Anyone have any experience with the Direct Buy company. Keep seeing the advertisements and since we're getting ready to do some remodeling/updating I'm curious if it's worth checking them out. Thanks for any input/experiences you may be able to provide.
Direct Buy
- Thread starter Lookn4help
- Start date
- Jun 11, 2007
- 4,564
- 3
- 0
seems like some good deals. I know theres a membership fee, which I THINK IS $3500 p/yr. Let us know how it is if you use it as well
Comment: Someone needs to bring a class action
Betty Lou (6/17/2009)
Comment: We were warned by friends that they were cheated out of about $5,000 for a DirectBuy membership fee. They forked over all that money because DirectBuy told them that they would be able to buy things for their new home at the manufacturers' price -- at a 50% to 60% discount. Little did they know, after DirectBuy tacked on hefty shipping and handling fees, they were able to find most of the items for sale through DirectBuy at the same prices, if not lower prices, at retail stores like Lowes and Best Buy!! If you were scammed by DirectBuy, like my friends, you should contact the law firm Craig T. Matthews & Associates at cmatthews@ctmlaw.com or 937.434.9393. That law firm has sued DirectBuy before in both Ohio and Indiana (where DirectBuy's are located), and it's conducting an investigation about DirectBuy's misleading promises. If you want your membership fee refunded, you should contact Craig Matthews to pursue a class action case against DirectBuy. No matter what state you're from, his firm should be able to help you. Be warned!!
wingrider104 (4/24/2009)
Comment: The sales tactics are worse than those used by time-share sales companies. At least with those you get something for your time. When a company refuses to tell you what it costs for a membership, warning flags should fly up real fast. Due to all the misleading ads we have been seeing and we have some remodeling coming up, we thought we'd give the local franchise (yes, these are franchises) in Pleasanton, CA a try and see what it was all about. First you MUST attend with your spouse/fiance/partner. Show up without them, they tell you to come back. So we went as a couple. We are not ignorant consumers, and are very careful about heavy handed sales pitches, but we went with on open mind. We did all the forms (they are looking for the hot buttons to press to highlight savings in those areas) and had arrived early as requested. We waited over 20 minutes - which was 5 minutes past the absolute time we had to be there and we could not be late. Yeah right - we were on time, they started late - strike one. Next you are taken to an interview area where they work on hot buttons and talk about the over 1 hour tour (it's a small warehouse - an hour? get real) and at the end we would be asked to make a decision to join or not. One time offer - can't think about it. We asked how much and it was side-stepped and started talking about great deals on one of our hot buttons. Pulled him back to the question - again refused to answer and started on another "big savings" pitch. At that point we were not happy - do need to mention that the rep did NOTHING to engage or talk to my wife - and he wants her to make a positive decision in his favor. We stopped him there and asked "so if we do the tour and opt to think it over, we can't do that?" The answer was, "correct - you have to decide before you leave, you get no additional time. It's either in or out." So I repeated back to him "so, if we take your tour and decide that we would like to think about it overnight, we can't do that? We have to say yes or no before we leave?" The answer was, "that is correct". We attempted to find out what the cost was, but it would not be disclosed until after the tour. When I asked him about getting incentive pricing that manufacturers offer from time to time, the answer was "we have books that has the standard prices in it and that is the one we use." He further said that one some things we would get over 50% off retail, but on other things (refrigerators, microwaves, electronics, TV's and so forth that it's only 15% to 30%. We looked at each other and our response was "if you are not going to tell us ahead of time what it costs, and you want treat us like idiots, and then give us one chance only and no time to consider what we saw and heard, then it's sounding like a waste of time". Here's the real surprise.... he said okay and let us walk out - no attempt to retain our interest AND not even a "thank you" for taking the time to hear their heavy handed sales pitch.
apamm (3/19/2009)
Comment: I have been a member for 4 years and just tonight I tried to get onto the member website and although my membership is 'active' until 2010, it would not let me proceed until I 'renewed' my membership. I tried that and it still won't let me onto the member site. (Don't worry the company and credit card company have been notified that they can't charge my card). They 'advertise' their website-which is a joke. Also, I have not had one purchase go well. They have 'over-estimated' shipping fees, etc and until I 'called them on it'-did they finally refund me. They will try to hide their 'overcharges'. I have saved some money-but I have learned to really scrutinize any paperwork/fees before I sign and put in writing that they cannot change any thing on the order without my written authorization. Definitely alot of the comments written below are very accurate-watch out for your money because they will try anything to pocket what they owe you.
wiifm681 (3/2/2009)
Comment: Look it sounds to me like a lot of people you just can't make happy no matter what. You know the ones that complain their water is too cold when they asked for ice water. I have a membership to direct buy and have so for about 3yrs. If you are using it you will save money, it's not for everyone. I own a buis. that remodels homes and have saved a lot due to Direct Buy. I have bought many things for myself as well including electronics. The truth is you don't always get the lowest price on some electronics due to the fact that sometimes these companies will actually take a loss to sell them just to keep money moving for themselves but most of the time Direct buy is cheaper. A couple times I have got a better deal elsewhere on some things but what you wouldn't expect is that it was the people at Direct Buy who steered me to it. Recently I bought a LCD TV for my bedroom, I was going to get it through Direct Buy but the person up there told me about a clearance event in which a similar TV was on sale less then they had and I bought it there instead. I have always found Direct Buy to be honest and up front. I have always been told by them what to expect. 9 out of 10 times it is cheaper at Direct Buy. The membership is a good deal if and only if you are going to use it. I would be interested to hear how many of these people have the membership and of those people who ever really used it. The thing to remember is read all ratings with a grain of salt as there are many people who just don't get how things work and just like to complain and think there opinion is somehow better then evryone elses. Take a look and judge for yourself...ie do your homework before you go take something to compare it to.
