DirectBuy Reviews

So, we went to our appointment and saw several members sitting at tables with calculators trying to figure out prices (I assume) or order items from the catalogs. We were taken to a room where we had to listen to a sales pitch and tape. About 1 1/2 hours worth. We were shown a couple of limited examples of price savings. We were not allowed to look at any of the books. Another salesperson then took us to a separate table and tried to sell us on the 10-year gold membership which is $5,995 that covers the first 2 years and then an additional $198 annually for the next 8 years. We had to sign up and pay that amount right now, that day. When we said we weren't prepared to do that today, he offered us a payment plan, $500 today and $200 per month. Then he said we could buy the silver plan which is $2,000 less, however, the silver plan will not give you access to all of the manufacturers.

Well, what is the sense of that? I told him that the only thing we really need to buy at this point was a new washer and dryer. We just couldn't see paying almost $6,000+ to save a few bucks on a dryer. My husband and I explained our budget is tight right now and that maybe in six months, we could revisit this. He then told us that if we don't join today, we are "banned from joining for the next seven years". What? What a ridiculous rule and it completely turned us off. We quite frankly became completely disinterested after that.

We told him again, we were not able to join that day and just like that, our meeting was done. He took us upfront to try the $50,000 home makeover key in the lock, which of course did not work. We scratched off the gold circle on our invitation for additional prizes and of course, we didn't win. Then they handed us a free 3 days 2 nights vacation voucher just for coming in. However, when you sign up for the trip, you must pay a $29.95 per night deposit when you book and part of that will be refunded when you check in. Well, I'm sorry, it doesn't sound exactly free to me. Free doesn't mean pay a deposit.

Long story short, this was not for us. We were very put off over the high pressure sales tactics and being banned for 7 years if we didn't sign up today. If you have a huge remodeling project to do, then this may be for you. However, all items are delivered directly to their store and you either have to pick them up, have them delivered and either install them yourself or hire someone to do it. After you add all that on, plus the membership fee, will you save any money? Who knows. Also, you can't bring family or friends there and apparently, they don't want kids there either. It was a very strange experience which felt like some awful timeshare sales pitch. For us, we'd have to buy an awful lot of items to justify spending that much on a membership. Forget it.

The only consequence was another slap in the face what with their false advertising. Nothing like a good all knife in the back from another American business.

There were four of us all together at this session. A couple and one single woman and me. I happened to be Black. Now other Black people could very easily construed what was done to me as racial profiling. At the end of the session were were taken to one other area and Jeff gave us some more information. He then had another sales person come in and he introduced him to us. Jeff took the couple and the lady all who were white with him and left me with Russ. I was taken back by this! Russ sat me down and I questioned about the membership fees and reassured him that I most likely would join because I could easily see the savings involved. However he insisted that I join today and put the money down today.

I let him know I was an educator and my money for the summer were allotted and I didn't want to use my credit card. I also let him know that I would be at a better place financially to wait until September. He told me I had to do it now and that was it. He then said he was going to speak with the owner to see what could be worked out. I was so miffed by his intimidating me and not listening to me that I got up and walked out. He later came out to the parking lot and I put my window down and simply said, "I am not interested." I found that last part most upsetting, unprofessional and them not being honest with what the brochure had about a one month membership. I know there are others who have felt the same way.

They lied about the prices of their shipping, handling and freight charges. I am a single mother and I cannot afford their prices. This would economically drain me and my family.

And for the salesman guy above, he sells to people like that. How would he feel if the people he sold to opened their eyes and saw him for what he is? No more sales I'd say. I believe anyway, people are way too caught up in name brand. This keeps up with the Jones' that do, buy and live the way it makes you happy! I bought a new vehicle 5 years ago. I kick myself everyday. I love it and now I have just one more month to pay for it and it is solely mine. Screw those payments for something that takes me up and down the road! I believe you can get the same furniture and such from a local builder with good construction for the same or less, still no middle man!

They are among the worst customer service organizations I've ever dealt with. I have had problems with almost everything I have purchased. They do not return phone calls. When you do speak with someone, there is an attitude as though you are bothering them. I have complained to managers who have demonstrated the same poor service. No one cares. Promised delivery dates are seldom met and they always blame the manufacturer. Trying to find help in the showroom is even difficult because they are generally too busy talking to each other. They change the pick up location from my local warehouse to a warehouse that's over an hour away and don't seem to care that is not what I signed up for.

Never again. The savings isn't worth the poor service and misleading membership benefits that follows.

After an initial conversation with a man (A), we were ushered into a room for the group sales talk delivered by a second man (B). 'A' told us, among other things, that we would receive a $1000 discount off the membership fee if we became members that very day. He also told us we could, alternatively, choose a 30-day trial period where we could research the club's offerings, and spend up to $1000 with a limited number of suppliers. It was clear from 'A' that this was an either/or choice.

