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4/20/2008 - blanca writes:
My husband and I have plans to remodel our kitchen, so when I saw all of the informacials on tv I called, made an appointment and attended an open house. When the sales person mentioned the $4990.00 membership fee I said to my husband that's a lot of money this is not for us, but then they go on and on about how much you would save over time by being a member. They ended up convincing
my husband and I and we signed our membership on May 2007. We have not used it at all because they want you to pay up front for things that you want to order. Also if you want to shop online they don't have the prices for a lot of items, you would have to go to the showroom which is over an hour from our home and the shipping costs and all other fees, it's just ridiculous.
If anybody has beign able to cancel their membership please let me know how you did it, because I seriously want to cancel mine.
4/19/2008 - Mike writes:
A complete "scam". You can look around when you are "invited" to the presentation, and see "shills", (hired actors), in action. The one lady actually "winked" at me when we were walking through. Her "daughter" never even flipped the pages of the book she was reading. Where are the Attorney Generals of the States when you need them. A complete shell game, plus they are associated with U Build It, where we have had bad experiences as well. I was waiting for Robert Redford and Paul Newman to appear as the "Sting 3". Run, don't walk away from Direct Buy. No way the membership fee of $5990.00 pays off. This is a shell game, flim-flam deal of epic proportions.
4/19/2008 - Bob writes:
This company is nationwide. As far as I can tell you do not sign up in a van , in some dark alley. IT HAS TO BE LEGIT!
But the people who hate it- must not UNDERSTAND how it works. So be afriad of what you don't understand!?! Maybe DirectBuy should start a idiot program. You know??, have a contract with pop-ups, and have the potential members sign with crayons.
Because you would have to be an idiot- to not WANT to save money! You would have to be an idiot to NOT GET what DirectBuy is about, and how it works.
So Sorry-I hope the money you save by not joining, can buy you some common sense.
4/18/2008 - Carol writes:
Curiosity made me go to a DB "open house." DB also sweetened the deal by sending me a postcard with a key to open a lock & possibly win I think it was $10,000 & I was guaranteed to "win" at least 2 of the prizes listed, which were things like an Outback Steakhouse gift certificate, laptop, $50 or a trip. Okay, so it was curiosity & greed that made me call. I should have known something was up from the first phone call to make my appointment. My husband is ill & unable to travel - boy did I get grilled about him not being able to attend. Then I got grilled again about him not being there when I actually went to the showroom for the open house. I was told the presentation would take about an hour. I was there for almost 2 hours! I did research DB on the internet before I made the appointment, but never found this site. Had I known it was going to cost $5000 up front, then $200/year after 3 years I never would have wasted my time. I respectfully stayed & listened to the whole presentation. I immediately told our salesman I wasn't interested. He was fine with that & moved on. I stopped by the reception desk to show them my postcard/key for the prizes. I was told I'd have to wait for a salesperson. Talk about frosty! He took my key & said it didn't open the lock & started to walk away. I told him the postcard said I was guaranteed to win something. He handed me a brochure for a "free" trip. He was such a jerk I didn't want to hassle with telling him I was supposed to get 2 prizes. Anyway, the "trip" was actually only for 3 days & 2 nights in a hotel - getting there is on you. It's through a company called []. I found websites where a bunch of people complained they never received their "free" trips even after fulfilling all of their many requirements. It really speaks to DB's reputation that they would use this company.
DB is a joke. It's all handled like it's a secret society or something. If it's really all that great, why not be totally up front about everything??
4/17/2008 - Lisa writes:
I believe that Direct Buy ONLY works if you are buying things in bulk...like if you were building a house or re-doing your whole house so think about it before you join.
4/17/2008 - David writes:
I actually used Direct Buy under their old name back in 1995 (forgot the original name but it has changed). I actually paid the $1300 for membership back then plus $120 a month for 12 months. I did not think much of it at the time and thought that they would save me money. It took getting married and having my wife actually compare prices to find out you get no savings at all. I stopped paying for the membership in 2000 as their is still an anual fee each year.
My biggest question is why they changed the name to Direct Buy.