Lissa (1/7/2009)
Comment: okay for all of you that are so sure this is a scam think again. First off when you go to an open house you are told by the person who contacts you that when you come to an open house you can compare prices. Be smart any and all things you are looking for go out and get the price of the item the manufacture and the model number. Second off i have read so much that people say oh they ask for a same day decision, very true that is because they have had a relationship with these manufactures and are not going to let anyone screw it up for them by going to a retail store with those prices and trying to negotiate a lower price and going back and forth. that is why they do that. Yes the membership could be a little high but the most are between 3,900 and 6k for 2 years and the renewal fee is only under 200 for ever year after that means even for the most expensive 6k (depending on the state you are in will be the membership cost) that is 3k a year for your first 2 years. now i have done my research and i even went and got a job as a marketing associate(the people who contact you when you request the info) and i have seen so many people come in and out of there with being so skeptical. now i no longer work for the company but in the year that i did. i witnessed so many people better there life. so listen up if you are looking to do a kitchen remodel or buy new furniture then it is for you. but if you are some one who is calling them to just get 1 couch and you are never going to buy anything again you are wasting your time and there's. That company has been around for over 37years and last time i checked it is now saving there customers over a million dollars a day for what they have done. i also can tell you from experience that they deal with most manufactures they are very nice and they try to help people in any way they can. They are not out to just get your money they are legitimately trying to help family's keep there money in there pocket. So stop being so closed mined to new ideas if you where to have looked at those manufacturer prices and saw the mark-up you would understand. Hell in the time i worked for them there was a gentle man that worked for RC Willey and even as an employee Directbuy was getting better prices then he was working for that company. You also need to realize this is not just a furniture or appliance showroom. Directbuy carries everything. hell the one in LV has even got there own jeweler in AZ that can get jewelry for you. You can get wedding stuff, Sporting goods, TVs, decorations, etc. i lost count of how big that company got just to benefit there members so they wouldnt have to pay retail mark-up. So stop listening to people that are closed minded and go down to the showroom with an open mind and give them an hour and a half of your time and see what happens. For most people it is the best decision they ever make to become a member just be bright go down there with all the info you could find on merchandise you need. if
Daisy (9/30/2008)
Comment: I hope directbuy gets what it deserves. The customer service is pitiful. They do not care about their clients. The employees are so rude. The owner does not return calls and does not care about the customers. The only time they are nice is when they are trying to get you to join. Once you $$$$$$$$$$ are in their hands, customer service flies out through the window. I've had several cases in which I was informed that some items I had paid for were no longer available for shipment. When I asked for a refund of my money, they told me I'll get it after the other items on the purchase order had shipped to me. They ended up not refunding my money. Their excuse was that they had underestimated my freight cost and that my refund was applied to the additional freight charges. some items take betwwen 4 and 6 months to get to you. When you call to enquire about delivery date, they act as if you're bothering them and give you the turn around. Calls are never returned. The manager at my local branch (Sunnyvale, Texas) does not answer her phone or return calls. You get your items at marginal savings but then you have to put up with the total lack of respect and customer service and also wait endlessly for your items and of course you'll always get a bill for "ADDITIONAL FREIGHT". I will definitely not recommend them to anyone. They are a rip off
NancyB32 (9/6/2008)
Comment: DirectBuy Sued! A federal lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Hartford against the national high-end DirectBuy franchise operation, accusing it of falsely telling prospective clients that they are getting furniture, appliances and other household products at manufacturer prices. In a lawsuit filed by attorney Seth R. Klein of Hartford, DirectBuy is accused of hiding the fact that DirectBuy receives rebates from manufacturers which are not directly passed on to their members, who pay as much as $7,000 to join for two or three years. The lawsuit, which seeks to be certified as a class action representing thousands of present and former members of the more than 100 franchises, was filed earlier this month. It follows a column on DirectBuy that disclosed the rebates, which are kept secret from its members and from those it entices to join through high pressure sales techniques. DirectBuy officials had no comment on the suit but had said earlier that it uses the millions of dollars it received in rebates to the benefit of its members. We will see what a jury has to say about that.
glenna (5/15/2008)
Comment: You might save a little money but the customer service or lack of is not worth it. Items we pruchased were damaged. When we tried to get them repaired or replaced we were told there was nothing wrong with them or there was nothing they could do. We are still trying to get a door repaired or replaced. This has been going on for four years. I hate to take the legal route but I am already out thousands of dollars and still have to pay "the fee".
bsmith27 (1/28/2008)
Comment: Directbuy is not a good deal. Listen to the language of there ads. "Save $$$$ vs retail." Who pays retail anymore? Especially for the products they offer. First and formeost if you dont do your homework first then you will most likely not save much money at all. They are just trying to provide a service of shopping for everything from A to Z under one roof.
Smartshopper (1/19/2008)
Comment: This company has grown increasingly greedy and slimy. There are many interoffice workings that go on that the public doesnt even know about. For instance, did you know that out of that $5K membership, just a fraction of that goes to the corporate? This means that the owners of said franchises are as greedy as the day is long...yeah they all get together and ask each other, "what are you charging for dues" oh well so and so is charging this, so we're gonna do the same..." Why else have the dues gone up ? You're not getting anything more for your money..but you are having to furnish more of your house to make it back. Just ask former employees who have had crap done to them by the greed of the directbuy franchise owner. One was fired when she became pregnant. The scum sucking franchise owner disputed the number of employees he had which is why the case was tossed out of federal court. Another employee has had thousands taken from his paycheck and has been required to work way more hours and holidays and days off without pay.. why? so the owner can feed her greed. The membership dues used to be $1290 in 1998. It is now 10 years and they are upwards of $5K and more. The one owner of a local franchise really stuck it to her employees, she doesnt even close her own place at night. ..leaves every night at 6 pm, while the employees are left there until about 10:30 or later...she's increased the hours of her employees and has taken thousands away from their paychecks and justifies it. The infomercial shown is appealing, but they purposely leave out the dues to belong. That stupid ass commercial comes off as implying that they have a secret that retailers dont want you to find out... well guess what? The retailers couldnt care less. They know the dues are five grand and more to join. $824 of that goes to the corporate office, which by the way sold out to a company called Trivest most recently. We can only hope that the new corporate owners go in and get rid of all existing franchise owners and put their own people in at a huge reduction giving the concept back to the common family person and making it worth while.. the current owners need to get canned.. and suffer a bit like they have done to their employees...and the public for charging such a rude premium..and unnecessary expense...membership is too much money now.. the concept is GONE. They had upwards of 800 manufacturers at one point. They have since lost over 100 of them. This is a slime ball company. inside and out. I know a couple of the owners and I have nothing good to say about them. I hope they all get closed down and find themselves out on the street looking for employment.
tghyui (12/10/2007)
Comment: With DirectBuy, it will cost you a lot to save This article first appeared in the September 2007 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2007/09/with-directbu-1.html Also check out http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy
forty&holding (11/25/2007)
Comment: During the summer (07) we decided to remodel the kitchen. We called Direct Buy to check out their program. My husband was interested to see if their cost for appliances was lower than the quote he already received from a local retailer. We received 2 calls to confirm our appointment. When we arrived for our appointment our 7 year old daughter was with us (she always goes shopping with us and loves it). We encountered the NASTIEST sales woman on earth - and I told her flat out. Her customer service skills sucked. She flat out told us that our daughter could not join us, that we would have to reschedule, we were told that on our confirmation calls (which we were not). We asked for the manager and he was just as bad - a real sleaze ball!! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT even bother with this organization. We have since learned about other people that joined at $5,000 each and there was no way to get their money back. My husband refers to their sales as "Time Share" - the lowest of the low!
savdavid (11/9/2007)
Comment: I made the idiotic decision of entering my address and phone number on their website for more details about their "program". BIG MISTAKE! They keep calling and mailing me to drive 3 hours to a "guest presentation". Oh, and I HAVE to bring my spouse. They won't tell you how much it cost on the phone. From visiting this site I now know why. It is like one of those sleezy time-share presentation schemes. They are relentless. How many times do I have to tell them NO on the phone? You have been warned!
