Direct Buy
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Direct Buy is a wholesale shoppers' membership club. The Direct Buy program offers discounted furniture, electronics, and other goods. Members must pay a "membership fee" in addition to a recurring annual fee. You also have the option to pay the entire amount up front or have it financed. The membership fees for Direct Buy can vary depending on that state you are in. Some Direct Buy members have reported paying upwards of $5,000 for a membership. Please check below for up-to-date Direct Buy reviews.
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Direct Buy. Maybe....Maybe not.
4/4/2008 - michael of New York, USA writes:
The decision to join Direct Buy is not an easy one. First, you need to know what it is, and then you need to decide if it really works. Direct Buy is an independent owned franchise wholesale catalog club. They do not stock product, only the manufacturers catalogs. They have around 700 manufacturers covering most of the home product lines - such as appliances, furniture (indoor and outdoor, windows treatments, kitchens, countertops, electronics, etc. Unfortunately, they make you sit thru a 90 minute hardcore sales presentation, and provide no direct information prior to your visit. They also used so many of the timeshare sales techniques, I actually found it entertaining. The basic premise is simple - they sell all the products at the manufacturers listed wholesale price. Period. Well, add shipping. And a handling fee (8%)-but not on everything. And tax (of course). And membership dues - $5000 or so for the first 3 years. After you join, you have access to the catalogs and can order anything out of them at the price listed on the sheets which appears to be wholesale single unit (plus the shipping/handling/tax). You pick what you want, pay for it, wait awhile, and go pick it up, or have it delivered (extra charge). They have installation services for flooring, countertops, and the like. Does it work? Maybe. So, it all depends on how you shop, what you buy, and how much you spend. If you shop well, you probably are only paying 10% or so above the wholesale price already. You don't pay shipping (to the reseller), and you pay tax and shipping to your house anyway (maybe no tax). Figure that it will take $50 to $70 THOUSAND in purchases to break even. Longer if you put the $5000 membership fee into T-Bills. I figure at $50,000 wholesale, + 10% membership, + 8% handling, + Shipping, + Tax, + some delivery $$. BUT, if you do not or cannot shop well, or are looking for an item that is not well discounted by anyone (usually the latest and greatest of a product line), or like to catalog shop (they have free coffee) then you could come out ahead. DirectBuy does not compete directly with Brick and Mortar Stores, at least not well. Internet Stores are their main competition. If you have sat thru the presentation, they stress that the businesses need to make a profit to stay in business. DirectBuy is also a business. The idea of DirectBuy is good, the execution needs to be polished. And without a doubt, they need to change their sales strategies. I would suspect that they could provide a real positive experience if they end the secrecy, opened enrollment via the Internet, revamped the membership fee to something realistic, and worked off the 8% handling fee and volume discounts as their profit. I did not join.
The worst purchase I ever made!
4/4/2008 - sherry of Idaho, USA writes:
This is the absolute worst place you can put your money. The infomercials sound wonderful. In reality it is a scam. Those who have been thru the high pressure presentation will recognize such things as: "You must buy in TODAY. If you dont buy right now, you can NEVER join Direct Buy again" "This is not for EVERYONE. We want to make sure you are the type of person that will be able to save lots of money". (I guess this is supposed to make them sound legitimate.) I realized too late that nothing at Direct Buy was cheaper. And a lot of the products we received were slightly damaged or they looked like "seconds" but there was no return on the items. At least not at this Direct Buy. "You will save 50-75% off retail, but you CANT TELL anyone what you're saving, its a SECRET and we dont want other businesses to know what we're offering" This is bogus, totally false, and there are virtually no, if ever, any savings. The other thing we noticed was that a lot of the products that you could see in the showroom like cabinets, flooring, windows, granite, etc. were of poorer or cheaper quality than what most people would want in a nice home. Just save your thousands of dollars it costs to join and do comparison shopping in your local community and you will be much, much, much better off.
Dont do it!
4/4/2008 - sy of Washington, USA writes:
Ya gotta tell yourself if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. We forgot that and joined Direct Buy. It cost us $3500 for 3 years. We bought several large ticket items for our home before we realized after all the markups with shipping and handling and waiting up to 6 weeks (and even up to 6 months once) for the products to arrive, that when we looked at the same items at the local retailers they were the same price or cheaper than what we paid at Direct Buy! And we didnt have to pay $3500 to shop locally and support our local business community. We began looking closer and realized there was virtually nothing we could save any money on at Direct Buy. In addition the manager at our local Direct Buy in Spokane, Ron Cully, was extremely rude, cursed at us, lied directly to us, and hung up the phone on us when we complained. One last thought, if you are the type of person who thinks timeshares are a good buy and have had a good experience with the high pressure sales pitch that their sales reps offer, then you will probably love the Direct Buy shopping and buying experience as well. I only hope that other people will learn from our mistakes.
If it's too good to be true...
