Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Direct Buy Reviews and Ratings
Consumer Ratings - Page 14 of 24
Perfect if you're building or renovating
3/29/2007 - Crystal of Alberta, Canada writes:
I read some of the comments on here and was actually shocked by some of the negative feedback. Yes the price is high but if you're building a home, which I recently did, you can save on everything from kitchents to windows to blinds, and so forth. I too felt a bit pressured to sign up but the second I started comparing prices I realized it was a great deal. I was also able to do some price comparisons before signing up too so that was helpful-not sure why some people on here said they couldn't see absolutely any pricing. If you're renovating, moving into a bigger home, or just building, this is the place for you! You'll save your membership within a year and then some.
Timeshare?
3/29/2007 - Kevin of Tennessee, USA writes:
My wife and I went to the Direct Buy presentation after seeing the infomercials. There was no hard sale from our rep and we did get to see catalogs of all of the manufacturers. My wife and I go close, but decided to walk away. It reminded us of a timeshare pitch. I think that somebody with major purchases can save some money, but we couldn't justify $4500 up front. Some people might be able to. We were not pressured and the only thing that we regret is the two hours spent there.
Be prepared to fork over $4500 at your open house
3/28/2007 - Jack of Kansas, USA writes:
IBe Warned: INTENSE Sales PRESSUE which scared EVERYONE. Want you to pay $4500 for two-year membership, which you could finance at 15% interest (24/36mos) if you put down $600, $800, or $1000. They offered 90 days same as cash. Went to the open house this week, 90 minutes long-half of which was watching the founder's video explanation of plan. Half the video was simulated newscast - SHADY! Actually, the program sounds good. People do save very rich people w/$500 - $2 Million dollar homes shown in the ads. Restricted seeing wholesale prices until after becoming a member! The last straw was at the end. They insisted a decision THEN or-you are BARRED FOR LIFE -PRESSUREx50000. BS, and I walked! THE OTHER CATCH IS: hidden 8% "handling fee" on most items ABOVE the wholesale costs--so you don't REALLY pay wholesale. This is how they make money. I didn’t do it-
DON'T DO IT!
3/26/2007 - Melissa of Washington, USA writes:
Joined in 2006 have saved pennies spent hours on end trying to find the deal! Building a high end home- They did, but no longer cary high end appliances. MSRP's significantly lower on company websites than listed on DB's site-They sell manufactures but do not carry the whole line! Bait and switch! We REGRET IT COMPLETELY! Don't waste your TIME OR MONEY!
To be continued...
3/26/2007 - Adriene of Massachussets, USA writes:
Recently Purchased Direct Buy membership, was a little bit shocked at the membership fee, but we decided to take the plunge. We have a large amount of remodeling to do including a kitchen, living room and possibly an additional bathroom. We will start using the membership in the next couple of months with the remodel. My advice would be to price what you need for your upcoming projects before you go to open house as we knew the retail pricing was accurate, in order to comparison shop. To be continued...
Think it Through
3/24/2007 - Pete of New York, USA writes:
There is no doubt red flags should go up due to the price; not being allowed to think about it; and not really understanding the prices shown in catalogs. BUT, the way I figured it, when I buy all the materials for our planned bathroom renovation, I should recoup the initial charges. Years 4-10, the monthly charges are $16/mo. Just making normal purchases through DB seems to be a solid way to save money and extra taxes on that money you'd spend any way. Is $5000 a lot to spend initially. No doubt. That's why I say THINK IT THROUGH first. For those of you who are undecided, keep an eye out around the end of 2007 for when we do our bathroom. I'll report back on how much we saved IF ANYTHING!!! As for the rating, I gave it 3* unitl I do my bathroom at which time I'll either give it a 5* rating or an "IT SUCKS" rating.
Use a Contractor, It Might Be Better
3/24/2007 - Chris of California, USA writes:
My wife and I went to an "Open House" today not know what we were getting into and left wondering what we left behind. The Good: They promise to be able to save you significantly more than retailers buy providing products at the same price that retailers pay for them. At first glance, the savings appeared to be significant. I am unable to verify this because we didn't see their costs. The Bad: You are told that you must sign up for a 2-Year membership at a cost of $5230 before you leave the "Open House." You will NOT be provided another opportunity to sign up. To me, this is a strong arm tactic. The excuse given is that the manufacturers require this rule to prevent people from getting quotes from Direct Buy and taking them to retailers to have them match. In addition, there is an 8% handling fee and potential freight fee for larger items.