TheresaKP (10/1/2007)
Comment: My husband & I went to a presentation at DirectBuy in Eatontown, NJ on Friday 9-28-07. The short answer: run as far away as possible. The longer story: I figured there was some kind of fee involved which is understandable, but when we found out the fee was $6000 for the first 3 years, my antenna went wild. I worked in the corporate end of retail for many years & am very aware of the mark-up on merchandise. But somehow I didn't think I'd be saving the way they said I would. While they'll tell you nobody is a smart shopper unless they join DirectBuy, I recently purchased the sectional couch of my dreams for $750 from Boscov's, including delivery. Somehow, I didn't think DirectBuy was going to do better. The worst part was that I felt like I was being recruited by the Moonies. It was nearly 10 pm by the time the spiel was over. I was hungry, tired & desperately needed coffee. I was told drinks would be provided afterward, but was told nothing was available when I asked. (Note to DirectBuy: if a coffee drinker asks for a cup, get them one even if you have to leave the building for it. Not that I should help you, but it was a huge mistake to ignore this request.) I asked whether the fee could be paid over time & was told yes. $650 down & $200+ for 36 months. When we added the total, it came to over $8000. When questioned, the rep fessed up to their nearly 18% interest. I was shown no brands, no catalogs, nothing where I could see if they carried brands I would even buy. During the presentation film, they showed a couple of company presidents from brands I had never heard of & only showed "heavy" groupings of furniture, like dining & bedroom sets, not one thing I would buy as a general rule. They showed us physical ads that customers had supposedly brought in to show how much they had saved. We were told the store names had been cut off the ads, but it sure didn't look like anything had been cut from the ads & most store flyers have the store's name several times on the page or at least at the top & bottom. IMO, these were bogus. The serious deal breaker (besides no coffee) was that if we didn't decide to take them up on their offer right that second, we could never darken their door again. When I asked why, I was given a story about a man who stole a Rolex catalog & went to Rolex asking for the same deal. Because of this, I was told, DirectBuy lost Rolex as a dealer. Right. I guess the Rolex name was supposed to impress me. It didn't. I like Movado. This was the craziest thing I had ever heard of & sent up not just a red flag, but a tarp. I asked why I wasn't told this before as I certainly wouldn't have come on a Friday night & was told it was in the fine print of the flyer I received. The rep also slipped by saying most people don't read it anyway, waving his hand as if it shouldn't matter. I then asked if he was calling me stupid since I do read the fine print. I also asked him to show me where it said that.
Betty Lou (6/17/2009)
Comment: We were warned by friends that they were cheated out of about $5,000 for a DirectBuy membership fee. They forked over all that money because DirectBuy told them that they would be able to buy things for their new home at the manufacturers' price -- at a 50% to 60% discount. Little did they know, after DirectBuy tacked on hefty shipping and handling fees, they were able to find most of the items for sale through DirectBuy at the same prices, if not lower prices, at retail stores like Lowes and Best Buy!! If you were scammed by DirectBuy, like my friends, you should contact the law firm Craig T. Matthews & Associates at cmatthews@ctmlaw.com or 937.434.9393. That law firm has sued DirectBuy before in both Ohio and Indiana (where DirectBuy's are located), and it's conducting an investigation about DirectBuy's misleading promises. If you want your membership fee refunded, you should contact Craig Matthews to pursue a class action case against DirectBuy. No matter what state you're from, his firm should be able to help you. Be warned!!
wingrider104 (4/24/2009)
Comment: The sales tactics are worse than those used by time-share sales companies. At least with those you get something for your time. When a company refuses to tell you what it costs for a membership, warning flags should fly up real fast. Due to all the misleading ads we have been seeing and we have some remodeling coming up, we thought we'd give the local franchise (yes, these are franchises) in Pleasanton, CA a try and see what it was all about. First you MUST attend with your spouse/fiance/partner. Show up without them, they tell you to come back. So we went as a couple. We are not ignorant consumers, and are very careful about heavy handed sales pitches, but we went with on open mind. We did all the forms (they are looking for the hot buttons to press to highlight savings in those areas) and had arrived early as requested. We waited over 20 minutes - which was 5 minutes past the absolute time we had to be there and we could not be late. Yeah right - we were on time, they started late - strike one. Next you are taken to an interview area where they work on hot buttons and talk about the over 1 hour tour (it's a small warehouse - an hour? get real) and at the end we would be asked to make a decision to join or not. One time offer - can't think about it. We asked how much and it was side-stepped and started talking about great deals on one of our hot buttons. Pulled him back to the question - again refused to answer and started on another "big savings" pitch. At that point we were not happy - do need to mention that the rep did NOTHING to engage or talk to my wife - and he wants her to make a positive decision in his favor. We stopped him there and asked "so if we do the tour and opt to think it over, we can't do that?" The answer was, "correct - you have to decide before you leave, you get no additional time. It's either in or out." So I repeated back to him "so, if we take your tour and decide that we would like to think about it overnight, we can't do that? We have to say yes or no before we leave?" The answer was, "that is correct". We attempted to find out what the cost was, but it would not be disclosed until after the tour. When I asked him about getting incentive pricing that manufacturers offer from time to time, the answer was "we have books that has the standard prices in it and that is the one we use." He further said that one some things we would get over 50% off retail, but on other things (refrigerators, microwaves, electronics, TV's and so forth that it's only 15% to 30%. We looked at each other and our response was "if you are not going to tell us ahead of time what it costs, and you want treat us like idiots, and then give us one chance only and no time to consider what we saw and heard, then it's sounding like a waste of time". Here's the real surprise.... he said okay and let us walk out - no attempt to retain our interest AND not even a "thank you" for taking the time to hear their heavy handed sales pitch.
apamm (3/19/2009)
Comment: I have been a member for 4 years and just tonight I tried to get onto the member website and although my membership is 'active' until 2010, it would not let me proceed until I 'renewed' my membership. I tried that and it still won't let me onto the member site. (Don't worry the company and credit card company have been notified that they can't charge my card). They 'advertise' their website-which is a joke. Also, I have not had one purchase go well. They have 'over-estimated' shipping fees, etc and until I 'called them on it'-did they finally refund me. They will try to hide their 'overcharges'. I have saved some money-but I have learned to really scrutinize any paperwork/fees before I sign and put in writing that they cannot change any thing on the order without my written authorization. Definitely alot of the comments written below are very accurate-watch out for your money because they will try anything to pocket what they owe you.
wiifm681 (3/2/2009)
Comment: Look it sounds to me like a lot of people you just can't make happy no matter what. You know the ones that complain their water is too cold when they asked for ice water. I have a membership to direct buy and have so for about 3yrs. If you are using it you will save money, it's not for everyone. I own a buis. that remodels homes and have saved a lot due to Direct Buy. I have bought many things for myself as well including electronics. The truth is you don't always get the lowest price on some electronics due to the fact that sometimes these companies will actually take a loss to sell them just to keep money moving for themselves but most of the time Direct buy is cheaper. A couple times I have got a better deal elsewhere on some things but what you wouldn't expect is that it was the people at Direct Buy who steered me to it. Recently I bought a LCD TV for my bedroom, I was going to get it through Direct Buy but the person up there told me about a clearance event in which a similar TV was on sale less then they had and I bought it there instead. I have always found Direct Buy to be honest and up front. I have always been told by them what to expect. 9 out of 10 times it is cheaper at Direct Buy. The membership is a good deal if and only if you are going to use it. I would be interested to hear how many of these people have the membership and of those people who ever really used it. The thing to remember is read all ratings with a grain of salt as there are many people who just don't get how things work and just like to complain and think there opinion is somehow better then evryone elses. Take a look and judge for yourself...ie do your homework before you go take something to compare it to.
