These comments were originally posted at http://www.ratethatcompany.com/Ratings/ViewRatings.aspx?co=456 and have been reposted here without permission under the Fair Use Doctrine. The most recent posts are listed first.Note that some spelling and grammatical corrections and reformatting changes have been made, and spam posts (posts which are not pertinent to the topic in any way) have been deleted. Also, it appears that in some cases, longer posts have been truncated.
Comment: - http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/cases/mlm/state/nyniemiec.htm Judge calls the membership agreement "grossly unconscionable" - http://www.provincialcourt.bc.ca/judgments/pc/2002/01/p02%5F0197.htm Judge finds contract unenforceable under Canadian law - http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy a heap of information about this scam. - The franchise agreement - that's the agreement between the franchisor and the individual franchised location such as yours - the franchise agreement allows DirectBuy to keep all discounts and rebates and not pass them on to the member. Not a scam?
Comment: "Be a man"?! That's rather sexist, Mr. Kush, and as a woman, I resent that revealing comment. Is that consistent with the attitude that people have complained about receiving at the DB open house? Please take your free membership bait and give it to the next deserving person who has also felt deceived, pressured and scammed into forking out $5000 at your next open house. Take a moment and imagine yourself in the shoes of somebody getting hooked into the Directbuy scam by viewing a very well manufactured infomercial on cable tv. Then call and ask for an invitation to an open house based on everything that was compelling on the infomercial- that is EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE ACTUAL $5000 REQUIRED AT THE OPEN HOUSE WHICH IS CAREFULLY HIDDEN. Yes I can see its 'buyer beware' and the fine print is what ultimately justifies the sleazy process that has been perfected over many years. All of those disclaimers are manufactured to protect & serve db- not the potential member! Why doesn't db just be up front and say this on the infomercial: "There's a cost involved in becoming a member at db. $5000 may seem like a lot but you'll quickly realize that this is actually a reasonable fee in light of the thousands you will potentially save over the span of 3 years. Come to the open house and learn more about what is involved and all of the important facts to give you the whole picture"? Get rid of the deceit and questionable practices (and lame excuses for why this has to be so). Regarding the Better business bureau, this is what I have to say. Readers go search and you will see a plethora of BBB reports. You will see a number of complaints regarding fees and service. Don't be deceived here. Recall that this company has a track record of switching names every couple of years, so you will see that a complaints profile at your local BBB is relatively short. And most people who feel they have been scammed don't bother to (or don't even know they should) report their issues to the BBB. They feel embarrassed and want to forget about it. So examine the BBB reports in light of these and other factors, as well as keeping an open mind to the numerous and varied testimonies that are critical of db. The CBC investigative news piece I linked for everyone is fair and factual. Our neighbors to the north have a good grasp of social justice issues and consumer protection. Don’t refer to CBC as "trash", lest you raise the ire of many Canadians. I am not here to hurt your company. Be a man, and admit that Directbuy and its franchises have hurt themselves with a questionable business plan and legacy of thousands of disatisfied members. I will shut up now (enough damage) you won't hear from me - unless internetcop provokes me again. No I am not going to e-mail chat and avail myself to the same kind of db sales script. Everyone: keep an open mind and be VERY CAREFUL in 2006!
Comment: interetbop ...why do you ony suggest web sites and not their local BBB?????hmmmmmm????you dont want them to talk with someone that has facts....you just want them to read the trash???What is your name?Why is it your part time job to hurt our company.Reveal who you really are.You sound bitter like an someone with an axe to grind...if you are sincere you would leave us your e-mail address so we can chat...id like to know your story.Are you a member? Ill give you a Free membership if your not.Where do you live.You can shop for 3years and tell everyone the facts come'on share your name....be a man. Be open and honest like you say or are you in the dark for some evil reason.???Why dont you want anyone to know who you are? please at least leave you e-mail address.. user .mrkush at domain aol.com
Comment: Very nice kev.Alot of anger and name calling there. Ill do my best to explain..Its 8pm on new years eve.My wifes mad i'm on the compuer but i'll type fast.I hope I makes sense...Its the reason for the "join now"policy. We need the cooperation of the manufac.to do what we do..... If anyone would like to request info about DirectBuy and rec a free visiors pass by calling the 1800- Directbuy read the information you rec.BEFORE you visit. On the last page it gives you instuctions on What to do next if you would like to use the visitors pass YOU requested.If you read it, it tells you ."Due to the manufac.relationships with retail stores and DirectBuys relationship with the manufac.,each consumers opportunity to join DirectBuy is limited."Please understand your decision to join DirectBuy must be made at the open house you choose to attend." If you go to www.DirectBuy.com and set and appointment online. Print out your visitors pass at home and read it. It Says in Large type.... Important Information, please read carefully. Because of the confidential prices you must join the after the open house you attend. DirectBuy allows consumers the ability to have access to confidencial prices and to purchase the product at those prices every day.Members save alot of money.Members buy at cost and do not use the prices against retailers.They buy at cost.No need to. Non members however are the challange. Most manufac will not Sell to Directbuy if the Public at large were to "do the due diligence"as my friend kev would like to do. Consumers would use DirectBuy prices,(manufac prices)as a way to negotiate or haggle with retailers."price match"or "we have the lowest price" ads store promote. Retailers can't sell at cost.They need to charge "DUES" which is all the "mark-up that they do want you to know about. If DirectBuy was open to the public.And there were Thousands of Non member like KEVMIC going to stores asking them to compete with directbuy.The Retailers would be VERY upset.There would be nothing the retailers could do but to put up with nice folks like My friend Kev and all his friends and compete with DirectBuys practice of being open to the public like a library.Stores would have to "Price Match" DirectBuys Prices..... OR...... the retailers would get mad at the Manufacurers for letting consumers have free access to the confid.price lists.Join when you you like attitude. It would be hard for a retailer to sell bedroom sets if the consumer knew it was marked up in price 50%. Manufac would not do business with Directbuy if it caused to many problems for the retail community. Many people dont like the pressure of joining in one day.I didnt like it much when i joined. But i understood why people need to join.And im glad i did.Some like Kev don't...Thats ok.... If you visit a DirectBuy and dont wish to shop there thats ok.I just think its a bit unfair to rip into my company with scumsuckigpigs etc.comments. ......internetbob....
Comment: Scum sucking? maybe, but pigs for sure. Countless people have had the same experience as you, KEVMIC74. If Directbuy were not a cult-like scam, they would not resort to such scum-sucking techniques like keeping the membership fee a guarded secret until after the sales video is shown at the open house. Then, without giving anyone a reasonable amount of time to think about whether to put down $5000 bucks- against the fear of being banned from joining Directbuy for 5 years is totally unsatisfactory! I just finished doing a search on "directbuy complaints" on the internet and found tons of different sites reporting a staggering number of varied complaints. One thread of many I read on www.ripoffreport.com even has a person wanting to organize a class action suit against Directbuy/UCC Total Home. Now you gotta have a whole bunch of very pissed off people to generate so much consistent negative feedback on so many different internet sites. If I were a DB franchise owner, I would be crapping my pants right now like internetcop has been because the net is becoming the powerful tool of information sharing that wasn't there when people first got into this shady business. One of the best, most reliable sources of frightening information on DB on the internet is this: www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/services/ucc/ CBC is the highly regarded government funded national radio and television in Canada (like NPR and PBS here in the 'States). They did an investigation on Directbuy/UCC Totalhome/United Consumers Club (the fact that such an franchise network has to change their name every couple of years should bend your alarm bells!) and what they found was pretty damning. Read these and other reports before you decide to rip up your invitations to the open house. The noble francise guy below is willing to refund victims their money because 1st of all, he's made millions on this shady business over the years and can afford to, and realizes that such refunds are a relatively cheap investment to fix the gaping hole created in his money hose by these frightening reports. Unfortunately, this is one of over 100 franchise owners who realizes the merit in publicly doing this. The other dogs are like this irritating internetcop idiot, who just perpetuates the shallow-minded sales rhetoric typical of Directbuy sales scheme. Do everyone (inclusing Directbuy) a favor and screw yourself in the left ear. Stop demeaning the intelligence of readers by trying to teach us 'a lesson' about using the internet to make a decision. The majority of intelligent people who go looking for information on the internet are simply educating and arming themselves so that they can situate themselves in a better position to make a decision. People in a position to pay a $5000 membership fee are either well-educated or well experienced. Internetcop, your vested interests are totally obvious; at least finish your GED before you share this powerful medium. People can make up their own minds, thank y
Comment: Beware of these scum sucking pigs known as DirectBuy. My wife and I saw their commercial on TV and ended up scheduling an appt to go see their showroom. Upon arrival, a "sales advisor" sat us down and tried to develop a relationship of trust with us. His conversational skills were poor and appeared to be just above drooling. He then directed us to a conference room where we heard an ex used car sales man spin off some info on the basics of the retail business vs DirectBuy business. We were then told to shell out $4500 to become members. I requested some time to do some due diligence first and the salesman refused my request saying that due diligence on the customers behalf wasn't permissible!! No wonder they won't let you research them!! Just surf the internet for a few minutes and you'll see what I mean when I refer to them as scum sucking pigs!!!
Comment: WOW !!! All these negative posts and when a full refund was offered to anyone with bad experience, not one comes forward. WOW !!! I just cannot believe it. So all these days’ people were imagining all these bad experiences. Others were basing their posts / decisions based on the creative negative posts. WOW !!! It is just unbelievable. My suggestion as an InternetCop to everyone reading this board. Speak to real members, Speak with your local BBB and make your decisions. This is a classic example of how Internet can be misused and abused. These people posing as members were manipulating prospective members all these days. Get real facts and decide based on real facts. This is a lesson to everyone who uses Internet to make decisions. There are lot of vested people who wants to abuse this powerful medium and tweak it to their advantage. DirectBuy has made a classic move that other companies can learn.