During the group sales presentation by 'B', he stated that during the 30-day trial period we could spend up to $1000 on purchases or Direct Buy would use that amount to reduce the initial membership fee. I specifically asked 'B' to confirm that I understood him correctly and he deferred answering my question to the one-on-one discussion to follow. So, after the group sales pitch we met again with 'A' and told him what 'B' had said about the 30-day trial period. 'A' appeared confused by this and stated that if we heard 'B' say that he would honor it. As a result, my initial apprehensions were alleviated as it appeared we were in a situation where integrity was highly valued.

What happened next changed everything. I asked 'A' to commit the agreement regarding the 30-day trial period to writing. He told us he would need to get 'B' over to discuss the matter. Of course, 'B' denied saying what both my wife and I heard him say, insisting instead that it was the either/or we were originally told and that he always delivers his sales talk the same way. 'B' then returned to sales mode and when I brought him back to the issue which was now a roadblock for us (the 30-day trial period and the $1000 discount) he grinned and said discussion of that was over. I then removed my name tag, stood up and agreed the conversation was over.

For people considering joining Direct Buy the questions and issues are these: 1) If it such a good deal why must you decide on the spot (to receive the membership fee discount) without the opportunity to fully explore if the decision to join is really right for you? 2) Until you have surrendered something (your membership fee or the discount) you have no ability to research the club's offerings to see if the suppliers, products and prices will provide value to you. 3) Direct Buy will require you to sign a contract prepared, presumably, by their attorneys and therefore it is written to protect and ensure their interests and not yours. However, to be able to properly evaluate the contract provisions requires you to give up the discount on the membership fee. Why should that be the case?

Direct Buy may very well be an excellent way for people to save money on their purchases. I cannot say it is or is not since the sale practices I describe above precluded us getting to the decision point. I can say that if integrity and transparency on the part of the seller are not clearly evident at the beginning of a relationship it is questionable if they will be found later on. I entered Direct Buy skeptical. I then became more convinced it was something to seriously consider. Finally, I witnessed the very people who were trying to influence me to say 'yes' providing all the evidence I needed to say 'no' and leave.

We went to a cabinet maker, got what we wanted and had it in one week.

We then tried to buy flooring, and again was not satisfied with what was offered, so we did not place an order. We purchased real oak flooring for less than the prices quoted for Pergo. We checked on small appliance - a steam cleaner, DirectBuy was 2 dollars cheaper, but when I'd finish paying the little coulcosts, it had cost me more. I could purchase exactly the same product from JC Penny and have free shipping to my home but I tried to use the service and failed. Many things were not discussed at our general meeting. I sent a letter asking to cancel my membership and have partial refund. They signed the letter but I did not get any answer. The membership agreement is for 3 years, should I not get 2/3 of my money back?

DirectBuy now gives a 30-day free trial which makes me so mad as they could not give me a day to think about my decision. Do you have any suggestions for me? I feel I have been ripped off, in a shrewd way.

Honestly and honesty. Two things DirectBuy has always been. During my first tour, I asked all the questions, priced out items I already priced out to the best of my abilities, then compared. DirectBuy truly saved me money in each quote, so I joined. It's a no brainer. I fork over a bit to become a member. They hand me the cost books to over 1200 brand names. It's a pretty good deal. Talk about honest, they told me exactly how much money they were making on me (the membership price). Go ask your favorite retailer how much he's making on you on each and every purchase. Retailers keep making money on you. That's okay, right? For me and my family, the choice was easy. I'm not going to give my money away for years on end to stores and markups. And DirectBuy Boston South staff are caring more than any retailer or online store I know.

My complaint is against the people who are so smart to think that 1200 manufacturers are so dumb as to put their cost books in a company that's been around for 40 years, and think that retailers aren't upset about that. They are. And the consumer, well, you're just plain dumb to think after 40 years, DirectBuy doesn't work. It does. You owe it to yourself to go and price out things you're going to buy anyways, and see for yourself how truly great DirectBuy can be. Be open minded. Retailers and online dealers seriously don't sell things so low. You keep giving it away. When is enough enough?

We were allowed to browse through any of their price books I wanted and the manager even stayed 1 and a half hours after they closed to give us time to browse. We are planning on remodeling our kitchen amongst many other things and the savings we saw just looking at the books more than makes up for the 5k membership fee. He answered all our questions and even gave me 24 hrs to think about it. I can't wait to start buying things directly. Believe me, buying things retail, even at clearance prices doesn't compare!

The receptionist said, "No, you have to arrange an open house". To call to make an appointment seemed fishy when the receptionist is right there to make one immediately. Why? Because there must be a very high fee and it requires a sales presentation to convince you. The flier with all 6 pages has no membership fees posted with fine print for restrictions or policies with benefits in order to make an informed decision. To not be able to look around freely just as a walk in with the feeling that I have to have the privilege, makes me smell a rat, too. Any business that handles people like they have something to hide is not a business. It is a downright scam.