Lissa (1/7/2009)
Comment: okay for all of you that are so sure this is a scam think again. First off when you go to an open house you are told by the person who contacts you that when you come to an open house you can compare prices. Be smart any and all things you are looking for go out and get the price of the item the manufacture and the model number. Second off i have read so much that people say oh they ask for a same day decision, very true that is because they have had a relationship with these manufactures and are not going to let anyone screw it up for them by going to a retail store with those prices and trying to negotiate a lower price and going back and forth. that is why they do that. Yes the membership could be a little high but the most are between 3,900 and 6k for 2 years and the renewal fee is only under 200 for ever year after that means even for the most expensive 6k (depending on the state you are in will be the membership cost) that is 3k a year for your first 2 years. now i have done my research and i even went and got a job as a marketing associate(the people who contact you when you request the info) and i have seen so many people come in and out of there with being so skeptical. now i no longer work for the company but in the year that i did. i witnessed so many people better there life. so listen up if you are looking to do a kitchen remodel or buy new furniture then it is for you. but if you are some one who is calling them to just get 1 couch and you are never going to buy anything again you are wasting your time and there's. That company has been around for over 37years and last time i checked it is now saving there customers over a million dollars a day for what they have done. i also can tell you from experience that they deal with most manufactures they are very nice and they try to help people in any way they can. They are not out to just get your money they are legitimately trying to help family's keep there money in there pocket. So stop being so closed mined to new ideas if you where to have looked at those manufacturer prices and saw the mark-up you would understand. Hell in the time i worked for them there was a gentle man that worked for RC Willey and even as an employee Directbuy was getting better prices then he was working for that company. You also need to realize this is not just a furniture or appliance showroom. Directbuy carries everything. hell the one in LV has even got there own jeweler in AZ that can get jewelry for you. You can get wedding stuff, Sporting goods, TVs, decorations, etc. i lost count of how big that company got just to benefit there members so they wouldnt have to pay retail mark-up. So stop listening to people that are closed minded and go down to the showroom with an open mind and give them an hour and a half of your time and see what happens. For most people it is the best decision they ever make to become a member just be bright go down there with all the info you could find on merchandise you need. if
Daisy (9/30/2008)
Comment: I hope directbuy gets what it deserves. The customer service is pitiful. They do not care about their clients. The employees are so rude. The owner does not return calls and does not care about the customers. The only time they are nice is when they are trying to get you to join. Once you $$$$$$$$$$ are in their hands, customer service flies out through the window. I've had several cases in which I was informed that some items I had paid for were no longer available for shipment. When I asked for a refund of my money, they told me I'll get it after the other items on the purchase order had shipped to me. They ended up not refunding my money. Their excuse was that they had underestimated my freight cost and that my refund was applied to the additional freight charges. some items take betwwen 4 and 6 months to get to you. When you call to enquire about delivery date, they act as if you're bothering them and give you the turn around. Calls are never returned. The manager at my local branch (Sunnyvale, Texas) does not answer her phone or return calls. You get your items at marginal savings but then you have to put up with the total lack of respect and customer service and also wait endlessly for your items and of course you'll always get a bill for "ADDITIONAL FREIGHT". I will definitely not recommend them to anyone. They are a rip off
NancyB32 (9/6/2008)
Comment: DirectBuy Sued! A federal lawsuit has been filed in U.S. District Court in Hartford against the national high-end DirectBuy franchise operation, accusing it of falsely telling prospective clients that they are getting furniture, appliances and other household products at manufacturer prices. In a lawsuit filed by attorney Seth R. Klein of Hartford, DirectBuy is accused of hiding the fact that DirectBuy receives rebates from manufacturers which are not directly passed on to their members, who pay as much as $7,000 to join for two or three years. The lawsuit, which seeks to be certified as a class action representing thousands of present and former members of the more than 100 franchises, was filed earlier this month. It follows a column on DirectBuy that disclosed the rebates, which are kept secret from its members and from those it entices to join through high pressure sales techniques. DirectBuy officials had no comment on the suit but had said earlier that it uses the millions of dollars it received in rebates to the benefit of its members. We will see what a jury has to say about that.
glenna (5/15/2008)
Comment: You might save a little money but the customer service or lack of is not worth it. Items we pruchased were damaged. When we tried to get them repaired or replaced we were told there was nothing wrong with them or there was nothing they could do. We are still trying to get a door repaired or replaced. This has been going on for four years. I hate to take the legal route but I am already out thousands of dollars and still have to pay "the fee".
bsmith27 (1/28/2008)
Comment: Directbuy is not a good deal. Listen to the language of there ads. "Save $$$$ vs retail." Who pays retail anymore? Especially for the products they offer. First and formeost if you dont do your homework first then you will most likely not save much money at all. They are just trying to provide a service of shopping for everything from A to Z under one roof.
Smartshopper (1/19/2008)
Comment: This company has grown increasingly greedy and slimy. There are many interoffice workings that go on that the public doesnt even know about. For instance, did you know that out of that $5K membership, just a fraction of that goes to the corporate? This means that the owners of said franchises are as greedy as the day is long...yeah they all get together and ask each other, "what are you charging for dues" oh well so and so is charging this, so we're gonna do the same..." Why else have the dues gone up ? You're not getting anything more for your money..but you are having to furnish more of your house to make it back. Just ask former employees who have had crap done to them by the greed of the directbuy franchise owner. One was fired when she became pregnant. The scum sucking franchise owner disputed the number of employees he had which is why the case was tossed out of federal court. Another employee has had thousands taken from his paycheck and has been required to work way more hours and holidays and days off without pay.. why? so the owner can feed her greed. The membership dues used to be $1290 in 1998. It is now 10 years and they are upwards of $5K and more. The one owner of a local franchise really stuck it to her employees, she doesnt even close her own place at night. ..leaves every night at 6 pm, while the employees are left there until about 10:30 or later...she's increased the hours of her employees and has taken thousands away from their paychecks and justifies it. The infomercial shown is appealing, but they purposely leave out the dues to belong. That stupid ass commercial comes off as implying that they have a secret that retailers dont want you to find out... well guess what? The retailers couldnt care less. They know the dues are five grand and more to join. $824 of that goes to the corporate office, which by the way sold out to a company called Trivest most recently. We can only hope that the new corporate owners go in and get rid of all existing franchise owners and put their own people in at a huge reduction giving the concept back to the common family person and making it worth while.. the current owners need to get canned.. and suffer a bit like they have done to their employees...and the public for charging such a rude premium..and unnecessary expense...membership is too much money now.. the concept is GONE. They had upwards of 800 manufacturers at one point. They have since lost over 100 of them. This is a slime ball company. inside and out. I know a couple of the owners and I have nothing good to say about them. I hope they all get closed down and find themselves out on the street looking for employment.
tghyui (12/10/2007)
Comment: With DirectBuy, it will cost you a lot to save This article first appeared in the September 2007 issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser. http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2007/09/with-directbu-1.html Also check out http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy
forty&holding (11/25/2007)
Comment: During the summer (07) we decided to remodel the kitchen. We called Direct Buy to check out their program. My husband was interested to see if their cost for appliances was lower than the quote he already received from a local retailer. We received 2 calls to confirm our appointment. When we arrived for our appointment our 7 year old daughter was with us (she always goes shopping with us and loves it). We encountered the NASTIEST sales woman on earth - and I told her flat out. Her customer service skills sucked. She flat out told us that our daughter could not join us, that we would have to reschedule, we were told that on our confirmation calls (which we were not). We asked for the manager and he was just as bad - a real sleaze ball!! DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT even bother with this organization. We have since learned about other people that joined at $5,000 each and there was no way to get their money back. My husband refers to their sales as "Time Share" - the lowest of the low!
savdavid (11/9/2007)
Comment: I made the idiotic decision of entering my address and phone number on their website for more details about their "program". BIG MISTAKE! They keep calling and mailing me to drive 3 hours to a "guest presentation". Oh, and I HAVE to bring my spouse. They won't tell you how much it cost on the phone. From visiting this site I now know why. It is like one of those sleezy time-share presentation schemes. They are relentless. How many times do I have to tell them NO on the phone? You have been warned!
