Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Direct Buy Reviews and Ratings
Consumer Ratings - Page 2 of 24
DirectBuy Website
5/8/2008 - Allison of Des Moines, IA, USA writes:
If you go to their website, you will not get any phone numbers. I have been called several times by them after I contacted them for info on their company. I finally had to tell them that I am moving out of the country.
Can I dispute the charge?
5/7/2008 - Larry of Texas, USA writes:
I paid the $4995 with a credit card. Has anyone been able to dispute the charges? I am on a fixed income and can not afford to have someone steal money from me.
Scam
5/3/2008 - James of New York, USA writes:
This is a complete scam. Stay away. Dont even call to request information unless you want 5-8 sales calls a day. When we went to the store, the sales associate was right out of a movie. (very pushy, rude, attitude that we were lucky he would consider us) We walked out 2 minutes after entering. I wish we had seen this website first and not wasted the small amount of time we did.
It Worked For US
5/2/2008 - Brian of CA, Los Angeles writes:
Yes it is a big decision and it’s not for everyone. If you’re just going to buy pillows and blankets then it not for you. We completely remodeled our kitchen. After getting quotes from everything from new cabinets to re-facing our old ones we went to Direct Buy. We bought new high quality cabinets for less then the price of re-facing the old ones. The staff at our center could not be more helpful.
Direct Buy a Scam - Absolutely Not!
4/28/2008 - Sue of AL, usa writes:
We’re building a house. I’d picked out my front entry door a few years ago, before we even started designing house. Loved it so much was willing to pay $11,000 for it. Joined Direct Buy, paid $4500 for it! That covered cost of joining Direct Buy plus some! Builder got a quote from a highly rated window/specialty door manufacturer for the energy efficient double hung windows we wanted, 2 sliding patio doors (12’ and 9’ wide) plus a French door. Over $50,000. We switched to another manufacturer (#1 rated in western half of country), got all casement versus double hung windows (casement much more expensive), and paid less then $35,000 total for the windows and specialty doors. We’ve been rather hot here in the south lately, have nothing else covering the windows, and the highest the temp has gotten in the new house is 78. Our current house has been in the high 80’s, with windows from the original manufacturer we wanted plus blinds! Builder gave us a budget of $4.50 sqft based on 15 year finish warranty for engineered hardwood. Got real hardwood, 25 year finish warranty, from same manufacturer for less then $3.25 sqft. Plus moved up to their “Best” line from their “Better” line. Our budget was $4/sqft for tile, and got much better tile then we would have got thru our builder for less then $3/sqft. Got the #1 rated one piece toilet for same price as we would have paid for a medium builder’s grade 2 piece. Got granite composite sinks for less then standard stainless sinks at the big box stores and for a whole lot less then anything at the plumbing store our builder uses. Every countertop is granite, and we paid 35% less then we would have paid to have just the kitchen in granite and all baths and other countertops in Formica/cultured marble thru our builder. Had a budget of just under $15,000 for kitchen appliances. Got all stainless steel from a great company. 42”wide side by side built-in counter-depth fridge with water and ice, double oven (one convection, other regular), micro, drop in ceramic surface cooktop with touch controls, recessed pop-up exhaust, double drawer dishwasher, a mini fridge and beverage cooler. Plus got the largest size available steam washer and dryer, in white, with 2 pedestals. Total cost delivered less then $14,500. The best local or internet price we could find for the exact same fridge, cooktop, pop-up exhaust and double dishwasher was $14,000. So, for less then $500 more, we got the double oven, micro, mini fridge, beverage cooler, steam washer & dryer and 2 pedestals. Best price we could get elsewhere on the washer, dryer and pedestals was over $3000! Got oil rubbed bronze finished faucets for less then chrome finished anywhere. Got super rated ceiling fans and lights in bronze finish for less then the cheapest of the cheap chrome or similarly cheap finishes at the box stores. We’ve bought 2 rooms of furniture, and have saved over $2700 versus best price we could get locally or on internet. We’re getting a combination of wood blinds and wood shutters, again from the #1 rated manufacturer, for a whole lot less then we could get anywhere else including the warehouse clubs (not from top rated manufacturer). We’ve been forced to buy some stuff locally, due to time constraints and fact that the installers have broken stuff (no one replaces what the dingats have broken free of charge) and the differences in prices have caused us to almost cry. That’s the only drawback we can think of with Direct Buy. It takes awhile to get the stuff and if your builder doesn’t give you enough advance notice or they break something, you’re forced to buy at much higher prices locally. The folks in our local store have been fantastic as far as helping us out.