Yes, I understand this concept.
3/22/2007 - Richard of Texas, USA writes:
My wife dragged me to the Open House seminar. I was apoplectic at the idea of wasting my evening and the “Invitation” thing seemed hokey. The first thing I noticed when entering were the Dealer catalogues. I know what these books look like because I’m an owner/operator of a small motorcycle business. I’ve setup dealer relationships with manufacturers to purchase and sell their products. I receive a dealer catalog with dealer pricing once the relationship has been established. So I fully understood what it was I was looking at and what it meant to see these books in person. The Open House seminar turned out to be Direct Buy’s way of explaining this complex relationship to the general public. I could tell from the crowd that a lot of people simply couldn’t digest this information or understand what was really at steak here. In the long run, I really think this is a good deal.
Buyer Beware
3/21/2007 - Dan of Rhode Island, USA writes:
[] I own and operate my own dealership specializing in buy-here pay-here and in 16 years have never once treated any one of my customers the way that my wife and I were recently treated at a Direct Buy open house. To anyone that reads these reviews belive every word that describes Direct Buy as a Scam and a hardsell. We saw the commercial and are in the process of minor renovations so we went to the open house. Just like others we were told the we could not think about it overnight and would never be invited back. Membership fees were almost $5000.00 plus an additional $160.00 per year after the first 3 years. They also would not give us pricing on any other products we need for a simple bathroom remodel which at [] cost me less than $500.00 BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!
Not for most people
3/20/2007 - RJ of California, USA writes:
May save some people money, but not most. unscrupulous & misleading "sales tactics" Salesman showed examples of average American spending to justify membership dues. I questioned his numbers and he cut me off and said "ask your personal guide later". Guide admitted numbers were wrong and must spend alot to justify cost. Was shown prices of desired sink and tub. Reported savings of $2500.00. Reported 20% savings on exterior stone. Must agree to $7000 fees or leave and never return. Reason enough to walk out. Any business who wants significant amount of money and will not allow you to think about it or verify savings is trying to hide something. Can cancel contract with full refund within three business days. I went to local stores and found only $350 in savings not $2500 on tub and sink. The 20% savings on the stone was correct. Average savings is about 20%. $7000/0.20 is $35000. Spend this over ten years and you'll break even. Spend more and you'll save money.
/worked for us
3/19/2007 - Mark of Virginia, USA writes:
I joined and when building my garage and houes and decks svaed well over $30,000 and I checked all stores and found a savings of 15% to 45% on average. You do have to know that a lot of the items are higher end items. I did my christmas shopping there and on Ipod's along saved $300.00. It worked for me.
Direct Buy is a SCAM!
3/16/2007 - Jessica of Virginia, USA writes:
My husband and I went to a Direct Buy open house presentation this past weekend. We sat through an hour presentation on all the "benefits" of Direct Buy and 2 minutes was used to explain the costs. A membership fee of $5100 was expected the same day for years 1-3 and $160 a year for years 4-10. If you can't afford the $5100 up front it can be financed at 17% interest. You have to make up your mind at that day..or you won't be invited again. We did not have enough time to review the "discount books" and were not given a list of the "700" manufacturers that one could buy from. This program is scam...it would only be useful if you have $7000 to waste and want to take a chance on buying furniture you cannot see.
direct line to a headache
3/16/2007 - Paul of Indiana, USA writes:
i signed up for one of their open houses without doing my normal amount of homework. Much to my surprise, directbuy appeared to be a solid network of trustworthy folks until they asked for nearly $4500 without allowing me to look through the actual product lines to see what I could purchase for my membership cost. Two, large red flags and I headed for the door. I cannot say how glad I was to get out...seems a bit shady.