3/31/2008 - Lori of Pennsylvania, USA writes:
My husband and I just got back from a DB presentation. Sad to say, that the best part of the presentation was when, after the manager got flustered and aggravated by questions and became rude, the couple next to us started pushing for the actual price before the end of the presentation and got yelled at and denied the figure - being firmly told they would have to wait - the couple got up and stormed out of the presentation. At least we were provided with some entertainment to ease the shock factor of the membership fee that was demanded of you before you left or you were threatened to be banned forever. I guess we should have known what was coming when I received 4 phone calls during the week leading up to the presentation and I was told that my husband MUST attend with me. I don't know what is up with the discrimination against women at this place but it was very evident when the manager (if you could call him that) couldn't answer my question of what happens to my membership should the franchise close. He went to get the owner. The owner came to the table, introduced himself to my husband while shaking his hands and proceeded to totally ignore me until I shoved my hand in his face and introduced myself to him. As my husband commented later "that was a big mistake". How dare he insult me like that and assume that it was my husband who would ultimately make the decision. And by the way, not once were we informed about the additional charges and every time we asked a question, we were made to feel like idiots and the manager got very indignant. Not to mention, they are very misleading with the whole 10 year membership they tout. Really you are paying for a 3 year membership at $5,100 due and payable immediately (or you could finance at 17.5% - are they kidding - such a successful organization can't get better financing???!!!) and them $150 per year there after the 1st 3. Oh well...you win some you lose some. At least we kept a sense of humor about it in the end.
Skin of my teeth
3/30/2008 - Dave of Massachucets, USA writes:
Yesterday my significant other and I experienced the incredible high pressure sales pitch at the North West MA. DirectBuy facility. The very slick (in retrospect downright creepy) (and I hope he reads this) sales guy paraded us and two other couples through the place and showed us products in several categories and lied through his teeth. He stated that there were no other charges other than the wholesale prices. After reading many of the comments on this site sent in by the poor folks who got suckered into joining DB it turns out that they charge 8% on top of the wholesale price and also charge shipping and handling. On top of that your purchases are delivered to the DB site and it is your job to get it home. When pressed to join I explained that I was renting a house and was negotiating to buy it. If in fact I was successful in buying the house I felt that the membership would be of value but if the sale didn't go through it wouldn't make sense. That's when they turned up the pressure and WARNED that I could never join DB if I didn't join right then and there. When we asked about their then and there ultimatum they came up with the most absurd response of all. "We have an agreement with our wholesale suppliers that we won't have our members comparison shopping at retailers" Ridiculous! Why would a member go comparison shopping at a retailer anyway. Reality is that if they did they would find out that the savings for most items is very small or non existent as stated by the lions share of members who have taken the time to warn unsuspecting potential members. What really broke my heart when I got home and jumped on this site was that there was an older couple (and I'm no spring chicken) who signed up for the ridiculous term of 10 YEARS for $6,000. They looked in their 80's and I suspect they don't even have a computer and will never have access to the hundreds of DB members who found out that DB is a total scam.
they call too much!
3/29/2008 - stephanie of Ohio, USA writes:
I did not even get a chnce to go to the center because of the agrivating calls. they wanted my husbands name and for both of us to visit not jusy me, i was the only one inerested. i told all of the consultants that kept calling the same story over and over. then they kept calling offering prizes for our visit....all women calling me of course. dont they know men do not excite easily. we women normally have to have a "conversation" with our husbands about buying expensive household items unless it's a tv or some electronics...they should be more interested in the original caller and not offer mebership until you've seen what's offered.
Pretty Good
3/11/2008 - Roni of Maryland, USA writes:
Direct Buy works and is a good buy IF you are interested in HIGH END Products. I purchased new home and only wanted top quality products. I always found a huge savings on those products when compared to the prices at a department store or boutique. I did purchase a product that I could have gotten from [] and found I didn't really save and it took longer for me to get it. The only down side is that you are still purchasing from the manufacture and have no control over when you get the products, they can ask for an update, but that's it. Shipping does seem high but most times I got a refund because it is just an estimate. You do have to take a lot of time to search all the many products to make sure you get exactly what you want. The center where I am the people their are nice and willing to help if they have time. You can get just about anything from them. But just like with coupons. Just because you have the coupon, you should buy the items unless you need them. Just because something is on sale doesn't mean you should get it. I have gotten washer, dryer, granite countertops, wine cooler, convection oven hood range, family room furniture, morning room furniture, parlor furniture and love it all! Just be prepared to have a handyman on hand because unlike purchasing from a department store where they deliver and/or set up, your on your own!