Disappointing
4/27/2008 - Max of Ontario, Canada writes:
I am a member and have been disappointed time and time again. Although the staff did use there pressure tactics to have my wife and I sign a contract, eventually it was our mistake in puting pen to paper. My wife and I have been able to find the exact same products in stores for the same or even better prices after you factor the shipping and handling associated with the DB products. The key is to shop around,Call stores,search the web. The only good thing about their service is that you have access to the manufacturers direct prices and you can use it as a benchmark when comparing prices. On many occasions, the products that my wife and I have shown interest in are no longer available to DB members. I can say that the one saving grace for us was the contact we made with a local window manufacturer. This was the only place that we were able to actually save money and even then, we may have only broken even with the membership fee we payed. This service may be good for some but not for all. Be carefull when deciding.
Unbelievable experience
4/26/2008 - Ellen of NJ, USA writes:
I heard about Direct Buy on the radio and it seemed like an interesting concept. When I called, the salesperson contacted me numerous times to set a date. Several of my friends were also interested, but he told me only mt husband could come with me and it was a 2 1/2 hr. tour. I explained that my husband would not do that. he said I couldn't come without him and could bring no one else. I told him I felt he was being a bit high pressure, and he asked me what I meant. He kept explaining why it had to be his way. His voice became elevated and he said I might not be right for this program. Somewhere in the jumbled conversation he hung up on me. Later I found out, from the internet, the high membership fees. he did not mention these. I suppose what he is doing is legal, but I would never purchase from a company that acts like that. He was rude, discourteous and obnoxious before I joined. I would be afraid to take a chance with a membership.
Absolute scam
4/25/2008 - Ednonymous of Ontario, Canada writes:
UPDATE: I find it hard to believe that anyone would actually consider direct buy (Capitals deliberately omitted). Their ads are ridiculous at best in trying to describe the "savings" you would achieve if one dealt with them. Their shining examples are over price to to three-fold over regular retail prices. Its a complete scam... try shopping around first... remember they DO NOT OMIT THE MIDDLEMAN so where are the savings?
DirectBuy Anaheim Hills
4/23/2008 - Mike of CA, USA writes:
I went to the [] and signed up after the presentation as we have just purchased a new home and need a lot of furniture. The prices looked incredible, the sales staff were friendly but unfortunately, we had to cancel due to a medical emergency with our dog. They gave me a several day extension to get 'the feel' for the place and I really appreciated it. We received a full refund within 1 week of cancelling. If they let me, I would sign up again. Only good if you plan on making a lot of purchases on big ticket items such as furniture and/or home upgrade options.
Not For Everybody ...
4/17/2008 - Ronald of Ontario, Canada writes:
Here is my experience with Direct Buy, and why it could be a great find for SOME people. Like many of you, my newly-wed wife and I saw the commercials on TV, and were curious. After setting up an interview night, we went in for a presentation. We found ourselves in a large room with other couples, and had a video presentation with a speaker telling of grand tales of insanely low prices compared to local outlets. Following the group portion, they assign sales people to you individually (or with your significant other). The sales person DOES give you the hard sell ultimatum - Get in now or never again. The cost for us at the time was 4k+. While the cost was and is high, my wife and I had a new house a couple weeks away, with no furniture to our names. Through direct buy we saved a bunch of money ordering products for our empty house. Before I decided to join, I tried to figure out if my savings would exceed the cost of membership. It did ... ONLY because we had that house to fill. If you are not in need of alot of purchases, and do not need to do a major renovation - this is NOT for you. You will not make the money back in savings, and it will be a waste of your time and hard earned cash. Other things to note is that they do not deliver (you have to make your own arrangements). And you have to wait between 2-8 weeks (depending on items) to get your product to the store for pick-up. So while it was perfect for my needs, it isn't good for those who don't need to do a ton of major purchases
DO NOT JOIN Direct Buy
4/17/2008 - Anonymous of WI, USA writes:
We joined Direct Buy 1 1/2 years ago for $4,500 It has been nothing but a NIGHTMARE! With each and every order we placed there was a problem. All money must be paid up front. There are hidden costs of tax, shipping and handling. Our latest order was placed in NOV. 2007, we PAID in FULL, there were errors in the order and it still hasn't been delivered. Now they are demanding another $700 EXTRA on our $2,600 order for their error and additional shipping. Think long and hard before joining. I would not recommend Direct Buy to anyone!! Customer Service at Direct Buy is the worst I have ever experienced. They are extremely rude. They have very, very little knowledge about the companies and products they sell. Go to your LOCAL RETAILER for their expertise, service, honesty and timely delivery. They will be competitive price wise and will want your business!