TheresaKP (10/1/2007)
Comment: My husband & I went to a presentation at DirectBuy in Eatontown, NJ on Friday 9-28-07. The short answer: run as far away as possible. The longer story: I figured there was some kind of fee involved which is understandable, but when we found out the fee was $6000 for the first 3 years, my antenna went wild. I worked in the corporate end of retail for many years & am very aware of the mark-up on merchandise. But somehow I didn't think I'd be saving the way they said I would. While they'll tell you nobody is a smart shopper unless they join DirectBuy, I recently purchased the sectional couch of my dreams for $750 from Boscov's, including delivery. Somehow, I didn't think DirectBuy was going to do better. The worst part was that I felt like I was being recruited by the Moonies. It was nearly 10 pm by the time the spiel was over. I was hungry, tired & desperately needed coffee. I was told drinks would be provided afterward, but was told nothing was available when I asked. (Note to DirectBuy: if a coffee drinker asks for a cup, get them one even if you have to leave the building for it. Not that I should help you, but it was a huge mistake to ignore this request.) I asked whether the fee could be paid over time & was told yes. $650 down & $200+ for 36 months. When we added the total, it came to over $8000. When questioned, the rep fessed up to their nearly 18% interest. I was shown no brands, no catalogs, nothing where I could see if they carried brands I would even buy. During the presentation film, they showed a couple of company presidents from brands I had never heard of & only showed "heavy" groupings of furniture, like dining & bedroom sets, not one thing I would buy as a general rule. They showed us physical ads that customers had supposedly brought in to show how much they had saved. We were told the store names had been cut off the ads, but it sure didn't look like anything had been cut from the ads & most store flyers have the store's name several times on the page or at least at the top & bottom. IMO, these were bogus. The serious deal breaker (besides no coffee) was that if we didn't decide to take them up on their offer right that second, we could never darken their door again. When I asked why, I was given a story about a man who stole a Rolex catalog & went to Rolex asking for the same deal. Because of this, I was told, DirectBuy lost Rolex as a dealer. Right. I guess the Rolex name was supposed to impress me. It didn't. I like Movado. This was the craziest thing I had ever heard of & sent up not just a red flag, but a tarp. I asked why I wasn't told this before as I certainly wouldn't have come on a Friday night & was told it was in the fine print of the flyer I received. The rep also slipped by saying most people don't read it anyway, waving his hand as if it shouldn't matter. I then asked if he was calling me stupid since I do read the fine print. I also asked him to show me where it said that.
Comment: September 13, 2007 With DirectBuy, it will cost you a lot to save Your town or city might have been blanketed recently with newspaper ads and TV commercials for DirectBuy. The nationwide buying club, with headquarters in Merrillville, Indiana, promises members access to 700 brand-name manufacturers of home goods and the opportunity to buy merchandise with no ?hidden store markups and middlemen costs.? Ads invite you to an open house, where you?ll see ?confidential? wholesale prices. ?We can?t show you the brand names and we certainly can?t show you the prices,? read one ad. What it also doesn?t show you is DirectBuy?s steep membership cost. The Real Deal To evaluate the pitch, we went undercover at two DirectBuy franchises in New York. Both gave us the same hard sell and offers of up to 70 percent off retail prices if we were to join. Only after an hour and a half of sales pitches and video testimonials from members did we learn the membership fee: $4,900 to $4,990 (plus tax) for three years and then $190 a year for seven more. Financing is available at 17.75 percent. After the fee disclosure, we discovered that we had to sign up on the spot or never come back. We couldn?t bring DirectBuy?s ?confidential? prices elsewhere to comparison shop, the representatives said, because this would likely anger retailers who might then retaliate against the manufacturers by refusing to sell their merchandise. The fine print in the DirectBuy contract says you cannot return items, cancel orders, or terminate your membership. When we asked if, after plunking down $5,000, we could cancel and get a refund, a salesperson said, ?You?ll have to check state law.? A review of New York state law revealed that the three-day cooling-off period for canceling contracts wouldn?t apply in this case. Tacked onto the cost of merchandise?which you select from catalogs since DirectBuy has limited showrooms?are a 6 percent handling fee, shipping fees, and tax. Goods are typically shipped only to your local center, so you might pay additional fees to actually get your new stuff home. Just how good are the prices? We compared them against those of other retailers. Prices for electronics and appliances were often only slightly better than those at online retailers and in some instances higher. For example, a 46-inch JVC flat-screen TV selling for $2,586 on DirectBuy?s site cost $2,095 elsewhere. We did find deep discounts on flooring and high- end furniture. In fact, one member we interviewed estimated that she saved about $50,000 over several years on furniture and a kitchen remodel using DirectBuy. Yet the club did poorly on some basics. We found a Kohler bath faucet for $300 less on a kitchen-and-bath Web site. Some DirectBuy members complained to us about poor customer service and long waits for merchandise. But since DirectBuy outlets are franchises, service varies by location. Most outlets have a good record with the Better Business Bureau, though some
NITABOSLEY (8/21/2007)
Comment: They lie to you to get you to join then want to ruin your credit if you don't pay. They are paid the $5,000 by a lender and the lender now wants his money. This is a horrible way to get scammed or what ever you want to call this company Direct Buy my...!
sumbeach (8/13/2007)
Comment: This could be called a Scam, but I'm not sure it is the right term. If you plan on buying 'top end' items that the average person would never consider because of the cost, you 'might' make your money back. For the average person, you can save your money by shopping online, or Lowes, or Sears, or other discount houses. During your tour you will be told about a very few, very exceptional, items which you would save money. But, keep in mind that they are the exception and could be limited to those items only [for the middle class person that is sucked in]. Also, during the 'tour' you are not allowed to see any catalogs or prices in the center. You are not allowed to do that until you have given them your $3000 membership fee. That's right $3000 just to join, you better plan on some very good savings. I made the mistake of being talked into the membership by a very 'NICE' very helpful sales person. The sales person, after we were reluctant to sign, said, "we aren't supposed to do this, but I will show you a recent sales on some kitchen cabinets (which we were interested in) and you can see the savings. It was very impressive, but of course to our demise, he only showed us the most impressive part of the sales and not the total. We paid $200 to have their "professional" do a layout of our kitchen cabinets and then waited two months and several unhappy phone calls to get results. The price was way out of our league so we went to Lowes and purchased equal quality cabinets for a little over 1/2 the price, and Lowes did the layout for FREE. Oh, and during the Lowes layout we showed them the layout that we paid $200 for from DirectBuy. The sales person from Lowes looked at us and said, "she [DirectBuy Professional] can't do that, it's against fire codes to have a tall cabinet next to a kitchen range!" We did purchase flooring from DirectBuy, but could have bought it online for the SAME price without shipping cost and no tax. The salesman again convinced me that buying online is risky because the company may not back the product or go out of business, yada, yada, yada. I was stupid enough to believe him. We not only ended up paying tax on the flooring, we paid SHIPPING, and guess what.....A WAREHOUSE FEE, and....had to go pick the damn stuff up ourselves from the warehouse which was 50 miles away from our home. The online company is still in business, doing well, and would have delivered to our home for FREE. You figure out where the deceit is. They don't openly lie, because then they could be held legally liable. They manipulate terminology to the limit to make you believe that it is a good deal, but unless your salary is in the triple digits, it's not, and you can NEVER get your $3000 back under any circumstances. Think long and hard before you sign the dotted line, even though they tell you, "sign now or you can never come back" (and if that's not high pressure sales I don't know what is). I still sit an think about what I could h
ksc65 (4/8/2007)
Comment: I can understand that people may not like the "you can't come back rule" because it threw me off guard as well. but after sitting down with a very nice saleswoman (not pushy at all..but very helpful in my decision making process), I found DirectBuy to benefit my family. I am not building a new home but am always updating things. I was concerned we wouldn't be doing enough "big things" but actually realized that I would still be saving a lot of money over the membership period. We joined 6 months ago and have purchased carpeting and furniture along with some accent pieces and fencing for our yard....to date, I have paid for my membership and have pocketed an additional $1000...all in six months. I have been happy with our decision and look forward to continue saving money. They do need a few more staff members on the floor at a time to help people though.