I went home and talked to my husband and told him my experience. He told me that if it's any good, it would not be some kind of a secret as he would have heard about it through a trusted friend a long time ago. I then read the complaints and some people who claimed they benefited through Direct Buy. The ones who benefited, good for you. But, I bet I could have saved even more than what you saved by avoiding thousands of dollars of up front fees in order to get a discount. There are companies out there who are legit and offer great savings with salespeople who earn good fair commissions where it's not high pressure and it's a win-win situation. We don't need a company like DirectBuy who makes people feel like they are outsiders until they pay a fee for the promise of savings that are not much different than Costco, Ikea, and any other large furniture store that are willing to work with you in order to get a great deal.

I tried to return the e-mail and say stop sending these solicitations, but the e-mail came back as undeliverable. So I labeled them as "junk," and they still keep sending me e-mails, obviously using more than one URL to send these solicitations out. DirectBuy has pissed me off. I will never be a customer of theirs after this, no matter how much they think they will save me. This is how they do business? And I still need a freaking job.

We agreed to attend a presentation (and received a multitude of confirmation calls) shortly after purchasing a new home that was going to need quite a bit of work. Years ago I remember a contractor friend of mine joined and at the time I thought he had a favorable experience. We were also lured by the idea that we could save a considerable amount of money on our renovations and certainly could find products that would fit our taste and construction schedule, due to the wide range of manufacturers represented and access to everything they carried.

We learned several months later that is not the case. You can purchase GE appliances, for instance, but not the Monogram series. We have made a few purchases thus far and by the time the DB mark up is added and shipping costs (Hmmm why does it cost $25 to ship an item when you can get it on line with FREE shipping?), we may be saving 4% at best on our purchases so far-- and that is considering retail! Find a good sale and you can do much better than that. At first some sort of mark up seemed reasonable when they explained that when an item was delivered they checked to make sure it was in good condition, but the same mark up applies when the item is shipped directly to you such as kitchen cabinets!

One of the biggest problems is that the products are only available through catalogs and by viewing on line. For instance, we ordered door hardware and when it arrived (after several weeks and saving about $6 on a $180 purchase) it was not representative of what was in the catalog. We brought this to the showrooms attention, armed with the catalog cut sheet and they acknowledged the discrepancy BUT still tried to charge us a 15% restocking fee! Only after speaking with the (understanding) manager, was a full refund given a few weeks later. Another disappointment is the unreasonable amount of time we have had to wait to get some of our orders. So far we have been waiting almost 6 months for a bathroom light fixture. The first one we ordered had a 6 week delivery time. Then it was 10 weeks then 12. I paid about $150 initiation and am paying $30 per month for something that is not even available for me to use the way I was told I could use it. Finally after 16 weeks we were told that there was no idea as to when it would arrive, so we cancelled it. I was assured to get a full refund and I did, but had to stay on top of it and make several calls before it finally showed up on my credit card statement. So now we ordered a different fixture, locally fabricated with a 4 week lead time, then 8 and just this week we found out 12! Here we go again.

So my recommendation is if you are the type of person who currently loves to pay full price for everything all of the time, don't mind waiting for the items you order longer than you may otherwise, and are OK to break even on your investment in 15 years OK then get right over to your local Direct Buy and sign up. Big bruised egos since we were much smarter that to fall for the scam.

Why should I pay them $5,000. for a membership that I haven't nor will I ever use? I just recently received a demanding letter from Beta Finance but I didn't get anything for the $1,300 they have received and would like to get my contract voided. I did contact the Tyler store and was told the person I needed to speak to was busy and they took my number to return my call but that's been over 3 months ago and still haven't heard back from them. My next call today will be to the BBB to find out what they have on this company. We are being turned in as being in default on our contract and have been contacted by Beta finance by telephone and through mail.

After gaining access to prices, I noted several items I was interested in and got online and checked prices. All of the prices were available from many other sources and without shipping and handling charges added. Any savings were marginal if any. I am going to try to cancel the contract. My credit card company said the only way I could block any further charges was to block the card against all charges and get a new card. It is going to create many problems but I in effect cancelled the card and applied for another.

(1) Direct Buy Corporation is the first middleman. They get a cut of the membership fee and the sales from their franchise locations.

(2) Direct Buy in your city is actually a franchise operation using the Direct Buy name. They are at least the second middleman in the process.

(3) The price sheets are customized for the profit margin required by each franchise. There is a minimum negotiated price for Direct Buy Corporation. Direct Buy Corporation marks it up to the amount of cut they want to make from the item. The franchise then marks it up from there regardless of what they said in the presentation. They do not pass all the savings to the consumer.

If you want an additional monthly bill of no less than $100 if you can't afford the membership fee up front, then go for it. Otherwise, I don't see why anyone would want to enter into a contract to go into debt for three years to save money maybe. If you can't afford the full price to get into Direct Buy, then you cannot afford to shop at Direct Buy.