4/17/2008 - Karen writes:
My husband and I had seen the infomercial on TV and called. As we would be in the town where their showroom near us we thought we would take the time to check out what they had to offer. We were considering purchasing a small house to remodel within a short period of time. We also were greeted in a very friendly manner and sat in a large room to hear the presentation. My husband is a computer software salesman and very quickly new something was not right. I am an accountant and I began asking questions related to the cost and was asked to wait and not interrupt as that would be addressed later. As soon as they started with telling us it was a one time offer and could not return when we were ready to move forward we laughed and asked to leave. They followed us out and kept telling us what a mistake we were making. I can assure you that anything legitimate would not have a time limit for a decision to be made about spending that much money for an unknown benefit is rediculous. It is not something you want to listen to. Do not be intimidated with the talk of "our suppliers will not allow us to let us give you prices until you are a member". This is all a big scam, just get up and leave!!!
4/16/2008 - brenda writes:
DON'T TRUST THEM!!!!! I did the worst mistake by calling them a month ago to gather some info about this busies. First of all they didn't stop calling me over and over to schedule an appointment for an "open house", they even called me 20 times one day, finally my fiancé and I decided to go last Saturday, because you MUST go with your significant other or you can't get the open house free pass. They asked us to be there 15 minutes before the presentation, we got there 20 minutes before and nobody was in there, after waiting they finally opened the door, we waited for almost another 20 minutes for a "couple" that was coming to the presentation. As we waited a sales representative started talking to us about our things, it seemed that we had so many things in common, kind of weir. We started the presentation movie without the other couple, then after 15 minutes they showed, the look very similar to us, same age, dressing very casual like us and they were also engaged. As soon as they arrived the guy told my fiancé "I’m not buying this stuff" but by miracle 5 minutes after he was 100% in to this business. Later a "member" of direct buy showed us newspaper ads of furniture’s and appliances with prices and he compared how much money we will be saving with DB. Suddenly the "lecture" became a game between both couples to guess how much money we will be saving, this other couple of course new every single penny of how much we will save... again, "too weird". After one hour of suffering the presentation ended and they directed us to our sales representatives, the other couple disappears in action and at the same time the show room was full of people, looking the manuals and placing orders. This happened in less than one hour, from having nobody to open the door to having more than 20 people or as they call "members". The deal is that you have to pay $4,500 for the first year and then $610 for the rest of your life. It's taking or leave it; you can't go home and "think about it" you have to pay in the act or leave. We felt that they push us to make the deal the entire time we were around. We just told them that DB wasn't for us but they kept pushing and pushing until we "run" away. Please don't go, run away be smarter than us, it's a waste of time, money and can ever lead to a "divorce"
4/16/2008 - brenda writes:
DON'T TRUST THEM!!!!! I did the worst mistake by calling them a month ago to gather some info about this busies. First of all they didn't stop calling me over and over to schedule an appointment for an "open house", they even called me 20 times one day, finally my fiancé and I decided to go last Saturday, because you MUST go with your significant other or you can't get the open house free pass. They asked us to be there 15 minutes before the presentation, we got there 20 minutes before and nobody was in there, after waiting they finally opened the door, we waited for almost another 20 minutes for a "couple" that was coming to the presentation. As we waited a sales representative started talking to us about our things, it seemed that we had so many things in common, kind of weir. We started the presentation movie without the other couple, then after 15 minutes they showed, the look very similar to us, same age, dressing very casual like us and they were also engaged. As soon as they arrived the guy told my fiancé "I’m not buying this stuff" but by miracle 5 minutes after he was 100% in to this business. Later a "member" of direct buy showed us newspaper ads of furniture’s and appliances with prices and he compared how much money we will be saving with DB. Suddenly the "lecture" became a game between both couples to guess how much money we will be saving, this other couple of course new every single penny of how much we will save... again, "too weird". After one hour of suffering the presentation ended and they directed us to our sales representatives, the other couple disappears in action and at the same time the show room was full of people, looking the manuals and placing orders. This happened in less than one hour, from having nobody to open the door to having more than 20 people or as they call "members". The deal is that you have to pay $4,500 for the first year and then $610 for the rest of your life. It's taking or leave it; you can't go home and "think about it" you have to pay in the act or leave. We felt that they push us to make the deal the entire time we were around. We just told them that DB wasn't for us but they kept pushing and pushing until we "run" away. Please don't go, run away be smarter than us, it's a waste of time, money and can ever lead to a "divorce"
4/14/2008 - Karen writes:
My husband and I went to a DirectBuy open house yesterday afternoon and thank goodness all we lost was an hour of our time. What is so perplexing about this is that if it's such a great deal, then why do they wait (and wait, and wait) before divulging the cost of the membership? Our salesman was a nice guy, but as soon as he wrote the cost of the membership - $4999 - on the blackboard, we knew we were outta there! There was one other couple attending and they got up and left, too.