cariinca (1/28/2007)
Comment: People should not sign up unless they are making major home renovations and/or making major furniture, kitchen, window treatment, and light fixture purchases. For us it made sense as we are renovating a home and it does save on big ticket items. For us the service has been great but getting used to the procedures and digging through and doing your own research takes a while, but worth it.
bestkept (1/28/2007)
Comment: Want to find out the history of DirectBuy? Read the book written by it's founder!! http://product.half.ebay.com/Americas-Best-Kept-Secret_W0QQprZ278569QQtgZinfo
nonee1 (1/22/2007)
Comment: Do a little research first: http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy
faiyaz (1/19/2007)
Comment: 7 yrs ago when we were joining we had the same feeling and attitude that this is a scam and you can?t join once you leave the store. But now in all these yrs we have probably saved around 5 to 6 K, which has covered our initial membership fee and the annual fee that we pay. You will definitely save money on big items not doubt about that. In fact on small items even if you don?t save money you will get a brand name or a higher quality for the same price that you will find in the retail store. One drawn back returning is not as easy as taking back to wall-mart or sears or any big franchise store. We have returned items like mattress and beds, but shipping back and forth is a nuisance, but the store accommodates you and you get your money back. Most of the items we have purchased works great and never have to return them. If you are joining this club, make sure that you are joining it for buy big items, that is the only way you will payback your membership.
Jolene101 (1/19/2007)
Comment: Wow! Am I glad I researched and found this site. It will save me a long drive and the aggravation of the hard sales pitch. I thought it would be a few hundred bucks to join! I never imagined it would be $5,000. They?d have to peel me off the floor. I?ve been doing a couple of re-models a year in FL and Maine. I have an awesome salesperson in the appliance dept. at one of the Sears stores in FL. I let her know in advance what I am going to need for my current project, and she lets me know when those items will be on sale at their best price. (They also price match.) She takes care of the entire order for me over the phone. No hassle, and it is delivered to my jobsite exactly when I need it, even if it?s 1500 miles from her store.
incredible (1/19/2007)
Comment: Taste of Home Magazine is launching a new party plan company in Spring 2006. Enrollment is limited to 3,000 founding consultants nationally. Get in at the top as a Charter Consultant before national open enrollment begins. Call 1-866-580-9140 or contact me at tasteofhomeent@yahoo.com
ascribe (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: There's a new, fully automated, proven traffic-generation system that can send 1000s of targeted prospects to your website, every single day, for FREE! It takes just 5 minutes to set it up, and it's totally "viral", meaning it can grow exponentially! (No, nothing to do with nasty viruses). Check it out and create a FREE account at http://www.trafficswarm.com
joshin (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: No experience needed start TODAY! Get free info and start making money immediately. No selling. No family/friends contact. FREE 30 Day Trial. No Risk. Make your financial dreams a reality, start your own home-based business today www.work-at-home-business-dot.net
amazing1 (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: Let REALTORS? in your neighborhood compete for your business. Use Homegain's free service to compare local REALTORS? by commission, experience and more. Get the facts before you choose.Sponsored by: http://www.homegain.com
argentina (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: Hardy, Fast-Growing, Fragrant Privacy Screen! 3 feet or more of growth every year! Thuja Green Giant is one of the fastest growing of all Conifers. This very rare hybrid between Thuja plicata and Thuja Standishii Arborvitae will put on 3 to 5 feet of growth per year! Space trees 5 to 6 feet apart for super-quick coverage, 10 to 12 feet apart otherwise. Zones 5-8, 9 and 10 West Coast. E-MAIL ME roy@ThujaGreenGiant.biz Call Roy: (828)273-5771
JohnB (1/19/2007)
Comment: I signed up for DirectBuy in Austin and have had no negative experiences with them. The sales tactics were not ?high pressure.? Yes, they told my wife and I that we had to sign up then or we would not have an opportunity to sign up againn. I actually had respect for that approach because they could easily follow-up with alot of ?high pressure? sales calls at my home or office to coerce me into signing up, and that would have been an absolute turn-off. I like the fact they are confident in their service enough that they are willing to let $5k walk out the door without any hard selling effort applied. That?s got to be tough for any motivated salesperson to see happen, but they are letting the product/service speak for themselves. And it?s good to see that all the different DirectBuy locations have kept that policy consistent across all the postings I have read. I would actually be concerned if some franchisees were bending the rules a bit. That?s not what franchisees are supposed to do. They are running a tight ship, and I like that. Instead, they explained that if everyone had the chance to leave the DirectBuy facility and do comparison shopping based on the prices they saw during their orientation, that would really create a problem for the manufacturers when these prospective DirectBuy customers show up at their retailers talking about how much cheaper it is to go with DirectBuy. This rule makes sense to me. After you become a member, they expect you to abide by the same rules, or else I think they can terminiate your membership. I think that?s a good rule to have. The DirectBuy system will only work if all members abide by this code of conduct. I think anyone who goes to the orientation should go in there with the intent to do some comparison shopping on a few key, large items. We did that, and we were comfortable the prices were lower than what we could find at a competing flooring retailer. We also liked the selection from within the warehouse. I personally don?t like the idea of schlepping all across town looking for the best deals and keeping an eye for sales for items I might be looking for. There is something to be said about ?one-stop shopping.? My time is worth something, and it?s good to know I have one place to go where I know I can get a deal at, or lower, than prevailing market rates. I?ve also got to think that a large company that has multiple locations all around the country will be on their P?s and Q?s in not engaging in deceptive practices. How many companies that have a national presence are considered unethical? Not that many, or else they won?t be in business long. That?s alot of money of money to put at risk for the corporate parent. And if you think about it, these guys have to be ethical just like Costco, Sam?s Club, Best Buy, etc., or else the threat of some disenchanted customer showing up at the door and going ?postal? on them could become a reality.