We did not wanted to lose the opportunity of getting those awesome deals they talked about especially when we had no furniture in our new home. We insisted we needed time to come up with the money and they said they needed 10% down and gave us 3 months to pay the rest. Time came and we did not have the money, they kept our $300 and never received any call from them. We got our furniture with Rooms To Go and Furniture Row. We were pretty happy with the prices. This was an experience I would never forget. I am glad we only lost $300 and not the whole membership. It only took $300 to know that DirectBuy is not worth it. If you look for cheap prices locally or the net, you will find them.

All the really important information is given to you after you join. You can't return items you purchase, your kids can use your membership only if they are under 18 and live with you. How many kids under 18 and living at home can buy big ticket items? Every time we called, we got the recordings, and you have to leave a message for "customer service". The only extension answered by a real person is the one for prospective members. The ordering is only through a room full of catalogs with all kinds of codes and conditions.

And if your order is wrong, you are stuck with goods. It is a ridiculous system geared to make money for DirectBuy. I have sent emails and sent them a letter on March 22 requesting cancellation and a refund. To date, no one has called or written to us. Apparently, we don't exist to them. I am stuck with a membership I haven't been able to use and will never use. We financed the membership, but haven't made any payments. The finance company calls everyday demanding we pay them. I would love to join a class action lawsuit against DirectBuy.

I was then allowed to look through their catalogs. I chose a bedroom set for myself that I thought met my requirements and taste. Then I started to think about it. I had ordered that bedroom set because it was the only one that was black. It was really ungainly and clumsy. DirectBuy's catalogs carried nothing that was in my style! The one time I asked for "contemporary" furniture, I was directed to a catalog of children's furniture.

I told DirectBuy that I wanted to cancel my order and cancel my membership. After several nasty conversations, they refunded my deposit for the bedroom set. However, they insisted that my membership had to be discussed by a "committee" because they had already done "so much" for me. I was eventually given two choices. I could continue my membership, making the next two payments of $1,600 each, and they would go out of their way to help me. Or, I could cancel my membership, they would not automatically deduct $3,200 from my debit card, but they would not refund my $2,100! This all took place over about 2 to 3 weeks.

We went to a seminar about 3 years ago. At that time, we were adding onto our home. We were told we'd save thousands. We joined. We live about 1.5 hours from our nearest Direct Buy. Even though we can do most of the business by phone, we usually have to drive to the club to pick up our items, or pay an additional shipping charge on top of the shipping, charged to deliver it to the store. We have bought some appliances, flooring and furniture. I think we may have been broke even at this point.

Direct Buy charges an 8% handling fee on many of the items you purchase, I think anything you plug in like an appliance is excluded from that. The sals person trying to get you to buy a membership, acts like 8% is not a lot, but if you price an item on the internet and you are offered free shipping and you aren't paying sales tax, a lot of the time you will pay less for the item than at Direct Buy or the savings is so minimal, it doesn't justify the high price of membership. If you are a high end buyer with a lot to buy, it may be worth your while, but for the average consumer I say beware.

If we have to do it over again, I would not have purchased a membership. Unless you are a high end buyer spending a lot, you will not see a big benefit. I hope this helps someone else, I really wish I would have come here first before we signed up.

I was fired from the Direct Buy of myrtle beach for going to the bathroom. They started a new little rule saying we had to ask permission to go to the bathroom. Imagine that a room full of adults asking permission to go to the bathroom. So I politely stood up in from my little cubby, looked at my manager and said "May I please go to the bathroom?" She said no...No? I cant go to the bathroom? I'm a grown woman and you're telling me no, I am not allowed to go pee? But being that, I really did love my job, I sat back down and tried to hold it...an hour went by. I stood back up tried to get her attention again. She ignored me, another 20 minutes went by and I saw that she allowed another girl I work with to go.

So, I stood up again trying to get her attention only to be ignored. So not being able to hold it any longer, I got up quietly and went to the bathroom, I was gone for less than 3 minutes, and when I was walking back, my manager said for me to wait for her in her office. So I did. Once she got in there, she proceeded to tell me that I did not have permission to go to the bathroom, I apologized and told her I tried to get her attention 3 different times and I really could not hold it anymore. "Sorry, it won't happen again," I said, "I truly couldn't hold it." Then, she told me to wait there. She went to get this Lady Meg, one of the 3 owners there. A real jerk if I do say so myself. Meg stormed into the room slamming the door open yelling. "Get your stuff, we're letting you go! " I was really taken off guard and it took me a second to process it. I looked at her and I said, "You're firing me because I went to the bathroom?" She yelled at me saying "Its not up for discussion!" Mind you, I didn't even really know this lady, she'd said maybe two words to me since I'd worked there and she was speaking to me in a very rude and nasty way with no reason to be.