Borderline
3/16/2007 - Jen of Delaware, USA writes:
Direct Buyer Beware. The only value of DirectBuy for me was that I DID have many purchases. I rennovated my kitchen. Here, DBuy protected me from paying 'way over' on a small set of purchases. In any job, you can get a good deal on most items, but one will get taken on some of the items. This can kill your budget. For example, DB saved me nothing on appliances, little on my cabinets, but did save me big on my tile. I spent $22K on my kitchen job in materials. If I had bought in stores, I would have paid about $27,000. So, my DB initiation fee was covered. Importantly, you won't have to worry about being 'taken' by that minority of retailers who rack up price on highly desirable items. 2 stars overall. Good for me, but let the Direct Buyer Beware.
A Great Way To Stop Paying High Prices
3/15/2007 - Joanna of Alberta, Canada writes:
My husband and I purchased a membership 6 months ago and have already SAVED money!!! We re-did a kitchen and spend $10,000 after being quoted $21,000 at a retailer. After this we bought a gorgeous living room set for $5,000 that went for $7,000 at a competitor's store (we did our homework prior to coming). It's great to know that not only you're saving money-but everything is under warranty and you can deal directly with the manufacturers-no annoying retailers trying to sell you extra warranty you don't even need. I HIGHLY recommend getting a membership!
Good if you have multiple large purchases
3/14/2007 - Tom of Virginia, USA writes:
DirectBuy is good if you have major purchases pending. You are on your own in the showroom because the customer service is seriously lacking. I have saved nominally and have yet to recoup my $4000 investment. However, I saved about $400 on an eliptical and about $1000 on a patio dining set. I didn't end up purchasing my bedroom set there because I would have only saved $200 dollars and wouldn't have had it delivered or the security of a large company backing my purchase. I'm glad I didn't go with Directbuy because I ended up returning 2 pieces with minor damage, something you can't do with DB. I think I will end up recouping my costs, but it won't happen as fast as I would like. We have a whole house to furnish and basement to finish so I think it will be worth the investment in the long run but we're a year into it already.
Another Perspective
3/14/2007 - Gwen of Maryland, USA writes:
Direct Buy is a great investment if you are planning major home purchases. We recently purchased a home (built in the 40s) and have had very positive experiences purchasing furniture, carpet, and a grill. I also purchased my wedding invitations for a HUGE discount. One note: the prices on doors (both patio and entry)were not impressive and turned out to be higher than [] and [].
Don't Waste Your $$ Too!
3/14/2007 - Don of Michigan, USA writes:
Unfortunately, I did not do my homework before visiting and bought a membership. It has now been over a year. We have finished our basement plus numerous other projects around the house. The only real savings we have gotten was on a class ring for our HS student over the prices over by the company advertised at school. We have found that Direct Buy's prices are higher than those offered by the manufacturer themselves. We have not seen any savings. The only "savings" is in their catalog when refenecing the MSRP or retail proce - which nobody truly sells at anyways. We have also had terrible cyustomer service - ordered wrong material and refused to take back, misquoted orders, tried to add-on additional S & H charges. No help at all in intrepreting catalogs. Even the items they show in their sales pitch can be found for costing less.
What a huge mistake!
3/12/2007 - Carol of Illinois, USA writes:
Please take everything you read on this site and others like it ([], []) and avoid Direct Buy at all costs. Joining has been the biggest mistake of my life. I denied my instincts to just say no when the slick salespeople and owner convinced me that I'd be a fool not to join. There are absolutely no savings once you figure in the 8% fee they charge on top of the "discounted" price. Don't bother going to the open house as they will make you somehow question the sanity of those on these sites that actually have experience. I rest knowing that the owners and operators of this establishment have the wrath of karma coming there way.
Please don't waste your $$
3/12/2007 - Debra of Washington, USA writes:
I wish I had followed my gut reactions when we went to a presentation. 1)You are not allowed to think about it even over night That was my first red flag...should have stood up and walked out right then, what legitimate business tells you that you are not allowed to think about what ends up being a $3,000 investment? 2)Were not given enough time to see their "secret" price books (2nd red flag) 3) You pay dearly for shipping, but all products are shipped to them and you have to figure a way to get items home-rent a truck and essentially pay a 2nd shipping cost. Most items are only 10% off, very few are the huge discounts they advertise. You will NEVER get back your investment.