NITABOSLEY (8/21/2007)
Comment: They lie to you to get you to join then want to ruin your credit if you don't pay. They are paid the $5,000 by a lender and the lender now wants his money. This is a horrible way to get scammed or what ever you want to call this company Direct Buy my...!
sumbeach (8/13/2007)
Comment: This could be called a Scam, but I'm not sure it is the right term. If you plan on buying 'top end' items that the average person would never consider because of the cost, you 'might' make your money back. For the average person, you can save your money by shopping online, or Lowes, or Sears, or other discount houses. During your tour you will be told about a very few, very exceptional, items which you would save money. But, keep in mind that they are the exception and could be limited to those items only [for the middle class person that is sucked in]. Also, during the 'tour' you are not allowed to see any catalogs or prices in the center. You are not allowed to do that until you have given them your $3000 membership fee. That's right $3000 just to join, you better plan on some very good savings. I made the mistake of being talked into the membership by a very 'NICE' very helpful sales person. The sales person, after we were reluctant to sign, said, "we aren't supposed to do this, but I will show you a recent sales on some kitchen cabinets (which we were interested in) and you can see the savings. It was very impressive, but of course to our demise, he only showed us the most impressive part of the sales and not the total. We paid $200 to have their "professional" do a layout of our kitchen cabinets and then waited two months and several unhappy phone calls to get results. The price was way out of our league so we went to Lowes and purchased equal quality cabinets for a little over 1/2 the price, and Lowes did the layout for FREE. Oh, and during the Lowes layout we showed them the layout that we paid $200 for from DirectBuy. The sales person from Lowes looked at us and said, "she [DirectBuy Professional] can't do that, it's against fire codes to have a tall cabinet next to a kitchen range!" We did purchase flooring from DirectBuy, but could have bought it online for the SAME price without shipping cost and no tax. The salesman again convinced me that buying online is risky because the company may not back the product or go out of business, yada, yada, yada. I was stupid enough to believe him. We not only ended up paying tax on the flooring, we paid SHIPPING, and guess what.....A WAREHOUSE FEE, and....had to go pick the damn stuff up ourselves from the warehouse which was 50 miles away from our home. The online company is still in business, doing well, and would have delivered to our home for FREE. You figure out where the deceit is. They don't openly lie, because then they could be held legally liable. They manipulate terminology to the limit to make you believe that it is a good deal, but unless your salary is in the triple digits, it's not, and you can NEVER get your $3000 back under any circumstances. Think long and hard before you sign the dotted line, even though they tell you, "sign now or you can never come back" (and if that's not high pressure sales I don't know what is). I still sit an think about what I could h
ksc65 (4/8/2007)
Comment: I can understand that people may not like the "you can't come back rule" because it threw me off guard as well. but after sitting down with a very nice saleswoman (not pushy at all..but very helpful in my decision making process), I found DirectBuy to benefit my family. I am not building a new home but am always updating things. I was concerned we wouldn't be doing enough "big things" but actually realized that I would still be saving a lot of money over the membership period. We joined 6 months ago and have purchased carpeting and furniture along with some accent pieces and fencing for our yard....to date, I have paid for my membership and have pocketed an additional $1000...all in six months. I have been happy with our decision and look forward to continue saving money. They do need a few more staff members on the floor at a time to help people though.
cariinca (1/28/2007)
Comment: People should not sign up unless they are making major home renovations and/or making major furniture, kitchen, window treatment, and light fixture purchases. For us it made sense as we are renovating a home and it does save on big ticket items. For us the service has been great but getting used to the procedures and digging through and doing your own research takes a while, but worth it.
bestkept (1/28/2007)
Comment: Want to find out the history of DirectBuy? Read the book written by it's founder!! http://product.half.ebay.com/Americas-Best-Kept-Secret_W0QQprZ278569QQtgZinfo
nonee1 (1/22/2007)
Comment: Do a little research first: http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy
faiyaz (1/19/2007)
Comment: 7 yrs ago when we were joining we had the same feeling and attitude that this is a scam and you can?t join once you leave the store. But now in all these yrs we have probably saved around 5 to 6 K, which has covered our initial membership fee and the annual fee that we pay. You will definitely save money on big items not doubt about that. In fact on small items even if you don?t save money you will get a brand name or a higher quality for the same price that you will find in the retail store. One drawn back returning is not as easy as taking back to wall-mart or sears or any big franchise store. We have returned items like mattress and beds, but shipping back and forth is a nuisance, but the store accommodates you and you get your money back. Most of the items we have purchased works great and never have to return them. If you are joining this club, make sure that you are joining it for buy big items, that is the only way you will payback your membership.
Jolene101 (1/19/2007)
Comment: Wow! Am I glad I researched and found this site. It will save me a long drive and the aggravation of the hard sales pitch. I thought it would be a few hundred bucks to join! I never imagined it would be $5,000. They?d have to peel me off the floor. I?ve been doing a couple of re-models a year in FL and Maine. I have an awesome salesperson in the appliance dept. at one of the Sears stores in FL. I let her know in advance what I am going to need for my current project, and she lets me know when those items will be on sale at their best price. (They also price match.) She takes care of the entire order for me over the phone. No hassle, and it is delivered to my jobsite exactly when I need it, even if it?s 1500 miles from her store.
incredible (1/19/2007)
Comment: Taste of Home Magazine is launching a new party plan company in Spring 2006. Enrollment is limited to 3,000 founding consultants nationally. Get in at the top as a Charter Consultant before national open enrollment begins. Call 1-866-580-9140 or contact me at tasteofhomeent@yahoo.com
ascribe (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: There's a new, fully automated, proven traffic-generation system that can send 1000s of targeted prospects to your website, every single day, for FREE! It takes just 5 minutes to set it up, and it's totally "viral", meaning it can grow exponentially! (No, nothing to do with nasty viruses). Check it out and create a FREE account at http://www.trafficswarm.com
joshin (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: No experience needed start TODAY! Get free info and start making money immediately. No selling. No family/friends contact. FREE 30 Day Trial. No Risk. Make your financial dreams a reality, start your own home-based business today www.work-at-home-business-dot.net
amazing1 (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: Let REALTORS? in your neighborhood compete for your business. Use Homegain's free service to compare local REALTORS? by commission, experience and more. Get the facts before you choose.Sponsored by: http://www.homegain.com
argentina (1/19/2007)
Comment: Comment: Hardy, Fast-Growing, Fragrant Privacy Screen! 3 feet or more of growth every year! Thuja Green Giant is one of the fastest growing of all Conifers. This very rare hybrid between Thuja plicata and Thuja Standishii Arborvitae will put on 3 to 5 feet of growth per year! Space trees 5 to 6 feet apart for super-quick coverage, 10 to 12 feet apart otherwise. Zones 5-8, 9 and 10 West Coast. E-MAIL ME roy@ThujaGreenGiant.biz Call Roy: (828)273-5771
JohnB (1/19/2007)
Comment: I signed up for DirectBuy in Austin and have had no negative experiences with them. The sales tactics were not ?high pressure.? Yes, they told my wife and I that we had to sign up then or we would not have an opportunity to sign up againn. I actually had respect for that approach because they could easily follow-up with alot of ?high pressure? sales calls at my home or office to coerce me into signing up, and that would have been an absolute turn-off. I like the fact they are confident in their service enough that they are willing to let $5k walk out the door without any hard selling effort applied. That?s got to be tough for any motivated salesperson to see happen, but they are letting the product/service speak for themselves. And it?s good to see that all the different DirectBuy locations have kept that policy consistent across all the postings I have read. I would actually be concerned if some franchisees were bending the rules a bit. That?s not what franchisees are supposed to do. They are running a tight ship, and I like that. Instead, they explained that if everyone had the chance to leave the DirectBuy facility and do comparison shopping based on the prices they saw during their orientation, that would really create a problem for the manufacturers when these prospective DirectBuy customers show up at their retailers talking about how much cheaper it is to go with DirectBuy. This rule makes sense to me. After you become a member, they expect you to abide by the same rules, or else I think they can terminiate your membership. I think that?s a good rule to have. The DirectBuy system will only work if all members abide by this code of conduct. I think anyone who goes to the orientation should go in there with the intent to do some comparison shopping on a few key, large items. We did that, and we were comfortable the prices were lower than what we could find at a competing flooring retailer. We also liked the selection from within the warehouse. I personally don?t like the idea of schlepping all across town looking for the best deals and keeping an eye for sales for items I might be looking for. There is something to be said about ?one-stop shopping.? My time is worth something, and it?s good to know I have one place to go where I know I can get a deal at, or lower, than prevailing market rates. I?ve also got to think that a large company that has multiple locations all around the country will be on their P?s and Q?s in not engaging in deceptive practices. How many companies that have a national presence are considered unethical? Not that many, or else they won?t be in business long. That?s alot of money of money to put at risk for the corporate parent. And if you think about it, these guys have to be ethical just like Costco, Sam?s Club, Best Buy, etc., or else the threat of some disenchanted customer showing up at the door and going ?postal? on them could become a reality.