For Some, Not All
3/10/2008 - KBL of Ontario, Canada writes:
I disagree with most of the complaints on here. I got a Direct Buy membership after learning about DB from a high school friend who works there. I was lucky enough to be better informed. I found out all about the one time sales pitch before hand from my friend. I strongly disagree with their sales tactics but I do see the point. My friend has related plenty of horror stories of how a visitor drives over to [] and demands a new plasma at cost right after the intro visit. Heck, he has gotten angry calls from [] about impatient members who do the same thing. The Ottawa location lost a garden supplies provider when a member took a confidential Direct Buy quote and drove over and demanded the same price so she could save delivery time. Her membership was revoked and that business dropped DB as a sales channel. She violated the rules and other members lose out (we cannot access that supplier). Yet she is probably going to be complaining on a forum like this soon. When I joined, I had him price out different items I intended to buy which allowed me gauge my potential return. Lastly, I found out that since all DB locations are franchises, each one has a different membership fee. The newest locations tended to have the lowest fees but the highest annual renewal fees. Luckily one of these new locations was in my area. So I purchased the membership for around $3500 CAD in Aug 2006. I plan on renewing at a location with a cheaper annual rate. Find a new location, and you will definitely not have to pay $6000. As for other costs…the 6-8% handling fee is not applicable on most items. I have paid shipping or handling for only about half the items I have purchased. And even then I have still found it cheaper in comparison to retail. And then there’s sales tax. I can’t see the argument of those who complain about sales tax. I would love to find a retailer that does not charge you sales tax. There’s also the comment regarding them not offering financing. I think this is a good thing. If you need financing you do not belong at DB. If you are a discipline shopper who saves up for major purchases and does not impulse buy then you are definitely a DB fit. Given today’s instant gratification society (I am only 27 myself) and the piles of credit card and other debt, I dont think DB should offer financing any time soon. I have benefited immensely from this membership. I bought a new condo and I did purchase all my furniture and appliances from Direct Buy. By my estimation, within 2 years I have recovered my fee. They had all the brands and the models, the type of furniture (a Nicoletti couch - only sold in Montreal) and rare items I could not find (an LG combo washer/dryer that was withdrawn from retail in Canada). In fact, I am always overwhelmed by the amount of choice (for example colours and materials on furniture) that I have at DB. The location I joined at, advised potential customers not to join unless they had major purchases and were likely to recover their investment. The reality of DB is that it takes some compromise and elbow grease on your part to enjoy those savings. This means you have to do the research before you buy. You have to pick up and install purchases yourself. And you have to have items you need to buy, (ie major appliances or home improvement items) or non-traditional items (like the aforementioned combo washer/dryer) that you would like to have. And you have to have major purchases to make. Unless, you are likely to purchase at least 15 000 dollars worth of merchandise in the next two years, you are unlikely to recover a satisfying portion of your membership. I think they should stress this point more. If your income is less that $60k or you have a family income less than $70k, you’re probably better off at []. In my experience (and having inside knowledge from an employee), those who complain have entirely unrealistic expectations and a poor understanding of how DB and retailers operate. The fact that many contractors themselves use DB says plenty about how cost effective they are. But there are bound to be compromises. You don’t get the brand you want sometimes (very rare in my opinion) , they don’t sell low end merchandise, you cant return anything (they are not a store with a warehouse, they are a buying club), and you have to cart it away yourself or pay for delivery. If you want to join you have to weigh these issues out. If you are choosy on brands (ie Sony is not offered but Samsung is), DON’T JOIN. If you need to visit a showroom to buy an item, DON’T JOIN (isn’t that what the internet is for?). If you need to talk to sales people (I find them annoying, useless and uninformative), and you are not an independent shopper, DON’T JOIN. If you want everything to be delivered the next day after you pay for it, DONT JOIN. If you don’t like to set up and install things yourself, DONT JOIN. And if you have no major purchases to make, really….DON’T JOIN. If you are satisfied shopping at [], DONT JOIN. Direct Buy does not carry brands that can compete on price with gypsum or particle board furniture. Lastly, your expectations have to be realistic. Electronics tend to have markups of only 15-25%. The Direct Buy price compares well on the cost price for many electronics at retailers like [] (I have a cousin who works there and I have compared prices). Occasionally, however, retailers like [] do sell below cost so it will be cheaper to shop there than DB. This is however, the exception, not the rule. With items like furniture, or home improvement and building materials there is no comparison. Italian made furniture sells for 30-40% of the retail price. Granite counters go for half the price of outside contractors with more choice of materials and finishes. Tires for my car are close to half off. On a set of winter tires, that over $600 in savings. A single purchase like that every year, could recover your membership value over time. In short, you have to have time and effort to put in, to truly materialize savings. And you have to have money to spend. DB is not meant for bargain basement shoppers. It is meant for those who are value conscious (not price conscious - there is a difference), who make informed decisions and take the long view of purchases they make (granite counters add value to your house, a new plasma tv does not). If you are not this type of person, do yourself, the staff and other members a favour, and stay out of the showroom. The rest of us have some shopping to do. ps. I posted the above comment as annonymous in various locations. I think the crap being posted about DB is entirely unfair and uninformed. The only reason I posted as annonymous is to protect info about my friend who works tehere who went to great lengths to help me decide if joining was right for me.
Good for price takers, bad for bargain hunters.
