolved until it is, in fact resolved, and the money is back in your account- not just pending- if you are successful in being promised a refund. Remember- State law is superior over individual businesses. DirectBuys methods are indeed unethical, though unfortunately not necessarily illegal. THOUGH SUCH PRACTICES MAY HAVE BEEN IN YOUR CASE IF YOU WERE UNDER DURESS, IF FALSE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN OR WILLFULLY WITHHELD ON THE PART OF THE BUSINESS. Good luck- Be persistent, professional, carry through with your case until it resolved in your particular situation and insist upon your rights as a consumer.(They are used to dealing with customers who can be pushed around, and are quite shaken when one insists on standing at the counter instead of responding to their disrespectful sit down) Good luck- from a successful, proactive consumer

6/24/2008 - Chappie writes:
I just got back from this Scam and it was exactly what was said. I went in to see what I could save and after listening to the whole spill it seemed pretty good. When they let me know the price was $5467 and I had to make the decision right then I got a little upset. I am in sale and would never put someone in that uncomfortable situation. The salesman was not very happy when I told him that the numbers just didn't add up. I explained that I would need at least 24-48 hours to make a purchasing decision of that amount but was told that if I didn't make it right then I would be locked out for 7 years. I told him that if it was that good that they would allow me to come back and make a purchase. He then went into all this crap about I know the prices now and I can't go shop and price things to see if I would save a lot. I told him I haven’t seen one price yet but still even if I did and your prices were that good you wouldn't worry about me pricing anything because your claim is that almost everything you sale is 30% of retail. He didn't have a response, just asked me again if I wanted to join. Then gave me all types of financing ideas. The best one was $750 down and only $169 month at 17% interest for 36 months. Sounds good right. I also received a free gift for going and it was a 3 night vacation, the fine print said it's for a timeshare. One more way to scam your money. It's not a free vacation just another way to sucker you in with another company.

6/24/2008 - Donna writes:
My husband and I have just returned from a visit to Direct Buy. We were aware that we would have to make a decision to buy today so came prepared to do some comparison shopping. We are getting ready to completely furnish a new home so will need a lot of furniture. The presentation was reasonably short and the salesman was polite and informative. Our problem came when we wanted to compare the furniture we had shopped for in retail stores to what Direct Buy could offer. Of the 17 name brand manufacturers we had gotten model numbers for only 4 were included in Direct Buy. This included furniture for bedroom suites, Sofa's, TV, Desk, Dining table and chairs, and entertain centers from 7 retail stores. Of the four that they did have three of them provided no savings from the prices from the retail stores. On only one did the savings come to 10%, far less than Direct Buy claims they can save, especially on furniture. We did walk out, however, during the presentation the salesman gave a quiz, anyone coming within $2 of the cost was to receive a $149 knife set whether they purchased or not. My husband was $2.19 off and the salesman, Paul, said he would still receive the knife set and when asked after we had decided not to join he was told no, he had misunderstood, no knife set and the $25 [] Gift card is suppose to come in the mail since they had just run out. I won't hold my breath on that one either. So if you're going to go to Direct Buy be ready with very specific things you want to look for and be prepared to walk out. Our biggest concern was that of 17 well known manufacturers of furniture 14 elected not to utilize DirectBuy as an outlet.

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