have never joined but there is a consumer show called marketplace, in Canada. they did a show on them.
they use high pressure tatics to sign on your first visit. they then compared the prices on five items with an unhappy member. they only saved on one product.
also if there is any trouble you are supposed to return it to the maker not the store.
anyways after watching that show would never join, by the way you can buy a lot of product for $5000.
thanks
selkirk
they use high pressure tatics to sign on your first visit. they then compared the prices on five items with an unhappy member. they only saved on one product.
also if there is any trouble you are supposed to return it to the maker not the store.
anyways after watching that show would never join, by the way you can buy a lot of product for $5000.
thanks
selkirk
Our neighbors bought into it a few years ago and kept bringing it up in conversation about how wonderful it was and how only a select few shop there.He acted like it was some sort of status thing. Well, about a year or so later the comments changed to words like 'ripoff" and "fuck them" and how much He wished they had never forked over that kind of cash after finding some products cheaper at other stores.
An enlightend consumer who looks for deals at other retailers that have no such fees can do just as well, if not better.With just about every major retailer offering online shopping its never been easier for a consumer to compare prices to ensure that they are getting the best deal all the way down to shipping and sales tax. It may be a bit time consuming, but I have tons of free time. :00hour
Just giving that kind of cheese away so you can throw down even more cheese never quite made sense to me. :shrug: Hell, I hate to re-up at Sams every year at about 1% of that, but in order to keep peace in the family I reluctantly do so. :sadwave:
An enlightend consumer who looks for deals at other retailers that have no such fees can do just as well, if not better.With just about every major retailer offering online shopping its never been easier for a consumer to compare prices to ensure that they are getting the best deal all the way down to shipping and sales tax. It may be a bit time consuming, but I have tons of free time. :00hour
Just giving that kind of cheese away so you can throw down even more cheese never quite made sense to me. :shrug: Hell, I hate to re-up at Sams every year at about 1% of that, but in order to keep peace in the family I reluctantly do so. :sadwave:
I belong to Directbuy, but when I joined it was a similiar type place called UCC (united consumers club). About 4 years ago, directbuy bought them out.
When I joined, we paid $1500 to join and then it was $100 a year. We joined right when we were getting married and buying a new house. Since they bought UCC out, we were grandfathered in and did not cost us anything more that what we are already paying.
We have had nothing but good experiences. The first thing we purchased was bedroom furnitiure. We priced out exactly what we wanted and the cheapest we could get it in the store was for about $3800. We purchased it at UCC for $1800, and paid about $450 in shipping. So at that point, our membership was paid for. We also had a similar deal when we bought our dining room table.
We got our strollers, pack/play and baby room furniture and from there, after shipping it was still about 40% cheaper than we could find in any store.
That being said, I took a friend there because we were curious to see the difference now that Directbuy owns it. Instead of $1500 in joining fee, it is now $6000. We have also notice some of the brands that were there before are now gone. I assume that has to deal with contracts that UCC had, but Directbuy does not.
If you buy high-end products it is worth it. If you buy average/lowcost products, you are better off sticking to local places. Basically, what I tell people is that you get a cadillac for the price of a chevy.
Also, anything you purchase, gets delivered to the warehouse. So you MUST have a vehicle that can get it home, plus you need to be able to get it from your truck into your house.
Our most recent purchase (last year) was a matress. We went to about 5/6 matrress places and found the best deal we could. The matrress we wanted was $1800. We ordered it through DB, after shipping, it was just under $1000.
Now there are some items, that it is just not worth it, because the markup is not high. For example, electronics do not have a high markup, thus we were better off buying our TV through a local place (can't remember if it was costco or best buy).
I do agree with some of the comments about their sales tactics. It is very high pressure, almost like listening to timeshare folks. They make you listen to a presentation and they bring in people that are members to talk. At the end, they do whatever they can to join then.
Hope this helps
When I joined, we paid $1500 to join and then it was $100 a year. We joined right when we were getting married and buying a new house. Since they bought UCC out, we were grandfathered in and did not cost us anything more that what we are already paying.
We have had nothing but good experiences. The first thing we purchased was bedroom furnitiure. We priced out exactly what we wanted and the cheapest we could get it in the store was for about $3800. We purchased it at UCC for $1800, and paid about $450 in shipping. So at that point, our membership was paid for. We also had a similar deal when we bought our dining room table.
We got our strollers, pack/play and baby room furniture and from there, after shipping it was still about 40% cheaper than we could find in any store.
That being said, I took a friend there because we were curious to see the difference now that Directbuy owns it. Instead of $1500 in joining fee, it is now $6000. We have also notice some of the brands that were there before are now gone. I assume that has to deal with contracts that UCC had, but Directbuy does not.
If you buy high-end products it is worth it. If you buy average/lowcost products, you are better off sticking to local places. Basically, what I tell people is that you get a cadillac for the price of a chevy.
Also, anything you purchase, gets delivered to the warehouse. So you MUST have a vehicle that can get it home, plus you need to be able to get it from your truck into your house.
Our most recent purchase (last year) was a matress. We went to about 5/6 matrress places and found the best deal we could. The matrress we wanted was $1800. We ordered it through DB, after shipping, it was just under $1000.
Now there are some items, that it is just not worth it, because the markup is not high. For example, electronics do not have a high markup, thus we were better off buying our TV through a local place (can't remember if it was costco or best buy).
I do agree with some of the comments about their sales tactics. It is very high pressure, almost like listening to timeshare folks. They make you listen to a presentation and they bring in people that are members to talk. At the end, they do whatever they can to join then.
Hope this helps
What info do you need ?
What info do you need ?
I know a couple who owns the West Palm Beach, Florida branch ?
What info do you need ?
I know a couple who owns the West Palm Beach, Florida branch ?