3/7/2008 - Robert of Ontario, Canada writes:
My parents have been a member of Direct Buy for nearly 10 years and keep renewing every year out of habit. Because my parents are price takers (pay full retail too often), Direct Buy has saved them a little bit of money over the years (despite the hefty membership and annual fees). On the other hand, ; for people who don't mind waiting for sales, negotiating with salespeople, and searching the internet for the best possible prices, any Direct Buy savings (if any) do not justify the initial cost or annual fees. Over the years my parents have used Direct Buy to save money on hardwood strip flooring, numerous posh leather couches and furniture items (half MSRP), a new car (through a referral to a car negotiator), some appliances, some electronics items, and hopefully a hot tub in the future (half MSRP). And while my parents were going through the hassle of driving 30 minutes to place the order at a showroom, waiting months for it to show up at the showroom, and driving another 30 minutes to pick it up, I have been scoring similar deals through research and negotiation, and getting the things I want in less time. Although I have been able to order things through my parents, I have only used Direct Buy twice; I either found a better price somewhere else, or wasn't willing go through the hassle and wait involved in direct buy purchases. It is also worth noting that the 2 purchases that I made were 8 years ago when Canadian internet retailers thought that charging retail prices plus shipping and handling was a good marketing strategy (and US retailers thought that Canadians were willing to pay twice the item cost in shipping and handling). Here are some tips for consumers: If you're going to buy a new car, get the dealer cost from an internet service (ex. car cost canada), add a fair markup and go into a dealership and tell them what you are willing to pay. Recently I bought a Toyota Matrix, asked for a price that was 4.5 percent above dealer cost, and wound up getting it 7.5 percent above dealer cost. This saved me more than 2 grand with very little hassle. I probably could have got a better deal if I went to a dealership out of the city. For furniture and appliances, stores like the Brick (Canadian) have sales all the time where particular items go on sale for up to 50 percent off. If you're planning on moving to a new home in the future, you can put a refundable deposit of 100 dollars on these items to lock the price in for the later date (and reclaim your deposit if you change your mind later). If you can't wait for sales, you can always negotiate; be stubborn and you will get the best possible price management is willing to give. Finally, if you belong to a union or other organization, your organization may have agreements with particular retailers. Recently I got 40 percent off a couch through my union. For electronics, any retail sale will wipe away Direct Buy savings (in most cases). I got my surround sound savings through direct buy at half the cost of retail here in Canada (MSRP) but I was able to find the exact same thing at a comparable price over the internet in the US. Here my 2 cents. Hope it helps.
DB Owner thank you for calling
3/5/2008 - Bonnie of California, USA writes:
UPDATE: Update: As of 03/04/08 after I left the review, I called Mike again and was informed that there are two mikes so I left a message on the owners voicemail and called back to get transferred to the manager mike and he picked up the phone and when I asked why my check got deposited he responded that they deposited the check in error and that they did received my cancellation. He apologized and stated that they will be sending the check out today. Meanwhile, an important check bounced and fees were charged to my account so I spent a good part of my work day making calls to get it resolved.) Mistakes get made its how you handle them that makes all the difference. On 03/05/08, I received a call from owner mike who apologized for what happened and proceeded to explain that there were no hidden charges and that the charges were discussed in the video. I proceeded to tell him that we were the last group of the day and maybe somethings got missed by us not asking the approperiate questions or the fees not being properly explained. Confirmed that we didnt really know about the added fee on top of the S&H, which he explained that it was not an added fee and offered for us to come back and speak with him. However, He said the check will be available if we want to pick it up or have it mailed. I proceed to tell him that if are calls were returned in the beginning then we would of just thought all of this was a mistake and then proceed to call to get it corrected, but us as customers not getting return calls and then a check gets deposited that was not suppose to, we thought we were getting ripped off as any customer would. He replied that he was not sure why no one returned our call and he will check into it. He appologized again for what happened and asked was there anything else and I just said no and we hung up. Thank you DB owner for making it right and hope that in the future this wont happen again. I think "Good Customer service is the the key to running an excellent buisness and also to prevent bad reviews." As for my overall rating on the products I dont know as I never used them. This rating is based on customer service.
DB Give us our money back!!!!
3/4/2008 - Bonnie of California, USA writes:
we purchased a membership at the Rocklin,CA location and then found out that there were hidden fees that they charge on purchases made through them. Of course they do not tell you in the presentation. So we cancelled on 02/26/08 by mail and also made three attempts to get a hold of someone to cancel our membership. We were told that Mike the one in charge was out sick and he is the only one we could cancel through(convient dont you think.) So my Husband called the next day and was told the samething. So he left voicemail after voicemail and requested that Mike call us back. As of today 03/04/08 we still have not gotten a call back from him (Gee he must be still sick, right?) We checked our account everyday to ensure that the check was not going through. But when checking our account today they went ahead and deposited our check for $5998.00. So again we called but the voicemail states that they are not open until 12:30PM. So I called our bank and filed a fraud case as they were not authorized to deposit a check on a cancelled membership. I will again call today to see if he is still sick!!! LOL Very poor customer service, dont return phone calls and they take your money!!!! Gee not the company for us. I will be calling channel 13 news if this does not get resolved. So if anyone else has had this happen please call channel 13 news so we can get this resolved. Be Warned never to make a decision on a big purchase without being able to use the services. As stated before it is not a secret, it is a sales tactic. Dont be fooled!!!!!! Be Smart!!!!!