They didn't even make firing me a private matter, they humiliated me in front of the entire call center. Firing me in front of everyone and after I've helped make this company thousands of dollars, it's not up for discussion? You can't give me a reason as to why? I'm already losing my job which has huge effect on my life, no way to pay my rent or bills, I have a 3 year old daughter and firing me is affecting my whole family in a negative way and you're going to tell me it's not up for discussion and completely humiliate me in front of everyone? She followed me to my desk while I got my stuff and I asked again. "You're firing me because I went to the bathroom" I got in response, "It's not up for discussion. Do you want me to call security?" I'm a 23 year old female that is not intimidating at all, extremely sweet and shy and she's going to call security on me?

My heart was broken. I had tears coming down my face, completely embarrassed. How could they treat me this way? I loved my job. I worked hard for them. Sitting in a tiny cubicle for hours and hours and hours everyday not giving them any problems. She walked me to the door, making it even more humiliating like I was some kind of big threat...talking to me in a very mean way...belittling me.

So I got home. Knowing that Direct Buy has an open door policy. It says it in their employee handbook. I called to try to speak to one of the other owners. Wes...I really wanted to clear this up. I wanted my job. I couldn't make it make sense in my head that I was fired for going to the bathroom. So I called and asked the receptionist to speak to Wes. She said, "Sure hold on." Then guess who answered the phone? Meg...the lady who completely humiliated me. She said, "Hi Lacey, you need to stop calling." (This was the first and only time I called) "This is boarder line harassment," she said. I said...I called to speak to Wes and she said, "You're not going to speak to Wes." I said, "Why not?" and she says, "Because I said you're not." I don't want you to think you have any chance of getting your job back, I've discussed it with Wes and we're all fine with it. You're free to go to work any where else.

I said to her, "Look, I don't even know you. We've said maybe two words to each other since I've worked there and I'm losing my job." So I'd like to speak to someone that actually know and respect, the person who was my boss, Wes and she said, "Well, I'm glad you respect Wes but you're not going to speak to him, I'm going to have to call the cops because this is harassment. So, I hung up the phone. I go to the bathroom one time...take maybe 3 minutes and I get fired for it? and not only fired...fired in front of everyone that I had worked with side by side for months, in a very loud and mean way and I'm not even given an explanation? I'm not even allowed to speak to my boss with their "open door policy."

So if Direct Buy will treat the people who work for them like this, then imagine how they will treat their customers. They lie to you to try to get you in the door. Then try to pressure you into buying a membership and if you don't buy in at that open house if you decline it for the time being then you're not eligible for a membership for 7 years. You're not allowed back into the club. I feel like I've been completely wronged. I wasn't a bad employee. I loved working there. I worked very hard for them. I never stepped out of line. I was always nice and polite to everyone and did my job. When I first started there was a girl I worked with that got mad at me after making fun of the dress I was wearing. She got mad at me for me telling her, "You didn't have to be so public about it. If you had a problem with my dress you could have told me" and she threatened me to beat [me] in the parking lot after work. Called me a [expletive]. Guess what she got? Suspended for a day with pay. I'd never been in trouble there and I get fired for going to the bathroom? This same girl had also came into work drunk one day...completely sloshed...and she didn't get fired but I get fired for going to the bathroom? How could they treat me like this? Stay away from Direct Buy! Especially Direct Buy of myrtle beach.

We have calls day and night from them. We have told them we can't pay them and to leave us alone or take whatever action it is they are going to take. They called my employer's office, my cell phone, my husband's phone. They are relentless and cannot understand that we are not in a position to continue the contract and why are we now faced with Universal Finance calls. Do what has to be done as you can't get blood out of a stone and we have no money now. The economy has hit us all.

We have experienced emotional setbacks with finances and they are hounding us day and night. I get Indian accents at night and nothing but rude calls during the day. It's relentless to the point I will have to change my cell but then they call my work number and now they are getting angry at the calls I'm getting.

I have nothing against the company, some people might feel it is good thing. I, however, feel differently. Currently, I am out $490 they will not refund and $162 a month for three years from finance company. Neither company wants to help me out of this predicament. My wife has cancer and no longer works. She had a major operation two years ago to remove pancreas (Whipple procedure) and now has to go to West Clinic for a shot every month for carcinoid tumors that are now showing up on her kidneys.

Between her doctor bills and medicines, I cannot afford to pay $162 a month to something I will never use. My wife is 52 and will never be able to work again. This incident is just making her worried more about our money situation and is very hard for me to believe I was duped into this sham. I plan on calling their corporate office tomorrow although I feel it will not do any good.

*It is not for everybody! This club is, in fact, very exclusive. If you are not willing to take the time to understand how this club works and whether or not it will work for you then I recommend you do not inquire about it or if you have already, tell the person who calls you that you are not interested.

*If they are calling you every day on an average of three times a day, it is because you have not expressed that you are not interested. Picking up and hanging up the phone does not express your interest. I know, cause I did this to them! All they know is the phone is getting disconnected due to tower connections, or human error.

*When you receive your phone call from them, be ready to schedule! The last time I went in to see about scheduling my cousin for an appointment, they did not have any appointments for two months solid! (Luckily, a Sunday appointment cancelled and so they got him and his wife in and they became members.) If they offer you an appointment time, grab what you can!