Comment: I have yet to get an e-mail from anyone. "StillSceptical", thanks for your honesty and fairness.I cant speak for other franchisees.There are more than 130 of them. I am great friends with alot of them.They are great people.We are not a scam.Only a non-member would suggest that.If a member were upset at us it would be because product came in late or frieght damage ect.A new member would be very unhappy if their first order had a problem.I hate when that happens.If i were a new member that paid $4000 and my first order had a problem i would wonder what I joined.Doesnt mean were a scam.Thats silly. Problems at DirectBuy are rear when you take into account the large amount of orders procesed each day.Thousands. This year is our 35th anniversary.DirectBuy has Hundreds of Thousands of members and processes Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of product each year for its members.Probelm orders happen in all stores.Look up Home Depot or other companys on these sites.Bad things happen.StillSkeptical,If you would like the truth, im sure i can get you into the DirectBuy of your Choice during busy business hours to talk one on one with as many members as you wish.You would not be going in to join.You wont have any access to manufacturers priceing. Just to help you with your skepticaism. No web sites. Real people.You can ask them how long have they been a member.How much they have saved.Are they happy with us Ect..Most members over two years will tell you they have saved Thousands beyond what the paid in dues. All i ask in return is you report back to this site with your new knowledge and understanding.Good or bad. Let me know.Find out the truth. Again if any REAL unhappy people need any help or has questions please e-mail me. user mrkush at domain aol.com
Comment: I don't think all the negative posts are from one person. I wrote a negative post here about 6 weeks ago based on my experience of being 'invited' to a Directbuy open house. Back then, I was really put off by the experience and gladly shared my experience to warn others about to embark on the open house experience. I am not a member, and by the looks of so many negative ratings through all of these pages, it looks like I have plenty of company. I think it is noble of Mr. Kush to take a more positive step toward controlling the damage than the flood of juvenile postings by Mr. Internetcop/JunkKing. Don't equate frank negative feedback with fake postings. This situation is not like a $50 decision on whether to take out a costco membership or not. At my open house in Canada (I'll take the high road and keep the franchise location anonymous) the membership fee was over $4000CDN; so expect people to be a little more involved and vocal about their gripes. To Dave Kush: if this is the way you treat your members at Hoffman Estates, then it would seem that your members are very lucky. However, by what a lot of upset members of various Directbuy franchises have reported here and at other sites like Ripoff.com, these offers for refunds and help seem to only come when negative feedback (and the threat of legal action) threatens to damage the company's reputation- like hush money. It seems like Directbuy could use a lot more Dave Kushs and they should communicate such pledges of member care to all franchisees and hold them to this better standard of practice. The open house I attended (as well as the entire lead-up to it) reeked of a badly orchestrated scam. Even if it were not an outright scam, it felt awfully like it was. The patronising tone of the presenters, the perplexing lack of time and means to make real cost comparisons, the time-share style high pressure sales pitches that employ guilt tactics... and the crowning blow - the hefty membership fee that had to be bought on the spot. Telling people who have spent the time and effort to fork out $4000 or else be banned from joining Directbuy for several years is just plain wrong. And I don't buy the line about protecting Directbuy's relationships to their suppliers. Someone here divulged the fact that suppliers routinely give out inflated prices to members identifying themselves as Directbuy members. When you all get back from the holidays, somebody set us straight on this. Thes practices cast a dark shadow over Directbuy, in my opinion. If Directbuy was a better business, they'd eliminate these dubious practices and they would be enjoying consistently better ratings here. Since I didn't join, I never found out whether there was any truth to delays in product deliveries and allegations of lack of after-service, but there are many posts here that attest to this pattern and it should be alarming. I cannot comment on that because I have only read it here and not experienced any of it. It is great to know th
Comment: DaveKush?, I greatly appreciate your position. This is how companies must be run in this country. Here we had people posting all negative posts for last few weeks. Each one of them posted as if they really experienced all the situations. I really commend their creativity. I am very certain that this was the act of someone who was fired at one of the DirectBuy location. Here Mr. Kush has offered to refund all the monies paid if this was a real experience and the person is now gone. I cannot imagine how even the person can post any further. If the person who was posting all the negative posts does not respond, we can safely assume that DirectBuy is company with great principles. I cannot imagine any other company even offering this. Kudos to DirectBuy !!! You are the best. I will refer all my friends to you. You deserve my 5 Stars. Keep up the good work.
Comment: Hello,I own the DirectBuy in Hoffman Estates ILL. I've been in the business for 16yrs.If anyone needs help understanding DirectBuy Please call your local BBB to get facts. KateB?..Are you a Member? If so, what is your member #. I'd like to refund your dues.You don't seem happy.If your not,How would you no about poor service,hidden fees,Ect..Please post a response.I would like to help. Nonesuch, Which DirectBuy do you belong to and what is your member #. I will do all i can to help you or anyone else. e-mail me @ user mrkush at domain aol.com
Comment: WHAT DIRECTBUY DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW: $4000-$6000 membership fee over 3 years revealed to you at the so-called open house by invitation. At the open house, you get to watch another indoctrination video with a carefully scripted presentation. They will show you a carefully chosen furniture item or two and give you an inflated comparison price. You will be led to believe that all of the merchandise you want is available at the deeply discounted direct-from-manufacturer price, without letting you browse the catalogues long enough to make your own comparisons. Then the fish you smell turns into a rat when they tell you must join at the open house or you will be banned from this opportunity to join DB. They will not tell you that you are paying more for your membership than others in the same DB location. They will not tell you that many of the brand names that you seek are not DB partners. In fact, they won't tell you that what you are paying thousands of dollars for is essentially a mail order service with poor to non-existent after sales care or help. It is well known that suppliers will quote members an inflated price, giving the illusion that you are saving a lot of money. Nobody pays retail these days and many of the deals out there and on the internet are better than the Directbuy prices in the catalogues. Also count on hidden fees of delivery charges, handling charges and numerous delays (6 months is not out of the ordinary). And this is only a small portion of the whole picture on directbuy. For the rest of the picture, scroll through the negative posts throughout all of these pages (it will take some time to sift through the junk and numerous fake testimonials planted by worried DB franchise owners who deserve to be worried because they are running one of the biggest scams out there), and take notes. You can judge the truth your self. Print these out and then attend the open house and see whether we are all idiots or not. You'll be thankful for educating yourself and thinking critically at all of the material here. Good luck. Message for John 2 posts below: You've blown your cover mate, by referring to everyone here who has reported their sober experiences with DB, as "idiots". Now, why would any DB franchiser refer to their potential customers as 'idiots'? I did the math and to have saved 2000 on 15 Christmas gifts, you would have spent an average of about $800 per gift! Yeah, right... if I did that, my family would love the gifts too, without a doubt. LIES. Buyer beware. The open house is a lion's den. Go with your brains intact and you'll make the right decision
Comment: My name is James L Gagan and my number is 219 736 1100 I live in Indiana and I have been a member since 1971. I regret becoming a member of DB. Since I became a member all the friends I encouraged to join no longer speak to me. My neighbors moved away and no longer speak to me since I encouraged them to join. I have been the biggest perpetuator for DB but the more I recommend the harder it is for me to keep friends. I have been labeled a liar and thief. I will admit I have not saved a dime with my DB membership. To all my friends, I am sorry.
Comment: We just finished celebrating Christmas. I wanted to place another order today at Direct Buy. I forgot the phone number for our local location. I was searching on Google and came across this site. What a shame to all the idiots on this site. Let me give you all real scoop on Direct Buy. We purchased 15 gifts this year for Christmas from Direct Buy. Everyone in our family loved them. We saved over $2000 just in these gifts for one year. My family could not take their eyes off of our new kitchen. The living room set came in lovely. Fully custom ordered. Saved over $15,000 in our first year. Just visit any location for real scoop. The people at Direct Buy are the friedliest people that I know.
Comment: Comment: $1,000,000 * 0 = 0, Any number multiplied by 0 results in 0. Praise / Complaint * No Name = Gargabe/ Rubbish. If you have a legitimate complaint / praise put in your name. If you do not have the courage to do it, please do not waste our time. If your complaint is real, why are you afraid of putting down your name ? Visit BBB.org for real complaints on any company. Stop visiting junk sites like this.
Comment: Comment: $1,000,000 * 0 = 0, Any number multiplied by 0 results in 0. Praise / Complaint * No Name = Gargabe/ Rubbish. If you have a legitimate complaint / praise put in your name. If you do not have the courage to do it, please do not waste our time. If your complaint is real, why are you afraid of putting down your name ? Visit BBB.org for real complaints on any company. Stop visiting junk sites like this.
Comment: Comment: $1,000,000 * 0 = 0, Any number multiplied by 0 results in 0. Praise / Complaint * No Name = Gargabe/ Rubbish. If you have a legitimate complaint / praise put in your name. If you do not have the courage to do it, please do not waste our time. If your complaint is real, why are you afraid of putting down your name ? Visit BBB.org for real complaints on any company. Stop visiting junk sites like this.
Comment: Yo internetcop; WHY are most of the deceiving 5 star comments posted by DirectBuy sales people and franchisers? Why are they posting without identifiers? The short answer is because THEY CAN, and they can continue to do so anonymously. This is my first post. I am a disappointed member- like others who come looking to see whether others have experienced similar bad experiences with this scandalous company. So if you want to police anyone, you ought to be policing Directbuy. Ask them why they resort to deceptive practices of concealing $3500-$6000 membership fees, and high pressure sales approaches that make timeshare sellers look like kindergarten volunteers. Ask them why there is virtually no after sales support (just read the horrifying testimony of the person below who ordered a bunch of kitchen aid appliances- pretty far cry from the smilies on the DB infommercial!), and delays on deliveries of ordered goods. People will never post their real names or contact information as long as there are slimeballers like you/JunkKing ready to fill your mailboxes with junk and other abuses consistent to their behavior on these boards. Like someone said already, many people will benefit from patiently going through all of the pages here on DirectBuy and taking what they can so they can make a better decision about parting with a significant amount of money. If you want to fix this board, then don't dis the posters: put pressure on the administrators of this board to change the procedure for registration. From what I can see, the negative comments on this board are justified and best describe my experience. If bestbuy was nearly as good as the suspicious 4 and 5 star ratings purport, you would not be policing this thread- would you? People who are in the position to 'qualify' for the Directbuy open house are usually people with some intelligence. Before Directbuy franchisers went out to hire slimeballers like JunkKing? to sabotage this site, they should have thought it out better. That move just gave greater credence to Directbuy's deservedly deteriorating reputation.
Comment: My job is to police internet and prevent abuse. Based on the message patterns all the negative posts are posted by a single person. I cannot let a single person to post all garbage and mislead people. If you have a real experience with this company post your name and phone number. I will call you and confirm the experience. Again, NO NAME & NO PHONE NUMBER = GARBAGE
Comment: Hey internetcop1, why do you give this scamming co 4 stars? there are obvious major problems with this business. what's your name and email?
Comment: $1,000,000 * 0 = 0, Any number multiplied by 0 results in 0. Praise / Complaint * No Name = Gargabe/ Rubbish. If you have a legitimate complaint / praise put in your name. If you do not have the courage to do it, please do not waste our time. If your complaint is real, why are you afraid of putting down your name ?