The best things for ANYONE to do!!
4/16/2008 - rae of pa, usa writes:
Directbuy is one of best things i have ever done for me an my family!!! If u choose not to join its do to a closed mind. you WILL save money. I was 19 when i joined i am now 30. I couldnt even tell u how much money i have saved prob close to 20,000 to 30,000. thats just on what i have priced out retail verse db. It's great! ! ! learn for yourself. dont take my word or anyone elses find out yourself.
smelled like a scam
4/12/2008 - cheryl of ny, usa writes:
My husband (yes, my husband HAD to attend with me) and I just returned home from the big invitation only presentation. We were given the presentation in a room with about 20 other victims. When the door was closed it felt like we were being held captive...strange feeling. After the high pressure presentation, we were told it would cost us $4,500.00 for the first 3 years. It was made to sound all perfectly normal to spend this kind of money. I am sitting there thinking, "why am I here... I have an issue paying my $38.00.. yearly membership fee to SAM'S Club?" After the presentation they worked everyone over indivudially...fully expecting us to commit on the spot to join,,or "we would never be asked to join again" They even offered financing at 17%! We both laughed and said no thanks". Strangely enough we were not offered any of the "sure win" bonus gifts that encouraged us to go attend the presentation....we were escorted out the door instead.....SCAM!
Elusive, Secretive Sales Tactics
4/10/2008 - Becca of IL, USA writes:
I looked at the DirectBuy website, entered my name, phone #, and was taken to a page to "schedule an appointment" to even go into the showroom. Unfortunately, I was honest that I am married, and the website clearly stated that BOTH spouses must attend the presentation. I did not schedule, but the next day I got a call from DirectBuy. I said that I could come in by myself because I work very near, but we live 1 hour from the store. I talked to the rep who called, and then the manager of the store. They would NOT budge and said we BOTH must be present and MUST decide whether to join THAT DAY. They also would not even give me an estimate of how much $$ membership fee is, or give even one example of how much I could save on an item. I had such a bad experience with the reps on the phone and they were so secretive about the program that I declined even making the appointment. After reading customer reviews on this website, and several other sources, I am glad that I never set foot in a DirectBuy building.
Direct Buy. Maybe....Maybe not.
4/4/2008 - michael of New York, USA writes:
The decision to join Direct Buy is not an easy one. First, you need to know what it is, and then you need to decide if it really works. Direct Buy is an independent owned franchise wholesale catalog club. They do not stock product, only the manufacturers catalogs. They have around 700 manufacturers covering most of the home product lines - such as appliances, furniture (indoor and outdoor, windows treatments, kitchens, countertops, electronics, etc. Unfortunately, they make you sit thru a 90 minute hardcore sales presentation, and provide no direct information prior to your visit. They also used so many of the timeshare sales techniques, I actually found it entertaining. The basic premise is simple - they sell all the products at the manufacturers listed wholesale price. Period. Well, add shipping. And a handling fee (8%)-but not on everything. And tax (of course). And membership dues - $5000 or so for the first 3 years. After you join, you have access to the catalogs and can order anything out of them at the price listed on the sheets which appears to be wholesale single unit (plus the shipping/handling/tax). You pick what you want, pay for it, wait awhile, and go pick it up, or have it delivered (extra charge). They have installation services for flooring, countertops, and the like. Does it work? Maybe. So, it all depends on how you shop, what you buy, and how much you spend. If you shop well, you probably are only paying 10% or so above the wholesale price already. You don't pay shipping (to the reseller), and you pay tax and shipping to your house anyway (maybe no tax). Figure that it will take $50 to $70 THOUSAND in purchases to break even. Longer if you put the $5000 membership fee into T-Bills. I figure at $50,000 wholesale, + 10% membership, + 8% handling, + Shipping, + Tax, + some delivery $$. BUT, if you do not or cannot shop well, or are looking for an item that is not well discounted by anyone (usually the latest and greatest of a product line), or like to catalog shop (they have free coffee) then you could come out ahead. DirectBuy does not compete directly with Brick and Mortar Stores, at least not well. Internet Stores are their main competition. If you have sat thru the presentation, they stress that the businesses need to make a profit to stay in business. DirectBuy is also a business. The idea of DirectBuy is good, the execution needs to be polished. And without a doubt, they need to change their sales strategies. I would suspect that they could provide a real positive experience if they end the secrecy, opened enrollment via the Internet, revamped the membership fee to something realistic, and worked off the 8% handling fee and volume discounts as their profit. I did not join.