Here's the deal (and what most people don't even know) is that manufacturer's prices are still not the final cost for retailers...we used to be in the furniture business and negotiated with manufacturers all the time....so DirectBuy is not only making money from the outrageous membership fees, they're making money on the stuff they sell, not to mention the 17.5% interest rate on the membership fee!! Just do the math. So yes - run - don't walk away from DirectBuy!!!
4/14/2008 - Pam writes:
Hey guys, I too was tempted to go to Direct Buy, but decided to check on-line first. Thank God that I found this site. For all who have been taken in by the scam, you need to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. It's easy, all you do is go to the BBB site and fill out a complaint. Direct Buy is a member of the BBB, I checked them out and can you believe they actually have good ratings? But they would'nt if everyone who has been taken in by them would file a complaint.
4/14/2008 - Joy Zwicker writes:
They made it sound like you would get a great buy on everything you purchsed. That's a lie because if you do find something that is a reasonable bargin you have to pay to get it to their showroom not to where I live. Then they say you ave to pick it up there or pay for delivery again. The charge is on every item unless it happens to be from the same manufacturer.
They also pressured me into making a committment right away without any time to think about it.
They also led me to believe that there would be lots of help and all kinds people with helpful information. That has not happened yet. Because I live so far away from ther showroom they said buying over the internet would be so easy, that was another lie.
4/13/2008 - ConcernedViewer writes:
Christopher Lowell is now endorsing Direct Buy. If you were scammed by Direct Buy, let him know.
4/12/2008 - Jean writes:
Today, me and my husband attended a directbuy open house in Markham Ontario. I sure wish I did research before I went!!! I wasted 3 hours of my life there. We are newly weds that just bought a condo that needs to be furnished. I heard of directbuy from tv informercials before, so I googled their website and signed up online for a free pass. A lady called me to confirm my appointment and to confirm that my husband was going to attend as well. When we got there, we were greeted by a very friendly sales woman. She chatted with us, talked about personal things, and then walked us into a presentation room. We saw a great video - I was so excited because I thought we were going to save a lot of money and get high quality items! Then, as the presentation guy wrote the price of the member on the erasable board - $4690!!!! PLUS $299.00 for years 4-10. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? He only briefly mentioned it and then went on to how much we could save. After the presentation, our sales person sat us down to go over our potential savings and some sort of checklist. During the time we were talking to her, several people came up to her with contracts asking her to initial them. At first, I was a bit suspicious that it was a ploy...but then I thought I was just being paranoid. She kept bringing catalogs to us but with NO PRICES for the items that I thought would look nice. How convenient. For one couch, it said it would take 14-16 weeks to get! From reading the other testimonials, there are shipping costs too...BUT SHE NEVER TOLD ME! I was getting suckered in...I know how I am, so luckily my husband was there to pull us out. I really felt like joining after they told me that if we turn it down now, we can NEVER come back. He kicked me and said, "do you really think that if we come back with $5K in hand and say we want to join that they will turn us away?" With that, I told the lady that I did not want to waste any more of her time and that we are not ready to commit. She was still very friendly and walked us to the door. I am just glad she stayed friendly and I did not have someone kick me out like the other people on this board. Otherwise, I think I would have been very pissed that she wasted 3 hours of my life. I am so glad that my husband was with me...I would have made a huge financial mistake. Maybe it is a good thing that they force you to bring your spouse...two brains is better than one.