Comment: October 19, 2005 Direct Buy and Kitchen Aid We had our kitchen remodeled and purchased all KitchenAid? products. We purchased four appliances that usually would need separate circuits (dishwasher, speed oven/microwave, drop in gas convection oven and electric wall oven) as well as a refrigerator. This was placed on a circuit with two outlets. When the appliances were delivered we plugged in the refrigerator. The light came on and it ran for approximately 30 minutes before it stopped running. The light remained on. Since my husband has a degree in electronics engineering, he tried the unplugging and replugging, looked for a reset button and finally called KitchenAid?. The refrigerator is brand spanking new and does not work. They offered to get someone out within two weeks. We raised cane and they came out within one week. The company, Apple Appliances sent a technician on behalf of Kitchen Aid who knew nothing of this new model. (unprepared) (one day off work). When he came he needed to call Whirlpool who attempted to explain the whole unplug and replug, and finally decided it may be the computer. Technician does not know where it is. He finds it and sure enough the computer it out. Can’t get it in for possible four weeks. Whirlpool says we broke the computer because everyone knows that the new models of refrigerators for the past 10 years need to be on a separate circuit. We check the manufacturers booklet . On pages 1 – 4 there are all types of warnings about various and sundry items. On page five there is in small, but bold letters, a suggestion that the refrigerator be put on its own circuit. The technician from Apple had never heard of such a rule before this situation. He says the only way we can get the computer sooner is if Kitchen Aid gets on board and expresses it out to us. Kitchen Aid disagrees and says Apple is responsible for getting the part. In the meantime we have gone almost three weeks now without refrigeration. Kitchen Aid has refused to refund our money so we can go purchase another and basically has said they have 30 days to fix it and 90 days before we can be considered for a refund. This is costing us much money eating out, throwing things out, purchasing ice, etc. My husband attempted to reach both Apple and Kitchen Aid yesterday but now no one is returning our calls. We want our money back. We will purchase a more reliable model or we would like to have a completely brand new replacement. We feel like idiots paying a $2000.00+ for refrigerator to have it need to be repaired. Finally, we purchased these appliances through DirectBuy and called them to request assistance. Their response is that we are on our own because we signed the shipping document on the appliances as received in good condition. To them it means everything works. This is insulting and almost laughable because they were delivered in boxes without the benefit of being tested to see if they were operable. What can we do? Please assist.
Comment: Let's try to stay on topic here and give the readers of this board a little more credit than JunkKing does. Intelligent readers will know what to take from the comments whether those comments are good or bad. I am a member of Directbuy and I concur with all fo the legitimate posts here. It's the quality of the content of legitimate posts rather than the star ratings that matter. What is clear here is that DirectBuy has hired a slimeball lowlifer to sabotage this useful Directbuy thread because of the honest bad reviews and warnings that are contained herein (you just have to wade through the grimy Junkking trash, but well worth it if you want to know the inside story on Directbuy. I put my name next to the numerous complainers here and echo all of the concerns and frustrations shared about the Directbuy experience, from both members and non members alike. If you're curious about the DB concept, you need only to trust your instincts and good intuition. The infomercial paints too good a picture of the realities awaiting gullible joiners. Ask yourself why the whopping $4500 membership fee is kept a well guarded secret until you are at an open house where you become the target of some very patronizing, high pressure sales tactics. This is catalogue shopping in which the realities of savings (once you figure in handling fees, taxes, delivery and re-stocking fees) are very difficult to come by. I was surprised at how hard it became to find just what I wanted in merchandise in the brand lines I wanted. My own experience has been one of broken promises: delivery dates get pushed back; product lines unavailable; prices for many goods are actually higher than the prices gained from shopping locally and on the internet. My advice here is that you want to study this entire site and wade through all of the junk and gems to know exactly what you are getting yourself into. I wish this was available when I joined. If this service was billed at $100 per year, then it would be OK. Anything in the range of $4000 over 3 years is a downright moneygrab. SCAM!
Comment: TO EVERYONE ON THIS SITE: I FULLY AGREE WITH INTERNETCOP. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO POST YOUR NAME AND PHONENUMBER, STAY AWAY FROM THIS SITE. IF YOUR EXPERIENCE IS REAL (GOOD OR BAD) NO ONE CAN GO AFTER YOU. VISIT YOUR LOCAL BBB FOR REAL EXPERIENCES. THEY ONLY POST IF YOU PROVIDE ALL THE CONTACT INFORMATION. WHY TRUST THESE JUNK SITES AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO MAKE MONEY ON US. VISIT WWW.BBB.ORG FOR REAL SCOOP ON ANY COMPANY. THIS SITE DOES NOT EVEN CHECK FOR A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. THIS ENABLES SAME PERSON TO POST JUNK ALL DAY. THIS SITE IS A SCAM AND SHOULD BE SUED.THIS SITE ADMINISTRATOR MUST IMPLEMENT SECURITY TO PREVENT ABUSE BY PEOPLE LIKE JUNKKING.
Comment: If any one of you have real experiences either postive or negative, please post your name and contact number. Without these information it is just rubbish. I cannot believe the companies actually hiring people to post junk. Internet is a great tool. Let us not degrade it. Visit http://www.breakthechain.org for information on internet spammers. Here is an excerpt from that site:
Armchair Activism refers to the enthusiastic and often exclusive use of e-mail to rally others around a cause because of the medium's speed and reach, while ignoring its limitations as an information tool. Most people who forward e-petitions and other calls for help mostly do so because it is easy. If their participation required more effort - say, copying and distributing paper fliers, going door-to-door to gather signatures, attending rallies, etc. - they most likely would ignore the cause. E-mail petitions are not nearly as effective as grassroots campaigns and letters to congressmen. But they are a lot easier and can be done from the comfort of our homes and, yes, our armchairs. Thus we're more likely to participate, even when we're not particularly passionate (or convinced) about the cause. The less effort involved, the more we are willing to take on faith. After all, it can't hurt anything, right? Unfortunately, it can. Armchair Activism, in the form of e-mail petitions and boycott chains, frequently does more harm than good. They pose a significant privacy risk for anyone foolish enough to add their name to them. They also frequently misinform and/or stick around long after any usefulness they might have had is gone. Finally, organizations targeted by them must devote valuable time and manpower to answer to often false or misleading accusations.
Comment: Merry Christmas and Happy new year. May god bless you with a new job this year. Make $20 / hr posting junk on companies. Stop bagging groceries, stop taking non sense from your boss. Become your own boss. Just post real garbage on companies and their products. I pay you directly. You must have vivid imagination and good english skills. HABLA ENGLISHO and YOU ARE HIRED. Sorry for companies on this site. We just randomly picked few companies for our hiring purposes. I run this site and none of the comments are real on this site. Both negative and positive posts are used only for hiring future internet junkies. We sincerely aplogize to all companies on our training / hiring ground. We will rotate companies to be fair. Zebra (12/23/2005)
Comment: Here is more tips for those of you will attending the open house. Get 4 or 5 of your relatives or close friends together and split the $4,500. Only two legal names on the contract. Than draw a seperate contract among yourself if you dont feel comfortable (CLOSEST FRIEND OR RELATIVES). DB dont care how you do it as long as they get the $4,500 and they dont even have to know.
Comment: Girl to Boy; thanks so much for your VERY informative and helpful postings. Your comments are very valuable because not only do you speak as a DirectBuy member, you are going the extra mile to inform us of how the system really works. All of this helps us get the 'whole picture', which is what the DB sales guy told me I would be getting by attending the open house. I doubt if they would divulge all of these actual experiences. Any moment now, we should expect the DB slimers to come in with their customary 7 or 8 junk posts that begin with some kind of unbelievable positive testimonial singing Directbuy praises. Anyway, all of your honest postings have helped a lot of people think more thoroughly about whether to join Directbuy or not. I got hooked watching the infomercial on the shopping channel. I didn't realize that the people who appear are not actually real members but actors who have been hired and recite well manufactured scripts with their sincere gazes and perma smiles. There is definitely a method to their madness. Thanks again, Boy, and others! If I go to the open house, I will go in with my eyes wide open and I will definitely ask all the hard questions in front of everyone. I think my 4-5000 is worth at least that much.
Comment: Hello again! This is for those of you who are going to the open house. Make sure you talk to the person next to you as to what kind of fee they are paying. It looks like the fee is varied from noe day to the next because they tried to get as much money out of you as they can. Make a pack with a couple before and after to compare. Ask intelligent questions in front of the group; they will tell you to wait and talk one-on-one with your saleman. That because they dont want everybody to hear it. Do it anyway. This is for those of you that are member. This is how you play the game. Local vendors and contractors are a joke! They knoe that you are a member and expecting a discount. So they jack up the price; actual cost is 1,000, the contractor jack up to 1,150 and discount you 15%. Now we right back to 1,000. If you have to use local contractors, here is what you do. Call them up, and they will ask you how you get this business info. Tell them thru the web. Ask them for a qoute and ask other contractors for the same. If it is within reason then mention that you are a member of DB. They probally give you 10% or 15%. They will try to say Oh that is the memeber's qoute then bring up other contractors qoutes and make them look like a fool. Then they will either give you the discount or risk loosing you business. Do not buy everything thru DB. It is true 40% is hard to find. It is mostly in furnitures and lightings. Do this, compare Ashley furniture, Harverty, lighting such as chandelier, etc., large electronics and appliances (The store only makes probaly max 20% on large electronic and appliance. Because of the item obsolete so fast and high cost, they only carry a few item in store. More model they have to go thru vendor just like you would with DB . Do not buy small electronic, toys, tools, outdoor furniture, BBQ, everyday use item and especially item less than $300 in value thru DB there are no saving and you cant return. Buy it at the store, dont like it , return it, buy another one. You have to know what you going to buy and then go and compare with the local store and the web to see if it is worth it. Do not use custom home improvement with DB. They will rip you off if not carefull! Good Luck
Comment: Here was my experience. I became a member. It seemed that if everything they said was true, it would work out very well for us. We needed new windows for the house so we called our Direct Buy location and they indicated that we needed to talk to the supplier directly because they didn't know anything about windows. So much for the great service and high membership fee, but I agreed to do that. I received the quote for my windows, but because I was a bit suspicious, I did not tell the supplier that I was a Direct Buy member. I called Direct Buy with the model numbers that I needed and they said I needed to call the supplier and have him send them the information. So I did that, and to my surprise received the exact same quote, plus a handling fee, plus shipping. None of which were on the original quote. Now I was pissed and knew I had been suckered. I asked for my money back and they refused and said that the supplier must have made a mistake. When I called him, he said I was supposed to tell him I was a Direct Buy member. When I asked what pricing he would have quoted me, he said list price, that is what Direct Buy asked him to do. He said always can sell cheaper than Direct Buy. When I confronted the Direct Buy location, they just talked in circles and said they would get back to me, but they never did. I then went to a home show they were at and requested my money in their booth. They refused at first, but when people overheard our conversation, they just left the booth. They did end up giving me my money back which appears they don't do often, but you have to be persistent. Since then, I have talked with some of their other suppliers who have indicated this is common practice. Based on my experience, even if you plan to spend a lot of money, you will never get your money back. The more money you spend, the easier it is to bargain for a better deal, and you don't have to pay a high membership fee, wait for weeks to get your product, plus you get to see it before you buy it. All the advantages of not being a member without all the hassle and cost.
Comment: 1st to the Directbuy employees posting here, why would you ever post such slanderous, demeaning post about former, current, and potential customers? It really does leave many who come here for info, questioning the integrity of your company, your business, and your employees. An honest business would not need its loyal employees to post such garbage to prove it is a reputable company, its product and corporate culture would do that. To those who spent $5000 to save money, I say press on and do not feel guilty for doing what entrepreneurs do everyday, they spend money to make money, unfortunately you fell victim to a scam. To those who have not invested in this fraud I say look at the warning signs and compare what you want to what you get. For $5000 why would you have to go to every merchant in your local area to compare prices, you paid them 5g's, that is the least they can do. At Sam's club, with your membership, they will shop around for the cheapest car you specify potentially saving you thousands. 2nd, why would you spend $5000 site unseen to save money ? Even Costco will allow you to tour their facility before you become a member. 3rd, look at the treatment the employees put you through if you complain. If you still join DB after reading this site, then you get what you deserve.