Don't Waste Your Time
3/3/2008 - Aaron of New York, USA writes:
After seeing the infomercial for Direct Buy, I decided to contact them. I was told on the phone that both my wife and I must attend, and no children can attend. Ok, so I made an appt for a Satuday and both of us attended. WHEW! Upon arriving, we were pleasently greeted by the receptionist who then introduced us to our tour guide. After a bunch of idle chatter about our kids, family, etc we were given a binder containing several of Direct Buys "Directions" magazines to thumb through. Ok, while some of the prices on items appeared lower than I could buy from retail stores must were not lower. And if you ask, you will find that you must pay shipping, tax and an 8% fee (which includes the total of the item, shipping & tax) for everything you order. So, this results in many items now costing even more than one would pay from any other retail store. We were then ushered into a room by the Manager and given another speech and video presentation lasting approx 45 minutes. At the end of the presentation we are then informed that to join Direct Buy we would have to pay $4800 for the 1st 3 years and then $190 for each year after that up to 10 years. Hum, that seemed like a lot of money and that would certainly negate any potential savings we might have gotten by ordering through Direct Buy. The real kicker is we were then told that we MUST make a decision to join prior to exiting or we will not be allowed to join! Now come on, anytime there is a contract involved, isn't it smart to read it carefully, ask any questions or even have it reviewed by a legal professional if you aren't sure about the wording? Direct Buy does not allow for that. The bottom line is, if Direct Buy could truly save a person as much as the claim they would ask people to make a list of any big ticket items they plan on purchasing along with what there prices are in area stores and THEN compare Apples to Apples when you arrive showing a person 1st hand how much one would save by using Direct Buy. However, Direct Buy doesn't allow for this and gives the lame excuse that this would "anger" the retail stores, etc. Needless to say we did not join Direct Buy and as soon as we said no, we were immediately ushered out of the building. Direct Buy certainly wasn't for us. Asking someone to pay $4800 or take out a "payment plan" without allowing them to think about it, review the contract, etc. is just bad business!
May be a good deal, but NO trial membership!
3/2/2008 - Anonymous of Pennsylvania, USA writes:
I have spent hours reading through hundreds of the negative and positive complaints/accolades here and in the sister infomercial site, and here is my feedback to folks looking for input. Firstly, we all agree that the whole sales process is hokey, full of half truths, harassing phone calls, and the like, and wasting some of your time. My take on this is that Sales is sales; don't complain about the process but rather determine is this going to save you time/$/hassle overall or not, that's all that matters in the end. Otherwise you could allow a decent deal to slip by because you were "bothered" by the process. That said, what really only matters are what members think - the opinions of NON members like myself really should count a lot less than members! (but please read on ...) Summarizing what I have read on these forums, the types of members are: 1) those who have taken advantage of purchasing a decent quantity paying for the membership in a reasonable amount of time - and dealing with the headaches and work associated with the process. Good for you people - you got it to work for yourselves and so the risk worked out. 2) those who have had back luck with the purchases that they have done, feel that the selection is limited for their situation, and they haven’t used the service enough to recoup the costs 3) those who are flat-out bitter that nothing has worked out for them, didn't realize the savings would not be as much as they had been led to believe (and they were led, we were all led, lets not make any mistake about it or offer excuses to DB Sales associates), find it difficult to order and find what they want, and they were probably not a good fit for the product. Personally had I signed up for the service, I have the potential to fit somewhere between the first and second category, mostly because I have a kitchen remodeling project that I know that we will do SOON that will cost tens of thousands, and few if any large purchases besides that for years to come (yes I am being realistic about that). The dilemma that I or any prospective member has is determining in advance, will THIS PRODUCT WORK FOR MY PERSONAL SITUATION. This is a dilemma because they do NOT offer a try and buy, so, you can't spend the time to work through the details of a large project like a kitchen to make an educated decision as to whether it will truly save you money or not (assuming no major hiccups in the process – mis-ordered product, mistake by their designers, etc. that turns out to not be your fault but which blame is associated to you). You see, the problem is that YOU HAVE NO RECOURSE to get your money back IF IT TURNS OUT that it is NOT a good deal for you, not even a partial refund if, say, you purchased a single product or no product at all (but just priced stuff out). This could be especially burning if it turns out to not be "your fault" for it not working out. Remember, they are NOT, I repeat, NOT EVER going to refund your membership (beyond the 3-day cool off period - thank God for that) under ANY circumstances because at the minimum they can always easily prove (in court) that they uphold their claims, even if what you get is a lot less than you expected - it's too gray of an area. I think that that is what people fail to realize when signing up for something like this - and in too many cases, like mine, I SIMPLY COULD NOT BE CONFIDENT IN ADVANCE that it would work to my advantage even if I did everything "right". So, even with all the negativity in these forums, I HOLD A NEUTRAL STANCE towards the product because I am locked out of trying it b/c of the risk of it not working out and no recourse if it does not. Finally I want to add, the fact that they do not offer try and buy (as discussed above) is, in my opinion, a bunch of bull. Think about it, millions of members have access to this information, and so really it is not such valuable information that they would like you to believe. Sure they have these stated rules about not divulging prices, but with millions of people having access, in addition to millions of people in the retail industry who know the numbers for their specific markets, there really is no secret information. The FACT that we all know that retailers mark up items 15 - 50% is a FACT that many of us already knew before meeting DB, and certainly know now. But who cares, who really cares, I don't. The retailers are not bad guys - they are only trying to be profitable as companies, there is nothing more American than that. Does it really matter if I know how much a particular retailer MIGHT (and I say MIGHT because they all get different deals from the manufacturer based on various criteria) pay for an item? What am I as a consumer going to do with that information anyway? I’ll tell you - absolutely nothing! I have no bargaining power with the retailers anyway - this is not some third world country where we barter for goods in the market - the price at a retail store, for the most part, is the price, sale or not, and in cases where negotiation occurs is relatively unaffected by whether I know how much they paid for the item or not anyway. My conclusion is that I believe that this policy is really DBs policy, not the policy of the manufacturers, imposed on DB members to ensure that they don’t lose huge numbers of new members who quickly decide for whatever reason it is not for them. But, again, this point is just my opinion. In closing, I re-iterate my main point that there is no try and buy, so if it doesn’t work out for you, and DB holds loosely enough to its claims that you have no lawful claim against them, then it's your loss, period. You have been warned - maybe the risk is worth it to you. I would only participate if it was a clear slam dunk that I was going to be furnishing and/or remodeling "significantly" (you'll have to determine the definition of significantly). Best of luck.