*They tell you to check in 15 min before your appointment and plan like an hour and half. Consider this when you make your reservation. And trust me, if you are going to be buying anything you might want to plan on more time to spend there after the tour. I was able to bring some sale ads and printouts for comparisons during the tour. I recommend you do the same. There is literally so much more than the commercials show!

*My Experience: This place did not come at a better time! Although, I was frustrated at first because I thought it was too good to be true and I was so overwhelmed with school and work, not to mention the calls. I have found this place to be my saving grace! The service here is so great! I have been able to order not only the furniture I needed, but also the linens. They have mattresses as well and work out equipment! I just got myself a 62inch flat screen. I priced in online at B.B. and it was almost twice as much! I started scrapbooking and I can get all my materials with DirectBuy. I got some new gear for my car, and even found a diamond pendant I plan on buying my daughter for Christmas! A real diamond that is costing me twice less than in the stores! My cousin is remodeling and he told me that it looks like he'll be spending $12,000 less in his kitchen alone.

I hope this helps and gives you a better Idea of this place. If a single mom in school and only working part-time with no supplemental income can do it, most anyone else can! Just keep in mind, it’s not for everyone, but those who want to start saving should at least go down and see for themselves. What I've found is that friends and family's opinions matter, but in the end, it's my pocket book worth saving!

However, I'm glad I joined the club. I would recommend only joining and purchasing the "concierge" service because buying without a retailer in the middle is a pain in the ass. The Concierge is a personal shopper and turned out to be a very good friend and resource.

We saved a lot of money and I'm talking "a lot" of money. We're renovating our apartment in Manhattan and saved $14,000 on kitchen cabinets, $3,000 on bath fixtures, $3,000 on appliances, $2,500 on floors, $2,000 on doors and we still haven't bought new furniture yet. The kitchen cabinet savings alone paid for the membership and then some.

No one is complaining about what DirectBuy provides (which is everything you could possibly want for about half the price of what you would pay retail). The people complaining are "think about it" type of people, of which the world is full of. The problem is, there is nothing to think about joining DirectBuy. You either get it, or you don't. And what I mean by "get it" is that either you are not afraid to make good decisions when a good choice (albeit a several thousand dollar choice) is presented to you, or you are a "think about it", not going to do it because I overthink things because "that's not the way I do things". These "think about its" are over their heads.

The membership is expensive and most people will not do something that is most likely beyond their write-a-check-right-now-if-you-are-smart-enough-to-do-it threshhold. DirectBuy is a business. Their research probably shows that your average-beer-drinking moron can't make this decision without a little pressure -- even though the membership is in their best interest. And that if they don't get people to join immediately, that statistics show that most people will not join in the future. If they would, wouldn't they say "think about it?" If they had better luck getting business by doing that, wouldn't they do it? I mean, really, wouldn't they?

I am in sales (not DirectBuy) and I run across these people a lot. Even though you present something that is in your client's best interest, sometimes people won't do it. It's like you are watching them drown and they won't take your hand. In any event, I am a member. I did not receive any high-pressure from the salesman because my salesman at DirectBuy saw that I could make this decision without help. That $5000 check was hard to write. But I will tell you that I have saved well over that since joining. For all of you people who are too smart to be taken your own inability to make decisions because you feel "pressured", are putting you in the category of those suckers who didn't join...because you're so smart.

The process consists of three time-wasting stages: first spend time with small talk with a smiling sales person, then get herded into a room with other couples attending the open house to hear a much more detailed sales presentation, including several videos and lots of clever question and answer sessions with the audience. Following that you are taken back for another private conversation with the first sales person who is clearly the closer; that is when you really get the high pressure treatment designed to get you to sign up that day and pluck down about $7,000 for a ten year membership (though the price seems to vary with location). If you don't sign up that day, you are told that it will cost another $1,000 at a later time.

With the original invitation to the open house, you are told that you will get a 30-day free membership. But that membership is very limited. What really angered me was that there was no piece of literature that we were given to look at with details about membership rights and costs that we could take with us. Talk about a high pressure sales pitch!

The whole logic of Direct Buy is that you will be able to pay wholesale prices from manufacturers and avoid all the markups of retailers. But you would have to spend a small fortune to justify the huge membership fee. Plus, there are several charges added to the base manufacturers price that cut down on the savings you might obtain. Further, the whole premise is basically that you are a stupid shopper and cannot really tell whether you are getting a genuinely low price for stuff on sale at ordinary retailers. And hardly anything that you might buy can be seen at the Direct Buy location, because virtually everything that is purchased requires considerable work looking though catalogs.