Comment: member1023901: Are you a DB franchise owner?! If so, is there some way to legally opt out of this terrible deception? I joined last month and realized the terrible mistake I made; most of the negative comments left here are quite true for me. This is not a smear campaign but rather a public service that I wish I had found BEFORE I stupidly paid over $4000CDN at the introductory session (here in Ontario). The real people who should be sued into complete collapse is Directbuy, or UCC Total Home or whatever they change their operating name to every 2 or 3 years. Member1023901, you speak of no bad experiences whatsoever; you must be really naive or haven't been with DB for long enough (or simply out and out lying). The service is terrible- non existent as some people have correctly said. And I just got my order pushed back again- now I know why, according to the post further down by John. If you're only paying $450 per year, then you got a deal on your membership or you're lying. I can hardly look my family members in the eye because I feel I squandered our money in an opportunity to save, that turned out to be a scam. I hope 2006 is indeed better than 2005 because our Christmas has been ruined by my stupid, stupid, mistake. I am too embarrassed to tell my neighbours but I am all for warning everyone here to be careful and study all they can about Directbuy before they join. $4000 is a good chunk of money to put down on promises of deep savings which are not always there for the items you want or need.
Comment: I joined Direct Buy recently. I was searching on google and came across this website. The posts in this website are nothing short of smear campaign by competitors. They should be sued beyond recovery. I have placed over 5 orders since I joined. It is nothing but pleasure buying from Direct Buy. Very good selection. Good products. Great people. What else can I ask for? Yes there is a membership fee. Even if Direct Buy were a non-profit organization, they would still need to charge membership dues to run the place. I have no problem paying $450 per year for the outstanding service. My family thanks every Direct Buy employee and management for this outstanding service. Happy holidays and 2006 will be even greater than 2005. Every one of my neighbors will be a Direct Buy member once they see my new kitchen.
Comment: I joined Directbuy almost a year ago and I'll just say that for the most part, the negative comments here are sadly true. I joined because I believed in the concept of buying directly from the manufacturer and the information sessions and marketing made it all sound like there were no problems and that saving massive amounts were a no-brainer. Contrary to what the guy says below, I have spent about 13,000 but I am no where near re-couping my membership fee. What burns me up is finding stuff in regular stores and the internet for similar or even cheaper prices(!) All of the horror stories about after service and care are right. I swear my DB store has caller ID and refuse to answer the phone when they see its me calling, wondering where my stuff is. All I can say is be very careful and keep your head screwed on right if you go to the membership introductory session. Go through these pages and find all the info you need to make the right decision. Just don't make the mistake I made.
Comment: Wow, what a site! I just went through the pages, past the pockets of junk, and found out more in an hour than I could have in several hours spent at the Directbuy open house. I actually came looking for the membership fee amount. LOL No wonder they keep it a secret and only reveal it under heavy pressured sales tactics. After viewing the slick infomercial on TV, I knew this was too good to be true! When you can't look extensively throughout the catalogues over several days to do real comparisons, then you're putting down $5000 on faith and I don't think these guys are trustworthy- just look at the blatant campaign of junk postings! Pretty amateurish, if you ask me, but this tells me more about the lack of integrity in DB's business plan. So, I am not going to any open house and I am not going to put out $4-5,000 on faith. Thanks again for everyone who took the time to post their experiences- you just saved me and a bunch of people some real headaches! Merry Christmas!
Comment: Looking for meaningful feedback on DirectBuy ? Just scroll past the following 8 or so junk postings put up by some 10 year-old hired by Directbuy to obscure the real (negative) ratings. There are plenty of reasons why DirectBuy doesn't want you to read the real informative posts further down the list on these pages. Just be patient and scroll through the crap; it'll save you about $4000 in DB membership money. I am taking the liberty to re-post an excellent comment left by a person named 'boy' on the Directbuy of Richardson thread: "Comment: Here's how it works. On the avg you will save 40% on all the items you purchase thru DB. With a membership of $4,500, you have to spend $11,250 in order to re-coup your fee: ($4,500/.4). So now you have spent $15,750 for your items. (actually others have posted that it will take a minimum of $25K or more because the discounts of 40% are typically hard to find at DB). At this point you break even, like if you went and paid full price for those items. Anything you buy beyond this amount will be your saving at 40%. So if you spend another $10,000, you will save $4,000. But by now you've spent $25,000.For those of you planning to spend less than $15,000 over 3 yrs DONT JOIN! NOTE: DB also has to reach the minimum purchase amount from suppliers and after that they also have to meet minimum re-order amounts. If they fail to meet any of the requirements, they have to pay a fee. This explains why members are routinely told that their orders are delayed or that the shipment dates have been pushed back. This happens alot,resulting in frustrated members cancelling their orders. DB actually waits to get more orders from members until they fill the minimum req.If the value of the items is greater than $750, you're probably OK but for small items like $200-$350: good luck getting them. Remember, DB's talking points are based on SUGGESTED retail prices which is 2 or 3 times over the cost. Retailers wanting to stay in business rarely deal at that price: they'll always sell at discounted prices. Some retailers can save you even more because they buy in larger qty. Supplies are plentiful these days. You can find some really good deals thru the net. Now you know how it works! Another point for DB members: Why is the shipping cost explained as an estimated cost yet there's never a refund? Huh? Certainly DB is not going to pay more to ship the items to you. Everytime I asked 'they said it is an estimate, you will get a refund if it is less". Well 1st of all, the shipping charge is being handling thru the vendor. Well, then why does DB contimue to say I'll receive a refund! I never have, not one cent! As for negatives comments they are true because I am also a member. I did re-coup my fee because I spent $26,000;mostly furniture and large ticket items. But it was not fun! Remember, if you plan to spend under $15,000 DONT DO IT. Everything you need to know is out on the web, before you buy.
Comment: Before you go to their sales meeting, bring with you a list of a few high ticket items you are considering purchasing. make sure you have brand name, model number, etc. Ask them to quote you a price and delivery date. You will leave with your wallet intact and a smile on your face, knowing you were not ripped off.
Comment: Agree Bakajani! I've been in sales 20 years and the only thing worse than the childish responses here was the actual presentation by DB. After watching the movie filled with mindless drones and dribble talk the sales guy I met actually became angry when I asked several relevant questions.His lame tactic to make me feel uncomfortable in a crowd failed miserably.This guy actually used the ploy that I was the only one that didn't get it.So instead of answering any of my questions he tried to bully me in to signing up. A complete waste of my time, If I knew first hand you had to hand over a few thousand dollars instantly, well , I would know its a scam. I took the time (2 hours) to read all the threads, I suggest if your spending $4000 you do the same.
Comment: I find it annoying to come to a useful site like this and have to deal with the unscrupulous actions of a company like Directbuy. Hiring spammers and junk marketers like Junkking actually hurts Directbuy's reputation than helps it. Why would anyone wanting to defend Directbuy have to resort to such lows in intelligence and integrity? Baffling, really and an obvious mistake for it damages Directbuy. I was curious about the DB concept when I saw an infomercial the other day on cable tv. But I changed my mind and decided to stay clear away from directbuy after seeing them employ such imbecilic characters slinging their mess. What a collosal waste of a person's ability, time and potential! Visitors to this website looking for information on Bestbuy are advised to go a few pages beyond this one to get a clearer grasp of what Directbuy is and the structure and mechanics of their deception. A message to DirectBuy : continue to employ these junkmailers and your potential customers will continue to flee.
Comment: Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you! I watched an infomercial on the shopping channel and was about to make arrangements for getting an invitation to the open-house, when I came across this site while looking for information on Directbuy. Thank God I did because I realize now what this is all about. Yes, previous poster, you are right, if you just dig through the junk postings here, you come across a lot of important information. Ands yes, there is a (suspicious) pattern to the positive 5 star ratings, and a more full and substantial pattern to the one and half star ratings. Personally, I can't see what the motive would be for the long list of people sharing their bad experiences with this company. If this was a legitimate and credible company, then why the high pressure sales tactics at the open house? And why not give more disclosure to what is in the catalogues? And why the hush hush about the scary $5000 initiation fee that is only available at the open house? Sounds just too fishy to me! $5000 is a pretty hefty amount to take a big risk on promises of savings, when you can't spend some time looking at the catalogues and determining for yourselves if it is worth it or not. Sounds like a scam. Well, I suppose this comment will be followed by the same pattern of junk and 5star postings by the 'idiot'.
Comment: Hey dbmember: who's trying to manipulate who?? stop being the "IDIOT" who gives himself away by consistently using the pronoun 'idiot' to refer to all who have shared their candid experiences and views of DirectBuy 's service. And would you please stop flooding this useful site with your idiotic and imbecilic junk posts like these just below mine (and everytime a legitimate post is shared here)? These negative posts are the truth about db, and let me explain why, on your terms. I was a fool to have become a DB member a year and a half ago (actually I guess that makes me an 'idiot' because I paid considerably more than the $4000 people are reporting to have paid for their initiation fees, on this site). Now let me rate the 'SERVICE' as unequivocally POOR! Why? you've been a member for just 2 weeks, so you've a lot of truly disappointing experiences ahead of you. Let me tell you what is likely in store for you in the months ahead: let me count the ways...
I should probably add the sizable membership fee that is pretty well kept a secret until the orientation-open house session. All of these fees pretty well kill any fantasy you might have had from the well promoted illusion that you'd be saving a lot of money. The so-called 'real value' of a DB membership assessed by real (disgruntled) members like me is that this is a bonafide SCAM. I have tried every way to make my membership work for me- through expensive renovations that I thought I would save from joining DB. Previous poster says anything can be done under freedom of speech. Well I would reply by saying that your fake 5 star testimonials and spewing of junk posts is the real attempt at manipulation! If you are a DB franchise owner f
Comment: I cannot believe the manipulation by these negative posts. I guess any thing can be done under freedom of speech. I almost decided agaist joining DB after reading posts by these idiots. I joined DB last week and already saved twice the membership costs. Rarely people with good experience post on web sites like this. I want to make sure that everyone understand the real value of DB membership. The only people who will lose in DB concept are retailers. Great products and truly buying direct. I would rate the service as EXCELLENT. Stop reading junk on sites like this and actually evaluate the service. I am sure you can trust yourself over these idiots who are all attempting to manipulate us for different reasons.