4/12/2008 - bh writes:
Mine is a short story compared to all the others here who had an "experience" with DB. I just got back from my Open House meeting at the local showroom. I went in having done no research ... but why was I to think I needed to research a store just for a visit? Anyway, after hearing that I needed to make a decision TODAY or forfeit any possible chance at membership, I decided definitely not. I stayed around out of curiosity, though, to hear the rest of the spiel. It only got worse when they just very briefly mentioned the fees. After the rest of the videos, we were dismissed to individual tables to talk money. I cut it short and said I will think about it - then they showed me the door. Thankfully, I left without "investing" in their scheme. Do the same.
4/12/2008 - mike writes:
WOW :( man all the info commercials sound so great, a menmber since 1999 I have saved over 135,000.All you think is I wanna be that person who saves.Me and my wife got this paper in the mail telling us we could win 50,000 in home rennovations.Wow right, who in there right mind wouldn't want 50,000 to do some sprucing up.So we venture down thier they are friendly and offer you what they DB calls starbucks coffee,(which tastes like standard vending machine coffee)if i where starbucks I'd be pulling my name out of there.So here we are going through this spill about how the stores mark up items really high and manufactures sell to every retail store or merchant the same price.Just that your local oarnge or blue store has different mark ups.I was very ashamed cause I have spent 8,000 in the last couple of months here and there fixing my house up at my local orange store.Then they tell you the price is only 4990 to join.WOW thats some amount of money.I was thinking how in the h$!! do they think people will save ya I might save some money,but 5000 i am living on earth where jobs are becomming hard to find peoples credit is dropping like rain and forclosures are rising every day.I went to the bathroom and said to my self "YOU BIG DUMMY" get out.I went to my wife and said lets go this place is not for us.The nice sales guy(who kept on insisting that he gets nothing in return for us joing but the satisfaction of nowing we are saving moey ) kindly asked where we were going.I replied "home jack, DB isn't for me" HE then asks what about your key don't you want to see if you win.NO as we pass the front lobby,then the guy has the nerve to ask me what free gifts do you want.I politely smilled and said give them to the next SUCKERS.:))
SO POINT BEING MADE DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO WASTE YOUR TIME UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPEND 5000 TO SAVE SOME MONEY.BUT IF YOU ARE THAT TYPE OF PERSON CALL ME I CAN TELL YOU HOW TO SAVE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS BUY SWITCHING TO THIS CAR INSURANCE COMPANY.
4/11/2008 - nick writes:
Much like all the other stories but want to add that when I went a few months ago in southern California, the cost to become a "member" was $5,800. I don't know the "wholesale" prices but I figure, do the math, that I would have to buy items, at 50% off retail amounting to $14,000 in order to break even. Very smooth operation. One more thing, this outfit advertises constantly in the greater L.A. market. Somebody is making a ton of money marketing so-called "wholesale" items. Watch out!!
4/11/2008 - Ron writes:
I was a sucker too they gave me there pitch about saving money, Dont do it, if you paid with credit card call them now to dispuit your charge. worked for me, good luck
4/11/2008 - Timothy writes:
Same as everyone here, we were dooped into going to an open house on a visitor pass. Right away we were given to this sales guy to sway us before the BIG presentation. All at first, it sounded like a good investment UNTIL they told us about the up-front fee of almost $6000. When my wife and I voiced our concerns about the up-front money and not being able to afford it, the sales man brought over the Manager to pump us up. We hesitated for a while thinking that if we don't do this NOW, we will NEVER be able to do it. We were pressured into a now or never situation. All you think about is "if I do sign up, knowing I can't afford this, I might be getting something potentially great, but if I pass it up, knowing I can't afford this, will I be losing something potentially great as well?" They left you no time to think this venture over and filled your head with lots of possibilites, never explaining the cancellation process. Just a few days later when my wife and I discussed our dicision, we tried to call and cancel and all we got was the run-around. We finally got a letter in the mail stating that despite our requests we will be taken into collections for the full amount (
4/10/2008 - Amber writes:
I went to DB showroom in Manhattan new york. They actually stop me and my sister and her husband to going, the reason was my brother in-law does not speaking English. Then one sales person from DB named Jennifer spoke to me over the phone and give me the " reason" which is if my brother in-law speaking Italian would disturb other customs, and DB do not serve non-English speaking clients! When I told her this is prejudiced, she said I went to far. Jennifer really needs wake up fast for two reasons, 1st this is USA and 2nd people use eyes to see furnitures not mouth. Everyone please be careful.
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