Not worth the membership!
2/28/2008 - Jay of California, USA writes:
I am a DB member and to tell you the truth...the fee is not worth the membership! We did the remodeling thing and we thought joining was going to help us SAVE big $$$$ --- NOT! They always say "apples to apples" but when we remodeled the "apples" we got were much more nicer. Upgraded wood choice (same as their #7); glazing and stain color upgrades. We even got design carvings on a couple of our kitchen cabinets w/glass. We have corbals for our island. Our kitchen we have now is U-shape in desgin with an island in maple w/glazings. Diect Buy had priced us for an L-shape with no island. DB explained the cabinet doors are oak, pine, birch, maple, cherry (whatever you decide on) but the frames of the cabinet are made of plywood. They tell you that other stores just use partical board and plywood is an upgrade and it would cost you a pretty penney for ALL wood frame cabinets. Not true. I found a company that make solid mohagany kitchen cabinets for $25,000.(above average size kitchen). It's the kind you see in magazines - GORGEOUS! Our budget was for $18K. Now that I think about it, the $$$$$ we paid for DB could have gone to the mahogany cabinetry. We thought we would be saving when we joined. Our decorative tile for the kitchen backsplash usually costs about $13 -17 a piece I got for only $3.50 each piece and paid only $5 for shipping. My contractor flipped when I told him the price. The deco tiles weren't "apple to apples" but HECKA NICER! They're metal with crytal glass inserts in the center (your choice of color). We also bought a tankless water heater and found out our neighborhood furnace shop sells it just for $89.00 more and they had dozens in stock for immediate purchase. Our order took 3 weeks longer to come in and had surface damage so DB took off $100 off the price we paid. Toto toilets were installed in our remodeling and we paid the same exact price DB was charging without handling fees. This showroom asked us how much the "other" seller's price and they matched it. The bath showroom did not know it was DB. Toilets came in 2 weeks. Our porcelin tiles are from a well known company and also an upgrade tile. It was purchased for $1.?? less than DB prices. The tiles arrived in 3 business days. Don't forget you have to pay shipping and handling with DB and wait 4 - 8 weeks for delivery. Our hardwood floors are handscraped bamboo purchased and received in 4 business days. Delivery costs an extra $20 to your door. Our contractor had a truck to pick up order. Our kitchen hardware same price but we paid $2 less each and were in stock at the store we purchased them in.(we got lucky). Our 16 jet jacuzzi was the same price at DB but we bought in an actual bath showroom. This was pleasant since the showroom rep answered every question we had about the products we ordered including the bidet we had installed. The steam shower we purchased online - paid no tax and it was free shipping. Most of our fixtures like faucets and towel warmers were ordered online with no tax and free shipping (arrived within 2 weeks tops)which is a few $$ less compared to DB prices. Our burgandy square marble vessel sink in the guest bathroom including the cabinet only cost $900 including tax no shipping and paid cash for that. Our kitchen appliances, I think we saved at the most $1200 but how do I recoup $4000K membership fee to justify the savings (what savings?)?? You don't! I mean...I don't. I know I'll never make up the difference. I have purchased many upscale items from cookware to cutlery to luggage that DB sells and online stores are only a couple of $$ more with bonus gifts, no tax, and free shipping! That is something Direct Buy can't top! I also noticed the price comparison they give is the price when that item FIRST comes out. DB never compares their price with current market price. Currant market price is usually 20-40% off retail prices. If you're fortunate to find a reputable retail store online, you can really save BIG $$$ Don't look to DB when it comes to savings. The staff has no knowlege whatsoever on the merchandise they supposedly represent. Well maybe the kitchen disigner staff knows their stuff but all the others just place orders and help locate catalog books. If I could turn back time, I would have never joined DB. I do admit that the presentation we went to was well "acted"...naah...I was just stupid to believe this company was caring enough to want to help people save money. They don't. You know what they say, what comes around, goes around. Eventually this company will be exposed. Do you have a NEGATIVE 5 STAR? That is the grade I would like to give them.
biggest scam of all times
2/27/2008 - eileen of Texas, USA writes:
in oct of 07 bought membership at 4500.00.we were buying 6 rooms of furniture for our new house. with all the fees ect i could buy locally at only $300. more. local the obvious choice if product problem arose. this was an expensive lesson. never trust a scam artist.recoup our money?HA!!!