Comment: Wow, This business is a complete scam. It overloads the interent so if you search for information about their company you just get links to the same home page, which hides links like this one that exposes the truth about their tantics. How does a membership fee of over $4,000 justify $50,000 in savings. It doesn't make sense and I rely on the good old saying, "If it sounds to good to be true, it is." Any company that claims to as successful as directbuy claims would probably not change thier names unless trying to change the public image. If yoru such a good company you would not want to change the image. Here is some history on directbuy:
Company Background
Year began: 1971 Franchising since: 1972
James L. Gagan founded UCC TotalHome in 1971 and began franchising the following year. Based in Merrillville, Indiana, the private company has over 90 locations throughout North America. And here is some company information you might not be able to find.8450 Broadway, P.O. Box 13006 Merrillville, IN 46411-3006 Phone: 800-827-6400 / 219-736-1100 Fax: 219-755-6208
The information above is for franchise information, that would seem to me to be a home office. This web site is great for getting the truth out of this company, the directbuy marketers didn't post so much garbage in retaliation. You can tell they are amateurs because one of the first rules to allegations that are not supposed to be true is not to even acknowlege the rumor. All marketing is trying to do is make sites like this lost in the internet or try to shut these sites done. I will email this site to everyone in my address book. I hope they do the same.
Comment: Wow, I came to this board through a search for directbuy on google, to see whether I did the right thing after deciding NOT to join Directbuy, at the Mississauga DB in Canada. The postings 3 or 4 pages back gave much relief. I declined to join and was treated like an imbecile by the Directbuy people. The whole affair smelled fishy to me. Why didn't they say anything about the $4000 sign-up fee, or a proper look at the catalogues, or directions to this site (or any site) to read real member's stories and comments? And why the rather harsh ban on joining for life if you don't join right then and there? Now I am relieved to know that you really don't get much of a savings on DB orders- especially after you figure in the hidden costs, delivery fees, etc. At least at places like Homeshow, Bestbuy, Sam's Club, etc, you can actually see the product and talk to someone about it. There's even the provision for returning things that don't work out. I wonder if the disgruntled poster below who keeps posting junk is a worried DB franchise owner. Well, thanks to the posters on this board, I don't feel so bad after declining to join.
Comment: Phew! thanks to all the legitimate posters here (not the poor guy who keeps flooding this thread with vulgar junk- I think he hates furniture retailers!)for saving me and my family from wasting an evening listening to a deceptive high-pressured sales pitch. When the rep phoned this morning to set up an invitation for the intro session, I was able to confidently decline. When asked why, I simply said, do a search on the the internet and go read the comments on Directbuy at www.ratethatcompany.com. You have to wade through Benjamin's cluster of 6 or 7 junk postings to get the real take on Directbuy's pros and cons. What I have read from most of the pages here is that Directbuy is a slick mail-order operation that has to change its name every 2 years or so in order to flee from its shady reputation. They rely on heavy and expensive television infomercials that rely on deceiving the consumer (who's always interested in saving some money- who isn't?) into thinking he or she is getting a great deal by paying $5000 bucks up front. Well, as someone pointed out, by the time you figure in the: protracted wait time to get your stuff, very poor-to non-existent service and after-care, handling charges and delivery costs from the DB warehouse, consistentluy late delivery and lack of legitimate brand names, etc etc, you're actually far short of the thousands you're supposed to be gaining. The worst thing is that you have to look for everything through a catalogue and read descriptions of things yiou cannot touch or feel. And I don't know what the vulgar poster below has against retailers. I thought DB was about more than furniture but I guess he's revealing what they sell the most. And may God help those who joined because you've got to buy a helluva lot of furniture at Directbuy to make up for the $5000 dollars you paid to join. Thank God for the internet, where people can share their experiences with others. You all (including you, Benjamin) saved me $5000 and sveral years of regret, not to mention a whole evening of having to listen to some poor sales person trying to make DB's profit up front in the first session. And Benjamin, get a life will ya? Spending a whole evening typing out these silly pro-DB posts after someone else posted their disasterous experience with Directbuy is a waste of time- like the Directbuy open house!
Comment: Pricing Your Products To Cover Your Expenses
In order to determine the price at which you will sell your products, you must consider: The wholesale cost of the item Your overhead and labor expenses How much your customers are willing to pay What your competitors charge This appendix will focus on the first two topics. (The marketing section of this guide discusses the last two topics.) This appendix will show you how much you should add to the wholesale price of the item to cover your overhead and labor expenses. You will learn how the pricing of individual items affects the cash flow of the entire business. When you order merchandise for resale, your supplier gives you an invoice. You calculate your retail selling price by taking the wholesale price (your cost) from the invoice and adding an additional amount. That additional amount goes to cover your overhead and labor expenses, and leave you with a net profit. You need to price your products high enough so that you do not come up short. The question is--how much should you add to the wholesale cost to generate the right amount of cash from sales? Seven Steps To Pricing Your Products So That You Cover Your Expenses Step I: Project Your Overhead and Labor Expenses This projection is the same as the one you did in "Step I" of the "Cash Flow" section. Simply list your expenses on a spread sheet and determine how much cash you need to cover the total. Step II: Calculate Your Gross Profit on Sales Gross profit on sales tells you how much cash you generate from sales after paying for items. You should be able to cover your expenses and earn a net profit from these extra dollars. Continuing with the example from the "Cash Flow" section "Step III," you operate an appliance store that has weekly overhead and labor expenses totaling $2, 000. The store has $9,000 in sales each week. You estimate that the wholesale cost of the goods is $6,000. How much cash (gross profit) do you need to cover the $2,000 in expenses and earn a $1,000 net profit? Sales ($9,000) - Wholesale Cost of Goods ($6,000) = GROSS PROFIT ($3,000) Gross Profit ($3,000) - Expenses ($2,000) = Net Profit ($1,000) You generate $3,000 ($9,000-$6,000=$3,000) to cover your expenses. This is your gross profit. After you have paid for your goods and covered your expenses, your net profit is $1,000. You should calculate your gross profit each week (sales--wholesale cost of goods) to make sure you generate enough cash to cover your expenses. Step III: Determine the Types & Quantities of the Items You Want to Buy Before you calculate the amount you should add to each item you sell to cover your expenses, you need to decide what items you want to buy. You select products based on the number you expect to sell, the wholesale cos
Comment: 5 Star service, 5+ star product line up, 5++ star pricing. Nothing to complain. We were members for last 10 years and saved a ton of money.
Comment: DirectBuy is a great blessing for consumers who are getting ripped off by the retailers. I joined recently and found the service to be even better that retailers charging 2 times markup. Nothing to complain. Most of the negative posts are by people who could not afford the membership dues or probably by retailers. Check it our for yourself. It is a great concept.
Comment: SCREW DIRECTBUY. I AM A RETAILER IN CANADA AND I WILL BE FORCED TO SHUTDOWN VERY SOON. WE CANNOT STAY IN BUSINESS UNLESS WE CHARGE 50% TO 100% MARKUP. THESE IDIOTS FROM DIRECTBUY GIVE AWAY THINGS AT COST AND SCREW US. STOP SHOPPING AT DIRECTBUY COME BACK TO US. IF YOU DO NOT BUY FROM US WE WILL BE OUT OF BUSINESS. WE CANNOT SEND OUR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS ANY MORE. HELP US HERE PLEASE !!!! WE ARE JUST HONEST BUSINESS PEOPLE THAT HELP YOU TO BUY RIGHT FURNITURE FOR YOUR HOME. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THESE IDIOTS CAN SELL AT COST. I HATE THEM. I HATE THEM. MY KIDS WILL BE GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS LIKE COMMON FOLK. I HATE IT. MAKE IT YOUR 2006 RESOLUTION TO BUY LOT OF FURNITURE AND HELP US OUT HERE.
Comment: Real Members can be idiots too- at least that's what I can say after wasting 3 hours of my time and the WALKING AWAY from a THIS SCAM, tonight, at a DB open house. Since they took down all of my personal information (phone numbers, e-mail, address- for mailing my invitation package), all I am willing to say is that I am in Canada. First time visitors to this board looking for information on DB before going to your open house: there is a ton of vital information regarding the truth behind Directbuy buried in these pages. You need too look past the cluster of junk postings and 5 star comments made by the people running the DB scam- and it really is a scam. Every time a series of honest testimonials of disappointment with DirectBuy surfaces, the Directbuy cockroaches creep in and launch a bunch of junk postings like the 6 0r 7 that appear directly below this posting. In the 1 to 3 star posts, you'll find the bitter truth of what is on the line when you sign the DB contract and hand over $4000-$5000 in sales commissions right up front. Take the time to read all of these and you'll get a very accurate view of what happens in the open house orientation and a pretty good sense of how the scam runs. Then you will see exactly why the junk postings and the laughable sales talking points are repeated over and again. There's a lot of deceit here:It starts with well crafted infomercials seen on the shopping channel in which paid actors are dressed and made-up to be just like you, and talk about how happy and fortunate they are to be reckless consumers. 2) These actors never tell you: a) hefty $5000 membership fee b) DB keeps no inventory- all is mail-order. C) Virtually no after-service d) Only a handful of well-known brands e) Price is most often available or beatable by non-DB vendors f) Handling fees for everything g) Goods arrive late- sometimes half a year. h) Must pay to have the goods shipped to your place. i) No after service. J) Very high pressured sales team, employing unreasonable tactics like: making you sign and pay immediately for fear of being banned for a number of years. Want more truth, go through these pages and see for yourself. Good Luck. You're only an idiot if, after reading the legitimate posts here, you proceed to join DB
Comment: Do not trust the idiots on this site. I am a real member and saved a ton of money. If you are in doubt, check with other members that are shopping at your location. In my location, I can always see at least 10 to 15 members shopping. Check with real members. They will tell you the facts. Most people posting on site are Retailers who cannot swindle you any more. Imagine charging 2 to 3 times cost and suddenly cannot rip of customers any more because of DirectBuy . I can understand the frustuation but get real. It is just useless to fight the wind. Just flow with it. Buy a DirectBuy franchise and join the new economy. My advise to all consumers, you were deceived by these retailers all these years. Do not fall prey to their junk here. Do real research. Check with local BBB, Check with local govt agencies, Check with real members. DirectBuy has been in business for over 30 years. It is the best thing that happened to my family. If DirectBuy did not save so much money, I fail to see a reason as to why these retailers getting so desperate.
Comment: My wife & I were thinking about joining, but one thing hung me up pretty seriously. Why do they tell you that a second attempt at membership isn't available for 7 years? That felt a little funny, because they blame it on the idea that they don't want you finding out all their prices, then going down to the neighboring stores and telling them that if they don't match the price then you'll just go become a member of directbuy and get it there. The problem? They don't allow you to look at the price books on your initial consultation anyway. (At least we weren't allowed to at the one in Liberty, MO.) So what difference does it make to them if I want to come back & join?