If the Direct Buy sales pitch really told the whole truthful story, then logic says there would be many millions of people who bought everything there rather than through ordinary retail channels, including the Internet. In fact, if Direct Buy was such a great buy, then the whole huge world of retail would have screamed to their wholesalers to stop selling stuff through Direct Buy. But obviously, there are not millions of Direct Buy members. From reading many complaints about this company on some websites, especially consumeraffairs.com, it becomes clear that my experience has been shared by many others. I wasted two hours of my weekend because I fell for the email marketing notification I received, which now I realize should have been classified as just more spam.

Finally, as I rode home after my wasted time at Direct Buy, I mused about the logical contradiction that was embedded several times in the intense sales pitch. They boast that because you save so much, you will be able to buy higher quality products. But that just tells me that if you behave this way you will end up spending as much money as you would have spent as a nonmember shopping at ordinary retailers, especially when you factor in the thousands of dollars for membership, and not lifetime membership at that!

My advice: If you get an invitation to attend an open house at a Direct Buy outlet, toss it. Don't waste your valuable time. And certainly don't bet that you will definitely save enough money to justify the high upfront cost of membership.

On the surface, it seemed like a membership would benefit us. We signed documents for a middle gold level membership (Vs. platinum #1 or silver #3) at a cost of $4990 (after the $1000 off) for three years plus $199 per year after that. We had to put down $590, which I put on my debit card, and sign financing papers. We were told we had a right of recession (we could decline the offer within three days, an Illinois law).

We got a couple of very cheap free gifts but nothing was said about the vacation. I asked the salesman and he said he knew nothing about a vacation. I showed him the certificate I received that clearly said a vacation would be awarded to us for attending. He told us there were no vacations awarded to his knowledge and the owner was busy and not available. After getting home and discussing it, my wife and I determined we could not spend enough money on the things we needed before our retirement (in two to three years) to justify the $4900, especially with the financing costs.

Direct Buy was closed on Monday and Tuesday. I called them Wednesday, at noon when they were scheduled to open, and was told the lady who handles the cancellations had left her desk and to leave a message. I left a message regarding the cancellation and asked her to call me. After not getting a call by later in the afternoon, I called again and was told the person who I needed to talk to was not available. I asked to speak to the owner, Dave **. I was told he was not available. I left another message.

I finally decided to get in my car and drive the 28 miles to the Direct Buy location to get the cancellation taken care of. I was concerned they would force me to pay the membership off, claiming that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were my three days. When I arrived, I asked for the woman I had called and left two voicemails. I was told she had not been at work all day. I told the lady who met me at the door what I was there for. She got the owner.

I gave him the signed cancellation document and asked about a credit on my debit card. The $590 had already been deducted from my account so I knew they had processed the transaction. The paperwork stated that they had ten days to return the deposit. He told me, even though the money had cleared my account on Monday, it would take days to get into his account. I knew that was B.S. Today is 2/24/10, 16 days after the money was withdrawn from my bank account and the credit has not been processed yet.

No vacation! They're leveraging my money (the $590 deposit) to improve their cash flow. I am so glad I cancelled the membership. I'm still out my $590, which I'm sure will eventually find its' way back to me and really aggravated about the vacation B.S. I knew the free gifts would be cheap ones.

After their long sales pitch and video, we were told we had to join that night or lose our chance forever. I said if you really want my business and this is such a great deal then why don't you allow me to sleep on it and come back and make my decision. When the salesman told me we couldn't do that and had the option of signing the 30-day free membership, I smelled a scam which prompted me to go on my iPhone and do an internet search right on the spot. Thank God for modern technology!

When I started reading all of these comments and asking the salesman the questions from these experiences he started stumbling on his words. I asked him how come he didn't tell us about the tier system that you have to be in in order to purchase the high dollar items. I asked him about the restrictions, payments etc., that he just couldn't answer. My wife told me I was rude for going on my iPhone in the middle of the salesman's pitch, but when it comes to paying for a lifetime membership and my money in this economy I can care less about his feelings!

Thank you to consumeraffairs.com and thank you to all of you that have submitted your comments with the exception of the one gentleman who states that Direct Buy is the best thing since sliced bread. Knowledge is power! I got to keep my money!

Initially, you are given a 10-minute presentation and then made to sit through a video for 40 minutes of commercials. We were then herded back to the used car sales reps who asked us about what we heard. We said we liked what we heard about savings, but was not convinced about having to pay the $5500 or $6500 upfront payment membership options. We said we wanted to look around at the catalogs and maybe use our free 30-day option before committing. Big mistake. Firstly, we were told that we cannot browse anything unless we are members and if we do not sign then and there and want to come back, we will lose the $1000 in membership discounts they were offering that day. I told him that was okay. He said he did not want his customers to be foolish and throw away their good money and said that I should instead use their computer for 10 minutes to do my research and then sign.

When I said that is not how we operate and we like to do our due diligence, the whole conversation became very difficult. I said I want them to honor the 30-day free trial which I was specifically told would include the ability to buy through the club for 30 days. He came back with a form and said that the only thing that I would be able to buy would be silver merchandise and that too for a maximum amount of $1000. I was about to ask why they did not pull up such conditions upfront. By then, I knew that this was high pressure sales tactics to get people to commit whether they would find what they are looking for in the catalogs or not.