DirectBuy - ByeBye
2/26/2008 - Greg of California, USA writes:
Wife and I attended and signed up ($5998 for first two years in Rocklin - each franchise sets their own membership fee). CA allows a 3 day cooling off period so we had an opportunity to verify the claims. I put together a misc list of electronics, floor coverings, furniture and appliances on Yahoo shopping and BizRate. We are planning a renovation of 2,400 sqft with a 400 sqft addition. No small job and far surpasses what DB promotes as spending that would save you far more than your membership. I was able to match most model numbers exactly. Electronics were $100 cheaper to $200 more expensive. Appliances were lower to mid-range of pricing. Flooring and furniture was not easily matched but appeared competitive with internet pricing (some a little more and some a little less). Also, DB claims to the contrary, there are many brands and models they do not carry and notes in the binders specified that many models have limited quantities available. The decision was easy. If in less then two hours of searching I can put together over 40 items that meet or beat DB prices why would I invest $6,000 to look at a catalog with no technical experts to support me and limited to only DB suppliers. My comparison did not include the 8% handling fee DB charges on many items (in addition to sales tax and shipping). As my wife and I were waiting to cancel our membership a couple in front of us were lamenting that the whole line of Kohler they wanted disappeared overnight and that the kitchen appliance set they wanted was not available as DB only carried some of the line not the full set. The customer "service" rep's response was "well at least you found out before you ordered it. Otherwise you would have received an order cancellation notice and had to come in and order something else." Can't tell you how happy we are that we made sure we verified before the 3-day cooling off period had expired. The first thing they checked when we said we wanted to cancel was the date on the contract. Also note: Design services are free for two revisions then a flat fee of $250 per revision. Most items must be picked up at the DB location. The warranty nothing. You must work with the manufacturer. There are no cancellations of orders even if the price or shipping costs increase over the estimate by up to $100 or 10% of the product's price. There are no returns once you accept (pick up) the merchandise. Our closer told us they were just purchased by a Disney company - so expect great things. However, I don't think I need to spend $6,000 to get the opportunity to purchase a discount cruise. The money in this one is definitely in owning the franchise. Membership fees have increased about 500% this decade. Their slogan should be "How much will people pay to perceive they are getting value".
Not For Me
2/26/2008 - Danielle of Ontario, Canada writes:
I had seen the commercials on the television (i am a younger stay at home mother (age 27) of 4 young boys two sets of twins actully)and my husband is a lawyer in Toronto, We had just purchased a new home and being pregnant again this time with a girl i had some new things that needed to be bought as well as some appliances for our new home. I called and made an appointment and let them me know that my husband was very busy with work and that i was pregnant with 4 young children, she said that they didn't allow children for this presentation but if I was a member there would be no problem with bringing them with me to shop and that my husband MUST come with me to presentation (which is fine for me he makes most financial decisions anyways but i can see why people may be offended by this)we could not get a sitter and called to let them know this, she said if we MUST bring them to come on a saturday and thats just what we did, we came in and gave them our information everyone commented on how cute the boys were and how they were sets of twins ... i always get comments on this but it seemed so fake ... anyways that is neither here nor there ... the boys were brought into a play room and watched disney movies and played with toys while my husabnd and I was lead around the showroom asked questions, he did not want to tell them he was a lawyer so he simply said that he is in business I said i was a stay at home mom and had been for 4 years now, they gave us some history of the company thn we were brought into a theatre style room to watch a video, my youngest set of boys came in looking for their dad (as weekends are family time for the 6 of us) the employees seemed really upset and asked me to step outside to speak to the children, i asked the gentleman how long it would be and he was another 20 mins or so so i brought them back to the play room and told them that we would be done soon and to play quietly with the older boys (i can no understand why you cannot be young children atleast very short attention span, atleast with my boys) i went back in and finished the video they began asking questions and writing on a whiteboard, finally they let out the big secret that it would cost $5,200.00 for 2 years to join and we could renew for 8 more years at around $200.00 per year. I could just not see myself using the service to get my money back AND save anything, i was pregnant and would have a newborn in a couple months and had 4 young boys i would be respoinsble to shop as my husband works a lot and the location seemed to be out of our way. I am also and instant gratification person and when i buy something i would like it then, I oould not wait 8 weeks for a baby crib, my baby could be born early as my other children were and then were am I ? without a crib (i sold my other furntiure as i had no plans to have another baby i didn't want to risk twins again my husband says i do everything the hard way haha)I thanks the lady for her time but said i was not interestedshe asked why and I explained i did not mind paying a little mark up (i am always looking for sales hardly ever play full price on ANYTHING) especially to get the product then, plus after shipping and handling and freight costs i just didnt see it benefiting, she said to me if i had money to throw away to the retailers then i should just BUY the membership, my husband got quite upset at the comment and stood up told the lady thank you for her time but we were leaving, she said no problem and brought back an owner of the company who was also a mother and had a baby with her i rolled my eyes and KNEW what was coming she started talking about my beautiful family and asked about our new baby i explained to her that it was not for me and i did most of the shopping see seemed to understand that having children on her own but mentioned it was easyier then dragging them through a store, she then said that she was sorry we were doomed to the "retailer world" forever and we could not come back, i thanked her got my boys and left with my husband, not for me, could be for you though.
Very few would benefit from it.