Comment: I'm from Canada and my dh and I joined about a yr ago. At first we thought it was great...we could get a Serta Perfect Night King pillow top mattress for only $1700! Holy crap...trying to GET the thing to our house was another story! We had to pay a private moving guy (and there is a limit of 7 business days to pick up your merchanidise!?). So finally after waiting 6 weeks for the mattress, we finally got it almost a week after it was shipped to the DB store. Since we don't OWN a moving van...if we ever want to buy big ticket items such as beds, couches, or large appliances, we'll be paying to have them delivered. We are now in the process of getting ready to do home renos (kitchen cabinets, floors and appliances). I know many people here have said "I saved thousands..." According to WHO? Direct Buy catalogues? All you have to do it go online to the actual company's website (I went to all of the appliance sites to see what the savings would be) and all of the appliances (except ONE company) were HUNDREDS MORE from DB!! How exactly does that work?? So I pay $4000 CND to join, and then I get to buy MORE pricey items fom them?? Oh what a dream! (sarcasm) I've only found savings on GE appliances so far...which, I could get a comparable appliance from the official Kitchen Aid web site for $200-$300 less! These items are supposed to be the ones we save 40-60% on aren't they?? So far, I have NOT seen this savings on ANYTHING but our mattress! So...we could have gotten our mattress for $2000-$2200 on sale in a store...and still had some of our $4000 membership fee left. but instead we are still out thousands of dollars. Now we will probably not even be able to save anything by doing our purchasing there for our renovations. Is this not supposed to be the "ideal" situation for saving money according to DB? People who rely on what DB says is a savings need to go to the actual STORE or web site of that item and see if what DB says the MSRP is...actually IS! From what I've researched...the MSRP DB is giving me is $350+ MORE than it actually is!! So in actual FACT...I’m saving NOTHING (but they tell me I’m saving $350!) How do I get my membership fee back??? What are my rights here?
Comment: How pathetic and absolutely deceitful the last 3 posters are. Isn't it rather strange that when the 'real' ratings for Directbuy (written in brutal accuracy and detail) emerged two pages below, that people have either tried to sabotage this page or have tried to counter the damning information with these falacious 2 line statements like 'best thing that ever happened to our family'. New visitors to this board looking for information on Directbuy: beware of these short 2 line 'testimonials' that sound suspiciously like the actors on the DB infomercials, or poor fabrications made by DB salespeople and franchise owners. No shop or service deserves unequivocal 5 star ratings, especially when there are so many genuinely disgruntled people posting their negative experiences here throughout these pages. I fell for this scam over a year ago when it was still UCC total home (ever wonder why a successful business would ever want to change their brand name?). My husband and I were building our home and the DB experience has been so disappointing. The advice that fret gives 2 or 3 posts below is simply unbelievable. Anybody building a house for themselves would be best advised to know 2 important things: You cannot get the quality brand names you think you will get when you join. You can depend on the ordered items to arrive much later than you and your contractor expect- and you have to make arrangements for getting your goods from the DB outlet to your building site. The worst part is spending hours pouring through catalogues(!) and going with descriptions of stuff you cannot touch, examine and feel. After-care and service on everything you order is almost criminal: there is none. Every DB member has a story or two about the non-existence of service and help after you join. This business is mired in deceit from beginning (infomercials) to end (the open house by invitation). The scam is all in getting your $4000-$5000 (which they do not reveal on the infomercials, information packages nor in the communications leading up to your open house) up front, and not delivering what you are led to believe that you will be getting. Just because a company runs their expensive, slick ads on television does not qualify nor validate their business. Readers and visitors to this board. take the time to read through all of the posts in these pages and I implore you to keep your head about you. You've been warned!
Comment: I saved over $8000.00 in 7 years just buying gifts for family and friends. Saved another 12000.00 buying dining room, and bedroom furniture. The best thing that happened to our family.
Comment: I have saved significant money in building my house and would like to recommend to anyone who is building, if you have a DirectBuy near you definitely check it out before you start building. We saved easy over 25,000 dollars, and could just go to the one place to do all the stuff you need to do in building a house
Comment: I love DirectBuy . Great selection. Saves me lot of time & money. My wife loves the selection. My kids love the DB Kids room. It is hard to find anything wrong with their products or service. Most service people call me by first name when I visit.
Comment: It would appear that the DB owners and supporters are attemting to have this thread shut down by posting vulgarities and the like. I hope the webmaster can edit out any posts that are not on topic or contain foul language. I can't imagine how depraved some people are to do this.It just goes to show you what lengths these DB people will go to.
Comment: I give 5 stars to DirectBuy .Walmart smashed all the retailers selling low end stuff. Now DirectBuy is smashing the retailers selling high end stuff. Retailers are getting hit on both ends. DirectBuy is the best thing that happened to American Consumers. You can really buy all the dream products at costs below what most people on this site pay for cheap stuff. I just remodelled my house and you can all come and check out all I did. Most of the products were purchased from DirectBuy . I saved lot of time and lots of money. I agree with another post here that dues must be increased. The current dues are so low and causes the non sense. What is wrong with charging a fee and prividing a service. It is not a scam because it is unconventional. A scam only survives for a year or 2. This company has been around for 35 years and advertising on all national media. The ads run on CBS, FOX etc. Check out guys
Comment: Wow! Thank God I researched before going to the invite. From what everybody is saying, this is just another high pressure tactic to get people to join and say goodbye to their money. First of all, any honest company will never use pressure tactics to get you to join. Second, if you can't join ever again after leaving the meeting, than it may be for the better- because DirectBuy doesn't want you to go home to think about it and realize you're being scam. I rather take my $3000 and pay more for furniture at retail than plunk it down on a membership that will only give me grief and buyer's remorse. This company has "SCAM" written all over it. Why take the chance?
Comment: Its good that Frank can spend a couple of thousand at his leisure,most people can't.Frank's not looking for things to buy yet he can spend a couple of thousand on a membership and admits it will be awhile before he breaks even! This story is so fishy I can smell it all the way up here in Toronto.So you join a club that's sole purpose is for buying yet your not buying.Well that makes as much sense as the DB selling pitch, what a load of baloney. Frank points out some other interesting things.If you don't like the idea of DB and have had problems with DB you are a FOOL or an IDIOT.Frank also is an ally to the eloquent response of Rothira. DB is a business franchise designed to fleece the public.The only winners are the DB owners who rake in the cash for doing minimal work.Its a catelogue ordering system for items no one wants.The difference is you get no service , no showroom and when you have a problem they don't care because DB has your money up front.There is no incentive what so ever to provide you service because they already have your money. What recourse do you have with a company that already has all your money , none.Not all DB owners are bad, but from reading a lot of the other websites like ripoffreport a great number of them couldn't care less once they got your money. You have to admit, if you own a DB franchise and your an ex condo timeshare shark, experienced in high pressure sales tactics your laughing all the way to the bank. It also seems that all DB people own at least three or four hot tubs. We get the point, if you need several hot tubs spread around your palace, DB is the place to be. Ert89, whats this about selling your house and wife!Do you have a negative attitude towards women?Do you feel women are possesions to be bought and sold?You really have some deep personnal problems,but heck, life is easy when your lounging around with your $400,000 purchases made in one year.(Just so you know ,your really quite credible, that was sarcasm)
Comment: Frank here again, I'm still neutral because I haven't purchased anything yet. But rothira is right, this site is a joke. Let me make this clear for the FOOLS who are posting. The math supplied by the FOOLS here is correct. If you're only going to spend $20,000 on purchases at Directbuy over 10 years it's not worth it, you won't save 50% on your money. If you don't buy big ticket items, if you always buy cheap, obviously Directbuy is not for you. If you like store shopping and wide selections DirectBuy may not be for you. However, I will say I just priced a lowest end Hot tub from DirectBuy . I know this is cheating but when I went to the discounters hot tub blowout sale the same tub was a high end model priced $2000.00 higher. I HATE shopping around, I hate spending time in stores mapping out the best product/price/features. Retail shopping is not my thing, but it certainly has its place and is often necessary. I don't intend to buy EVERYTHING from Direcbuy, but I will buy enough to easily justify my membership. If you joined Directbuy with no intention of buying anything there and are spending your time "looking for something to buy", you got it all wrong. This might be my last comment, I'm not here to educate IDIOTS. And no, I'm not an employee. I'll come back one more tme when I break even on my purchases, it may be a while though, I'm not "looking for things to buy".
Comment: Save your precious energy levertm. Both ert89 and rothira are TROLLs. Probably DB franchise owners or their sales people, who just abhor this site. BTW, your math is correct re ert89's claims of saving 200K. Who could fill a house, let alone a barn with $400,000 worth of funiture and appliances? Can you imagine trucking all of those goods from the DB outlet??!! And since we know that DB doesn't offer the major brand names nor high end manufactures, ert89 must have a helluva collection of hot tubs, triple layered flooring, and armadillo hide sofas. Real wealthy people wanting to spend $400K on furnishings don't shop for their stuff at places like DB! Readers to this site will read the other legitimate posts, like yours levertm, and see what's what.
Comment: ert89 is exactly right. Raise the fee to $30,000.Since people have a problem with $3000 this will help!?1???? I posted my issues here pages ago.Once again I bring up the obvious, who would be DB's main clientele? I beleive the average household income before taxes is probably $70,000,heck lets fudge it and move it up to $85,000.How the heck is the average person going to save $200,000 like ert89, well of course there not going to.To save $200g you would be spending around $400g,yes? So myself with my puny house worth around $300,000 with a mortgage, kids going to school, car payments etc I'm not in the market to spend $40,000 or so on crap let alone $400,000.I really don't care for Db , they really should cut the charades and point out that to make money on this you are already in the 1% of the population that earns big bucks in the first place to be able to join. Anoynmouse. Why is it fair that DB employee's "have to eat"and get paid but the retail guys who employ over 50% of our population shouldn't get paid? Your logic should apply to everyone should it not! Guys like ert89 who can afford to pay huge money to save huge money just points out one thing.Eventually when we drive all the retailers out of business and manufacture only in India and China most of us will be unemployed and it won't matter how cheap things are because we will have no money. DB wants to cut out the retailer and offer a catelogue service.Its really to bad because most retailers now don't sell on suggested mfg prices, they sell on a small margin to keep them in business.Most are quite fair, the few that are not don't last. So to all of you who love DB wonder where you would stand if your job was outsourced to someone in China(slave labour) who works for $3/hr.While your wondering ,its probably people like ert89 who own a company, put a few hundred people out of work so he could relocate in Bombay so he can make even more money. Db 's politics are not for me.They offer a cut rate catelogue service, offer no service, have no showroom and are quick to point out the evil retailers who charge a profit yet DB charges a huge profit up front.The irony! Rothira:Your comments say everthing about you.
Comment: Like many of you I just joined DB. Two years ago I received an invitation in the mail to visit one of DBs showrooms, I declined for two reasons 1. I was renting at the time and didn't see the benefit 2. Refused to pay a membership fee just to shop a couple items. But here I am today a member of DB. I am still trying to convince myself that it was worth the investment. Let me tell you what drove me to make the decision to join. I just built a house and already I see myself spending a few thousands with still a far way to go. To make a long story short I saw the opportunity by becoming a DB member to save on items in the future. Note I realize that I would not be very happy within the first 3yrs but eventually I will see savings 3-5 yrs out and even more 5-10yrs atleast thats my plan. Let me tell you about my Openhouse exp, I hated it, the pre-recorded interviews was definitely not why I joined. One thing that was different from the comments on this site is they didn't talk about fees until the end and even after the show when I met with one of the Reps for 2hrs and took him thru a serious of questions, he too talked about member fee till the end. One interesting thing though Electronic will not give you the big savings you expect and surprisingly they told us that at the OpenHouse?. I did take examples of items and cost to compare. One item was panasonic camera DMC FX8 cost at CircuitCity? $318, DB cost $320 for the older model which was FX7. But then I priced a livingroom set Asheley cost $3100, DB cost $1700. I priced a couple more items that I would be buying I the near future and they were all cheaper than the retail stores in my neighbor hood. Keep in mind most were furniture like items. And I think that was my deciding factor to join.