The worst purchase I ever made!
4/4/2008 - sherry of Idaho, USA writes:
This is the absolute worst place you can put your money. The infomercials sound wonderful. In reality it is a scam. Those who have been thru the high pressure presentation will recognize such things as: "You must buy in TODAY. If you dont buy right now, you can NEVER join Direct Buy again" "This is not for EVERYONE. We want to make sure you are the type of person that will be able to save lots of money". (I guess this is supposed to make them sound legitimate.) I realized too late that nothing at Direct Buy was cheaper. And a lot of the products we received were slightly damaged or they looked like "seconds" but there was no return on the items. At least not at this Direct Buy. "You will save 50-75% off retail, but you CANT TELL anyone what you're saving, its a SECRET and we dont want other businesses to know what we're offering" This is bogus, totally false, and there are virtually no, if ever, any savings. The other thing we noticed was that a lot of the products that you could see in the showroom like cabinets, flooring, windows, granite, etc. were of poorer or cheaper quality than what most people would want in a nice home. Just save your thousands of dollars it costs to join and do comparison shopping in your local community and you will be much, much, much better off.
Dont do it!
4/4/2008 - sy of Washington, USA writes:
Ya gotta tell yourself if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. We forgot that and joined Direct Buy. It cost us $3500 for 3 years. We bought several large ticket items for our home before we realized after all the markups with shipping and handling and waiting up to 6 weeks (and even up to 6 months once) for the products to arrive, that when we looked at the same items at the local retailers they were the same price or cheaper than what we paid at Direct Buy! And we didnt have to pay $3500 to shop locally and support our local business community. We began looking closer and realized there was virtually nothing we could save any money on at Direct Buy. In addition the manager at our local Direct Buy in Spokane, Ron Cully, was extremely rude, cursed at us, lied directly to us, and hung up the phone on us when we complained. One last thought, if you are the type of person who thinks timeshares are a good buy and have had a good experience with the high pressure sales pitch that their sales reps offer, then you will probably love the Direct Buy shopping and buying experience as well. I only hope that other people will learn from our mistakes.
You must decide now, or never come back!