2/26/2008 - Danielle of Ohio, USA writes:
We are members. We joined with our eyes completely open to what it was. We only joined because we are self-contracting a home we are building and will need to furnish it. I do believe we will save the membership cost. However, that's ONLY because of the fact that we are building and furnishing a new home from scratch. I have been unimpressed with some of the savings thus far. They told us they offered the manufacturer's entire product line, but when I went to see about prices on a Whirlpool freezer, I found out that Whirlpool doesn't offer their freezers to Direct Buy. I purchased a Direct Vent gas fireplace. The accessories through Direct Buy were a lot cheaper (like the blower, the doors, etc.) but the fireplace itself wasn't much cheaper, by the time they add their 8% handling and the freight costs. On a $1900 total purchase, I saved about $150 over the best price I found online with free shipping. (It would take a lot of those purchases to cover the ridiculous membership cost.) As for cabinets, we will be ordering through them. The prices are really good for the Diamond cabinet line. You can find similar prices on some of their cabinets at other places, but those places really upcharge the options. So I think the savings will add up for the cabinets. We thought we'd save money on windows. However, we found out later they only offer vinyl windows, and we have to have wood windows due to zoning restrictions. They referred us to a 3rd party that was supposed to give us member pricing, but Home Depot beat those prices by quite a bit. I do think that when we start buying furniture, we will really come out ahead. But honestly, it makes me cringe when I see couples signing up for Direct Buy when I go into the showroom. I know that for the vast majority, they will never save as much as the membership costs them. I think we are definitely in the minority that will come out ahead, but that's because of our unique situation. The staff at the Columbus store has truly been helpful and courteous though.
Million Member Club...Since 1971
2/25/2008 - John of Massachusetts, USA writes:
UPDATE: You know, at my club in Rockland, MA, I learned alot. First of all, you don't get a BBB (Better Business Beureu) Ratings of Perfect unless you are just that...not just for one year, but for more than 3 Torch award recomendations. Thats nine years of no complaints and thousands of customers who are happy over 20 years. Yes, there is a fee...did you think they are like the Church...oh wait even the Church makes money. They just dont make any money on your purchses. Period. Yes, there is a shipping fee, duh, did you think cost includes shipping? Did you ever think of a store owner not paying for shipping? You become the store owner and incur the same costs...like shipping, but no overhead and no need to make a relationship with more than 700 brand names. Did you ever think it was easy for them (directbuy) to cultivate a relationship with so many (700) brand names? Stop and think about how much research they must have done before letting people, namely members, see cost for items evryday? And what of their policy of "Scaming" to make you make a decision. Lets see, if you give them the membership money a day latter after the tour, they will refuse it. Why? Why would anyone business refuse the money...if it weren't really a policy made by the manufacturers, they dictate that policy. The policy protects brand names, not guests who may or may not disrupt the retail and DirectBuy world. Members protect themselves and their investment. They would never ever divulge or disrupt the retail world. Bottom line, only 158 stores for DirectBuy, millions of members. There are millions of retail stores. And only 300 complaints on line complete. That, my firends, is insignificant. And if you think that a fraction of those 'complaints' aren't even members. Curious. Very curious. I say, decide for yourself, and if you need to, read my comment again. Then, think of 158 centers, they are all, all individually owned. Some great, like mine in Rockland, and some not so much. Bottom line, cost is cost, and unbiased opinions are people who know better. Guess who might be telling lies..can you say retailers or maybe slighted salespeople out the commisions of the vendors? Peace and decide with your brain, not the escalading repeated slander angainst such a great and old company. 36 Years people. Facts are facts.
Very disappointed.
2/18/2008 - CLARK of Maryland, USA writes:
My husband called and received an appointment in January, 2008. I was apprehensive from the beginning, because, they were insistent that he and I both attend. From previous experience, that usually means the product is costly. The showroom is located five minutes from our home, which is a good thing. The first thing I noticed about the showroom was that it appeared to be temporary. Other than the carpet and kitchen display, everything else looked as if it could be picked up and moved within a minute's notice. Then, when we told our membership director that we were just curious about their business, she looked at us as if we were crazy and advised us that they are in the business of selling us a membership. We then proceeded to watch the movie presentation with another couple. I have to admit that the movie presentation and the presenter was very good. I told my husband that if the the fees/dues weren't too high, this may be worth considering. I can't tell you how shocked I was when the man came back and told us the fees were $5,100.00 for the three years and $169.00 every year thereafter. Then he proceeded to tell us about their financing options. I was ready to leave then, but, we were sent back to our membership director. She proceeded to tell us about the additional financing options at 17%. I asked her what the rate would be if you had good credit, she just basically shrugged her shoulders and said that was their rate. At that time, my husband told her that we would like to think about it over the weekend and we would call her on Monday. She told us that we had to make our decision that day or we would never be able to return to their showroom. My husband asked if we were to bring $5,100.00 in the following day, we couldn't purchase a membership, she told us no. It was then, that we got up from the table and left. There were other things that didn't sit well with me, like the older gentlemen that was brought to our attention that was sitting at the customer service desk who was supposed to be buying a living room set. He was flipping the catalog pages so fast, he couldn't possibly be looking for anything to purchase. Or the lady who came in with her teenage son who wanted to look at the "secret" catalogs. She appeared to watching us more than she was looking at the catalogs. Basically, Direct Buy's mission is to finance memberships. They know no one is going to come to their showroom with $5,100.00 cash in their pockets, so, they show you this great presentation and hope that you plop down your credit card for the $1600.00 downpayment and finance the rest. I consider my husband and myself to be savvy shoppers. Before making a major purchase, I research and try to make educated choices. And after reading the other reviews on this website and finding out about the handling fee and the "delivery" fee, I know we made the right decision. To put it all in a nutshell, if Direct Buy was all that they say they were, everyone would be a member and I do mean everyone. So, I hope everyone who is interested in attending an open house, reads this website. Had I read it in advance, there is no way I would have attended. Thanks!
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