Comment: Whiny babies here is a scoop on DirectBuy . The real one. I joined DirectBuy last year and I just finished building my home. Any one bitching here can come and visit my house. I have the best brand names and I saved over $200,000 !!!. Yes Two Hundred thousand in just savings. Cannot complain getting 5714% return in 1 year. I can see from these posts that most of you are dumb Home Depot type shoppers. You are better off saving in Home Depot. Right now you can buy a great sink for $10 and they will throw in a tub for another $2. No point complaining here. Rush to Home Depot and save big. For the smarter folks get real stuff and save big at DirectBuy . If DirectBuy wants to get rid of these posts, the membership dues should be $30,000. They can have fewer members but quality ones. No more bitching since the whiny types cannot come up with $30,000 even if they sell their house + wife as bonus.
Comment: I just signed up together with my husband on 11/19. Fortunatelly, some angel enlighted my brain to stop payment on the $4000 check and cancel my membership acording to the NJ law within 3 business days. Thank God.
Comment: After reading these posts, I felt the need to give you all a few facts. I have the best kind of information on this company, and im not going to tell you all how. Ive seen a few people that seem to think DB is increasing prices to profit. I know they do not for a fact. The price lists and quotes you see come directly from the manufacturers and there is no price increases. The freight and shipping and handling are charged to DB from the freight companies also, and for that you do have to pay. The lead times for getting your products suck, but you also need to understand that retail stores must wait for their items also. The only "profit" that DB will make is off of the handling fees, and that is not a profit but an overhead fee to keep the building running. If they did not charge this fee you all would be shopping from the owners home. I have no love for this company, but I do know the facts, and please dont come down on the sales people and the service staff for "convincing" people to join, they need to eat too. All in all I think that this system is a great idea, it just has some kinks to be worked out. The centers need more staff, more product knowledge..the company expands to quickly to keep up with its customer base and that is the real problem. From what I can see it sounds like you all have mostly service beefs, and that would be from the lack of staff. I am in no way defending this company, because I dont like them either, but I do like to give people the real facts. Its not good to assume things, so ive decided to enlighten you. Whether or not you believe any of this is your thing, im a pissed off person too, but the savings are there, the profit is not, and you can post angry things about this post if you like, just know what you are saying before you say it.
Comment: I would actually like to take a different look at the problem regarding DirectBuy . I too am a member who got hooked into paying the $3800 initial fee at the West Palm Beach location in Florida about 2 years ago. Even though my wife and I have been furnishing our new home over that time, we have purchased very little through DirectBuy (due to the mostly off-brand nature of its offerings) and have not come close to making up our initial outlay. I agree with every negative review I have read on this site. However, I have a further complaint. I do not think that DirectBuy is actually selling its merchandise at wholesale prices as the staff claims they are. I almost universally can find any item I wish to buy cheaper on the Internet than I can get it at DirectBuy (not even taking into account the shipping/handling charges). Things like stereo equipment, digital cameras, golf clubs, and a host of other items are substantially less expensive from Web vendors than at DirectBuy 's "wholesale" price. These smallish Internet companies do not buy from manufacturers in sufficient bulk to drive down their cost per item enough to allow their retail price to be lower than DirectBuy 's "wholesale" price. And I am not talking about older or outdated products that are being sold on the Web at clearence prices--my experience has involved items that have recently been introduced to market (actually, DirectBuy is so slow in updating their information from manufacturers that the reps usually have no clue what their prices are for a newly-released items; the rep has to call their headquarters, from which they call the manufacturer to determine the price, or so they say). So I would suggest that there may be some price fixing being performed by DirectBuy if its manufacturers "wholesale" prices are higher than Internet retail prices. What would be really nice is if someone is or knows a person who works for one of these manufacturers and who knows the true wholesale prices of their products. That way it could be determined if DirectBuy is fraudulently increasing its supposed "wholesale" prices, and a viable class-action lawsuit could be brought against it. I really feel that it is a distinct possibility that DirectBuy is skimming off the top from its customers to generate a revenue stream that is more constant than what it gets from initiation fees. Please continue to contribute any thoughts or ideas.
Comment: On behalf of everyone who has benefited from viewing the ratings for DB here, I want to thank great people like ramitch, billr624, and others for takin gthe time and making a huge effort to share their frank comments. These people should be given a medal or something because they already paid the huge membership fee and are willing to swallow their 'losses' for the sake of saving many people from losing their money. Theirs are the most valuable comments here because they're insiders. Extremely kind and generous and good human beings. You people told it like it is and we've benefited greatly. THANKS!!! Bravo! WooHoo?! Of course, we are also grateful for the intelligent non-members of DB who could smell a scam from a mile away and took the time to warn visitors to this website. Readers, take note, the 1-2star ratings are from real people. The 4-5 star ratings are likely from DB sales people (who must be feeling a tad blue from realizing that sites like this exist- where their usual prey get a chance to escape their claws). Thanks God for this site.
Comment: I've been a DB member for one year, joining because we had to refurnish and repair a hurricane damaged home. Our experience is that it is a very difficult and tedious shopping process. The staff skills and customer service level differs greatly from one location to another. (We did most of our buying at one of the Chicago locations which had a skilled kitchen designer on staff to assist in specifying the cabinets and appliances. However, the items that had to ship to a "center" rather than directly to our FL home were shipped to the West Palm Beach center. That operation is a nightmare to deal with. They are supposed to notify you when your goods arrive so you can arrange pick-up or shipment. When they do notify you and you send someone in to pick up, they can't find the items-- we are talking about sofas and kitchen sinks, not table lamps. If you call them asking if your order has arrived (knowing that it shipped to them weeks ago and should be there) you do not get a call back. It must be policy-- no one at the place will return a phone call. A free-lance delivery guy has to go in and climb over cartons to look for things. We've had contractors go in to look for things and they come away amazed that the place is still in business. At this moment we have $5000 worth of furniture in their warehouse that they can't organize for pickup and won't return a phone call on. Do not deal with DB if you are in the Palm Beach area. Find out what skills their personnel have at the center you will be using if you decide you have the stamina to shop from catalogs and decide to join.
Comment: Wow, what a site! In preparing for my open house appt at DirectBuy at Mississauga, ON, I thought I would check the internet. Glad I did, 'cause I am not going to go and waste my time. I did a thorough search and THIS IS A SCAM. Go to: http://martinsquest.com/personal/UCC_Totalhome_Directbuy.htm
FrankL- read this and weep! Regardless of whose math is being judged, looks like you're not a 'smart guy' like you claim to be, and I doubt you'll be saving a fortune. After reading through these DB messages- both good and bad, I would guess that most of the positive messages are being written by DB/UCC Home sales people-and most seem to be masquerading as 'happy' members. In the link I have listed above, the math is startling and revealing. This is a scheme that borders on evil. If the claims made- that the victims are interrupted while reading the fine print in the contract, and that the people 'shopping' through the catalogues during open house are actually people hired to create a normal atmosphere and actually part of the scam... that would make DB a pretty scary place. Thanks to this and other pages on the internet, DB has been BUSTED!
Comment: I've been watching this board with interest for a couple of weeks now. All I can say is that I'm also a recent DB member at a branch in (Southern) Ontario, Canada. I paid just over $4000CDN for my membership, signed under duress- but yes I signed it with full consent of my wife. By all estimates posted here, this seems like a bargain. But there're few bargains here, I am afraid. If everything went as ideally as you believe it will when signing up, then there'd be a lot of happy DB members. I think most of the members are like me- still looking for ways to make the investment pay off, not wanting to succumb to the realization that I just made a very stupid mistake back then. Oh well, it isn't as bad as forking out tens of thousands of dollars for a timeshare. But everytime I go about trying to justify my investment- to prove to myself that this was indeed a good decision, I go through the catalogues and feel like a fool looking for stuff to buy. Its not like the infomercials that show all of these testimonials of people talking like they could always buy exactly everything they wanted- right down to the brand and model number. Those deals are far and few between. This is the ‘deception’that so many on this board are complaining about. While trying to find compromises in brands and models, that's when I feel like a angry idiot. FrankL? below proclaims that he's a 'smart guy' (for having joined). What are you, a DB sales consultant or franchise owner? (where’s your conscience? Can’t you see that there are a lot of smart people here who are downright pissed off?) That's exactly how I felt but give yourself half a year with this deal and let's revisit that point! The math that you're troubled with is actually difficult stuff for some deluded people but it is more or less correct. I wouldn't be so quick to call them fools, although one guy calls himself a sucker for having joined. Here's the subtle stuff behind the math: 1) Spend some time ordering through DB and you'll see that some stuff is listed cheaper, some even higher(!)- yes do your homework- which takes time and I don't know how much a smart guy's time is worth. Let's assume that you've spent the necessary hours to only buy the stuff that represents a sizable differential- like -40%. Now figure in the taxes and shipping costs to DB, handling by DB and then shipping to your home- at DB's rate or your own. Let's say that the same item is bought through Sam's, the internet or through a sale on at a regular retail outlet at a savings of about 20%. Now remember that this is one of those special deals at DB; they’re not all like this! Now you're down to a difference of %20. 2) It's a well known thing now that DB doesn't keep stock of any of this stuff. This is catalogue shopping with one significant difference- a re-stocking fee of 25%! You're buying stuff that you can't touch, see nor smell. This would be fine if you were ordering well-known branded stuff but you aren't: lot's of off brands becaus
Comment: I had to balance out my last score because it was an accident that I submitted 1/2 star and finishing my comment: I found that most of the demonstrated manufacturers were off brands that I had never heard of. There is no guarantee that they will meet any prices or beat prices if found to be the same or lower. I think that the facts should be made known and more clearly presented. I would have had a better feeling toward the company had they asked, "Will you spend $20K or more in the next 2-3 yrs? If not, this may not be for you." Or the cost could have been discussed up front. Why all the secrecy? By using this model, the company is defeating its purpose. If people feel that they have to ask all of the "right" questions because something is being hidden, they are going to feel suspicious of everything. If I have to be on guard about what I might be blindsided with, I am not giving once red cent to somebody I don't feel I can trust fully. Suggestions: Let people that are invited, with invitations, come in and see the catalogs for a short while(couple of hours) to browse and convince themselves that this is the right thing for them. Don't setup a situation where someone is telling you what you want, this is what retailers do. Show examples of freight charges in ranges with selected items. I know freight changes but not so much that an estimated range cannot be given or a disclaimer could be made that this is what it is shipping for "today." Be honest about the handling charges and let customers know that the charge is there whether it comes into the DB warehouse or not.