4/1/2008 - Jennifer of Michigan, USA writes:
So I saw the commercials and decided to make a reservation online to find out what it was all about. Who doesn't want to save money right? Unless your planning on doing some major, major remodeling or furnishing an entire home it's a complete waste of money! When we were given our tour I asked our guide "So, I'm thinking it's like Sam's Club? You pay a membership fee and you can only get in with your little membership card?" He said "Exactly, but on a much bigger scale!" Yeah, the bigger scale was the fee! They wanted us to spend $4790 for the 1st 3yrs and then $200/yr for the 7 yrs after that (total 10yr membership). That's over $6000! I 1st thought that maybe if we were doing some major purchasing right now we could save some money, but that's not going to happen for awhile. How could I justify paying $1600/yr for 3yrs when were debating over two patio sets with a price difference of $200! Then I heard "the rules" where if you attend the open house and decline the membership you can NEVER be a member. Our guide was about to start another video clip when I stopped him and asked "Let me get this straight, if we don't make our decision to join tonight and leave, we're screwed and can never come back again?" He just said "Yup." How pompous is that! Our appointment was @ 7:15pm, which by the way, didn't start until 7:45pm. We came right after work, no dinner, tired and they want you to make the decision RIGHT NOW to spend $1600 for 3yrs on something you're not even sure you're going to save that much money on based on nothing more than their word! If it wasn't for that we might have even stayed for the rest of the lame presentation, (which they just tell you the same thing over and over and over, like we're all some heard of idiots) but that "now or never" policy is what did it for me. My hubby and I just got up in the middle of the final video clip and walked right out. I even bet that there "now or never" policy is all bull too and just a pressure tactic. Could you imagine going into a store and the salesperson telling "If you don't buy it today, you can never come back." I've heard some ppl say on here "well the ppl complaining don't understand the retailer relationship or how it works." That's a load of bull too. I own two business and I am a distributor and a retailer, so I know allllll about it. If we were building our own home, like we plan on in a few years, maybe we could save some money or maybe not, but I don't trust any business that gives you an ultimatum. To make it worse, there was absolutely NO warning of this policy. I went online a registered again with a different address, even made a reservation. NO WHERE did it say AT ALL if you come and don't join you can never come back. No one at the showroom told us that either until near the end of the presentation. That's a real nice business policy!
If it's too good to be true...
3/31/2008 - Lori of Pennsylvania, USA writes:
My husband and I just got back from a DB presentation. Sad to say, that the best part of the presentation was when, after the manager got flustered and aggravated by questions and became rude, the couple next to us started pushing for the actual price before the end of the presentation and got yelled at and denied the figure - being firmly told they would have to wait - the couple got up and stormed out of the presentation. At least we were provided with some entertainment to ease the shock factor of the membership fee that was demanded of you before you left or you were threatened to be banned forever. I guess we should have known what was coming when I received 4 phone calls during the week leading up to the presentation and I was told that my husband MUST attend with me. I don't know what is up with the discrimination against women at this place but it was very evident when the manager (if you could call him that) couldn't answer my question of what happens to my membership should the franchise close. He went to get the owner. The owner came to the table, introduced himself to my husband while shaking his hands and proceeded to totally ignore me until I shoved my hand in his face and introduced myself to him. As my husband commented later "that was a big mistake". How dare he insult me like that and assume that it was my husband who would ultimately make the decision. And by the way, not once were we informed about the additional charges and every time we asked a question, we were made to feel like idiots and the manager got very indignant. Not to mention, they are very misleading with the whole 10 year membership they tout. Really you are paying for a 3 year membership at $5,100 due and payable immediately (or you could finance at 17.5% - are they kidding - such a successful organization can't get better financing???!!!) and them $150 per year there after the 1st 3. Oh well...you win some you lose some. At least we kept a sense of humor about it in the end.
Skin of my teeth
3/30/2008 - Dave of Massachucets, USA writes:
Yesterday my significant other and I experienced the incredible high pressure sales pitch at the North West MA. DirectBuy facility. The very slick (in retrospect downright creepy) (and I hope he reads this) sales guy paraded us and two other couples through the place and showed us products in several categories and lied through his teeth. He stated that there were no other charges other than the wholesale prices. After reading many of the comments on this site sent in by the poor folks who got suckered into joining DB it turns out that they charge 8% on top of the wholesale price and also charge shipping and handling. On top of that your purchases are delivered to the DB site and it is your job to get it home. When pressed to join I explained that I was renting a house and was negotiating to buy it. If in fact I was successful in buying the house I felt that the membership would be of value but if the sale didn't go through it wouldn't make sense. That's when they turned up the pressure and WARNED that I could never join DB if I didn't join right then and there. When we asked about their then and there ultimatum they came up with the most absurd response of all. "We have an agreement with our wholesale suppliers that we won't have our members comparison shopping at retailers" Ridiculous! Why would a member go comparison shopping at a retailer anyway. Reality is that if they did they would find out that the savings for most items is very small or non existent as stated by the lions share of members who have taken the time to warn unsuspecting potential members. What really broke my heart when I got home and jumped on this site was that there was an older couple (and I'm no spring chicken) who signed up for the ridiculous term of 10 YEARS for $6,000. They looked in their 80's and I suspect they don't even have a computer and will never have access to the hundreds of DB members who found out that DB is a total scam.