Comment: So.......according to TravisT and Rmiller, directbuy is not for poor people. Guys, you talk about BREAKING EVEN after spending $20,000. If that's so I stand to SAVE A FORTUNE over the next 10 years. I'm a smart guy, and I spend at least $5,000 to $8,0000 on my home per year. A kitchen or bathroom renovation costs $20,000 alone. New windows, hot tub, furniture......... I will easily spend at least $60,000 ocer the next 10 years on my home and furniture. Matbe I won't spend it all at direct buy, but, if I do, according to YOUR math I'll save 3X my membership fee. I don't really know if directbuy is a good thing or not yet, but you fools say bad things while, according to your own argument you're wrong. At least for people who might spend more than $30,000 over 10 years?
Comment: Albuquerque NM, Membership Cost $3,990 for first 3 yrs and $200/yr thereafter: I am going to give a middle of the road mark(2.5 stars)to this company. We declined and are not members, but here is what my observations were and my experience. My wife and I spent the time to travel across town to a very sparsely populated area to be convinced that we were getting ripped off by retailers nationwide. I will start with the positive: Our sales person was nice and courteous throughout the presentation and even after we declined the offer. He said that it was not for everyone. I appreciated that. The model is impressive and appealed to my bargain hunting sensibilities and disposition. If we had a great many purchases of high markup items(furniture, luxury electronics, etc) in the near future, I would definitely have signed up. My experience with purchasing directly from the manufacturer has generally been that it will take up to 8 weeks to get something you ordered. This is how long it takes for a retailer to get something when they order it. It is just that they have items instock and while stocked(onhand) items are being sold, they order more. This is the way of the world. There is no surprise there! In regards to the shipping fees, we were told that there is no longer any freight charges on any and all appliances. Wow! Also, the handling fees were never obscured by any of the signage or the representative. Besides in most cases, it looked as though savings from taxes and paying cost outweighed the handling and shipping. You need to be interested in and pay attention to the details! Never let someone direct your attention away these! If you lose sight of the small print, that's your fault. We were told that DBs prices would not always be the lowest and that all manufacturers' warranties do apply. How true this is, I don't know, but were were told that we could take items back with 15% restocking fee if they were not an highly customized items like a black and white polka dot couch. We were also promised that after the initial membership fee was paid, the years following did not have to be continuous. We could leave for a year and come back for the following one for the $200 annual membership. Negative: I did not like the fact that we did not have time(at least overnight) to think about the offer other than on-the-spot. As was mentioned in earlier comments, even a $1,000 purchase is thoroughly thought out and evaluated. I think that the price for this service is too high. We were told that we could not be invited back. I did not know the cost going into the presentation and did not take a credit card or other means of purchase with me for such a large purchase. It does seem weird that they would not let me even go home and get the credit card to come back, but anyway... The price was obscured until we started the presentation. We were not able to enter into any of the members' areas to see the actual catalogs. I fou
Comment: TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR THE OPEN HOUSE- by invitation only(!). Here are some things to prepare you: Think about what you would buy over the next 2 years and tally it up (you'll need to spend about 20,000-25,000 to save enough to break even on your membership fee. Price out several of the items- go prepared! Remember to factor in taxes, shipping charges (yes, it all gets shipped to DB and you gotta pay to get it home), and handling fees. Don't forget to allow for an average of 6 months waiting time to get delivery for your stuff (so if you're building/renovating a house- be careful about lining up your trades people- expect delays!. Expect to see a showroom that is much smaller than what you imagined... You'll see a bunch of catalogues. You'll be greeted by lizards in sheep's clothing- smile and know you're in the lion's den. These people aren't your friends... their commission depends on your gullibility and succeptibility to parting with $4000-$5000 on the spot. Everyone follows a script and yes, they've heard all of the questions before. Like someone said here, check your greed at the door. Don't worry about eligibility- eligibility is determined by one thing- the ability to pay the membership fee up front. If you suffer from depression and are taking any uppers or anti-depressants, don't go. You are in no shape to make this kind of decision. Be prepared for the greed vice-grip: "you'll be sorry about the thousands of (hypothetical/imaginary) dollars you will miss out in savings!". Oh, yeah, don't bring your kids: they'll blunt your vulnerability and distract you from the well-oiled sales pitch- they'll get in the way from the main persuasive points. Besides, they don't care about your kids, they just need the sale (and its a big one). Good luck. This is nothing but a huge scam. It costs a lot to make these slick infomercials. That's the hook. The phone call to confirm your appointmet is the line. The open house is the sinker. One last thing: just like the happy members' testimonials on the infomercials, the stooges in the showroom posing as members who are in to look at the catalogues (and conveniently there to quietly answer your Qs) are part of the machine. Read the previous 10 comments and you'll get the whole picture. Educate your self Good Luck!
Comment: There are several lessons to be learned from the pressure tactics of DiectBuy?. 1.Never buy anything from a place that doesnt let you think about the offer. 2.Never buy from a place that spends so much money on slick advertisement and expensive infomercials. This business is a scam.
Comment: Frank, I'm a member, (sigh) and I too, have found this site recently. I decided to have a look for information on the internet after my experience with DB. Your comments capture exactly the way I felt when I joined. Suspicious at first, because of the whole sales process. But the whole machine is polished and geared for suckers like me; I like a good deal and like the idea that I'm getting a better deal on stuff than my next door neighbour. I like that so much that I succumbed to paying the $4000 bucks; did not want to be shut out of this opportunity. But to be honest, I regret it 100%. Yeah, I also felt reassured after looking through the catalogues. Now Frank, go ahead and buy that grandfather clock and then another 20 grand worth of stuff, and you'll be at zero. Everything after that will be your gravy. Look at the price and what you think you're saving, then factor in: shipping (to your home from DB) and the handling fee. And be prepared to wait for delivery of your stuff. Next, When you get your top of the line hot tub on your deck and then find some kind of problem, figure out how much it will be worth to you to get it straightened out. And buy that $500 digital camera; yeah, its a nice casio- even though the one you really wanted was a Sony Cybershot. Only you can figure out whether you made a mistake or not. As for me, yup- I made a mistake. The few recent comments say it all quite accurately.
Comment: I just joined and I'm reading this for the first time. I got worried about the comments but................... I notice most of the negative comments are from people who didn't join. Also, I'm comparing prices right now from the recent catalogue........ Grandfather clock...$4,000 online $2000 in the catalogue, another clock...50.00 online, 30 in the catalogue. Top of the line hot tubs.....in the catalogue are $7,000CDN, at home depot the "cheap" ones are that price. Camera $477CDN, online....$600 Maybe I made a mistake but I doubt it.
Comment: I want to thank all the people that posted comments here. Thanks to DirecBuy? members, non-members and employees; all of you have been of great help. This is my experience: After seen the DirectBuy advertising I decided to request an appointment online, waited two weeks an never got an answer. I called them and asked about the request, shee didn't know anything about it. The lady on the phone was very nice, she didn't know why my online request was not responded and offered to send a pass to the showroom via postal mail. After 5 days somebody called asking if we received the pass, supposedly it was delivered several days ago. She took the opportunity to ask several questions... what we are doing in the house.. how much we are planning to spend, she wanted to know if it was at least $10,000.. and similar questtions. She then gave us an appointment for this coming Saturday, and indicated we will have to attend an "orientation" talk and after that we will have about two hours to browse on the showroom. She also indicated that children are not allowed during this time, but are allowed after we become members. All of this sounded to us somewhat suspicious and I decided to research on the internet. The main factors that trigger the research are: - The lack of specific information about the company (on their advertising). - The lact of contact information on their web pages. - The need of attending the "orientation" talk (it sounded like the old time-share sales speaches). - The lack of information about the membership rules. - Not receiving anything on the mail after two attemps. - The questioning on the phone. This is the first time I have looked for a review fo this company on the internet, I am really surprised of what I found. After reading all the reviews here and in some other sites, after seen the type of language their employees use here, and the lack o logic on their arguments as well as the experiences of several people that attended the "orientation" we decided not to waist our time this coming Saturday for the following reasons: - I NEVER will sign a contract under pressure. If the deal is so good why they do not allow to think about? They NEVER mentioned on the phone that we will have to make a decision the same day. THIS IS MISLEADING AND SUSPICIOUS. - They never indicated the price of the membership. Why? THIS IS SUSPICIOUS. - I can live with some of the issues mentioned here (possible delays on delivery, paying for delivery, taxes..) but I can no make a deal or sign a contract without having time to read it carfully and to think about the deal AFTER I have ALL the information presented in a clear and explicit way. Somebody claimed that other clubs (Sam's CostCo?, etc.) operate in a similar way. The only similarity is the need to have a membership. None of them hide their rules before signing the contract, non of them tell you sign NOW OR NEVER, this is just CHEAP and DISONEST sales method. Thanks again to everybody (the p
Comment: I have a retail furniture store in BC, Canada and worried about this "trend" of people buying direct from DB but not any more. Their model is short lived and cannot run forever. The retail stores who carry the competing models will drop the line as soon as they find out which suppliers sell to DB. This is an efficient market meaning the consumers have fair bits of information. The price of anything is more less available on the internet. The high "markup" business usaully involve more personalized services. So if anybody buying without these services will not be satisfied 100% all the time. DB's informercials and printed ads mislead by stating that any consumer paying "retail margin" or "retail markup" over the real wholesale price is fundamentally wrong! What a joke! (By the way do you know the difference between a markup and a margin?)Folks, how do you make money yourself? You provide services and in return you get paid, right? What DB wants is trying to rob the legitimate business providing services and trying to make a decent living. It costs to run business paying employees, rents, taxes etc which run the whole economy. If everybody in the society get this big "savings," how is the economy or the country will run? This secret confidentiality of the supplier who furnish this scheme is quite a scam and disrespectable. If I find out these obnoxious companies I would not sell their products. Period. I cancelled my order for a big established furniture company because they supply DB when they could not deliver my order for 4 months! It is outrageous. The manufacturer cannot supply the regular retail store for more than 4 months and supply DB. I don't think they are respectable company anymore and all the retail stores which carry their products should pull out. If any retail store acts as a showroom for DB without getting paid for their services and expenses, they cannot survive and they are foolish. The consumers will have eventually less choices for the products and services because the retailers will pull out these products. That is the economic fact of life. A lot of comments complain about the warranty and service problems. What did these people expected from these gullable big mouth salepeople? Usually what you get is what you paid for. In terms of saving, the most people don't understand is the freight cost. If one customer orders a product from the other side of the country the freight bill is 3~4 times higher with all the headache assocciated with it. You try to save few bucks, get more trouble. If you have a high income, you owe to the society too. Noblesse oblige!
Comment: Yup, mkiwama, I think you nailed it correctly. The franchise runs on the principle of selling memberships at a high price, knowing that a small percentage will actually benefit. Everyone else is a sucker. You're so right in pointing out that DB is no different than a retail furniture and appliance outlet taking their profits from captive customers in one fell swoop (at open house when you sign on and pay), rather than having to work for it on sales spread over a few years. The money you pay for a membership is what an ordinary retailer has to collect from each customer to make his profit and cover advertising, handling, employee training and maintenance, administration costs, etc. And DB is sooo smooth that they tear all of this from you in one highly pressured sales grab. If it was