Lie No.1: You can browse for products in the showroom. Truth is no actual products are ever kept at the showrooms. So you will never be able to first see before you buy.

Lie No.2: Free 30-day membership. Truth is they don't allow you to sign up if you decide not to sign up to join for one of their membership options. Don't fall for this. We wasted 2 hours of our weekend and sat through some awful presentation and presenters.

3) Income (something to do with how much you and your spouse gross).

So after making this appointment with Direct Buy (Lake Worth, Florida location), the receptionist at that particular location must have called us six times in a 24 hr period to ask if we found a babysitter for our 10 year old daughter, which is appalling. She is not a baby or a toddler, she is a well behaved young lady. After telling the receptionist for the 5Th time, that we have not found a babysitter and (we don't feel comfortable with others watching our kids to begin with), she said, "Well, we do have a children's room that she can stay in."

So we went there. We signed in and had a seat. The owner comes out to greet us. And the "gist" of this is he opened up the conversation with, "You were advised that no children were allowed. Our receptionist has notes on the conversations she had with you." We were totally taken aback, not sure what to think at this point with very rude & unprofessional behavior. But I did, very nicely, inform him that I did tell the receptionist that we could not find a babysitter and we didn't feel comfortable with leaving our 10 year old daughter in a room by herself. What parent would, right?

By the way, while we are sitting there arguing with the owner, I look over and see another couple with two children; one baby and the other one couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years of age. So I did point this out to the owner and he stated, "is your daughter a club member?" The point is they claim no children are allowed due to "Limited Seating". This was not the case. She could have easily sat in my husband's lap and there were plenty of seats in this showroom.

So after arguing with him for about 5 whole minutes on why our 10 year old daughter couldn't be there, I flat out said, "I'm not sure why we are still wasting time arguing about this." This man, owner of Direct Buy of Lake Worth, Fla. location says to us, "Well it sounds like we aren't for you and you're not for us. Let me show you the way out." We couldn't believe it! Never in all our lives have we ever felt so discriminated upon, or harassed by their receptionist phone calls over our 10 year old daughter being there.

We don't care what kind of savings they could have offered us (if any, they want you to sign some 12 month club membership) but it's totally not worth it when they treat a prospective customer the way they treated us. It was nothing short of horrible and appalling.

For those of you out there that have considered going to "Direct Buy" to save on your next home improvement, Think Again! They are extremely unprofessional and undeserving of anyone's business.

My wife and I are careful about how we spend our money and don't like to be forced into making an irrational decision. So we informed the sales reps that we needed some time to think about joining and didn't want to be forced into joining that night. When they realized that we wouldn't commit to their rather high pressure demands, they became very rude with us and asked why we wasted their time.

Matter of fact, a black male rep angrily escorted us to the door and told us to leave. I have been in construction for 38 years and have dealt with hundreds of companies and I can honestly state that I have never been treated so badly before. We regret going there and we would never consider doing business with DirectBuy, even if they could have saved us money. My recommendation is to inform people about their sales tactics and avoid doing business with them at all costs.

Should this not be decided by a judge in court? I also believe there is marital, and ethnic discrimination. If you are single, you pay less than a married couple. Then the orientations are somehow set according to ethnic last names. This I learned from a white, who was also waiting to speak with someone to resolve her issue. Our last name happens to be Spanish, and foreign couples are all we saw at our orientation. Some could not even understand the video, and no one was there to translate, as all the salespeople were native English speakers and white.

We went back to DB, because Beta financing was calling, already demanding their money. I refused to pay, since we have not even receive our cards. It was three weeks already, and after an hour of waiting for the owner to see us that day, the sales person claimed he was busy, and our file could not be located. "You will receive them in the mail", is what they told us. It is 2010, and we are still waiting. Last year, another agency started, calling and demanding the rest of the financed money. By checking my credit report, I noticed Beta financing had already claimed our membership as a loss in 2007. Maybe the IRS should take a closer look at their books. I am fighting to get my down payment back from DB, and be able to clean my credit, which is ** until 2013.

We never even received the cards, as promised, and asked to cancel by registered mail before 30 days of joining in 2006. In their response to the attorney General in PA, DB #472, they claimed they are unable to refund my down payment, due to the fact that the salesperson had already received their commission. It this true? Also, I did not ask to cancel within the 7 days, as it was allegedly allowed by the company. It is ridiculous that this company relies on lies to stay afloat. I lost $750, and my credit was damaged until 2013. I had to seek other places to buy needed merchandise, to fix my home. DB claimed to AG that "we never intended to pay in the first place". Where did they get this information?

I cannot believe anyone falls for this high pressure (mass hypnosis?) but obviously there are many trusting souls out there. Has anyone with a complaint contacted his or her state’s Division of Consumer Affairs? I have found the Virginia office to be very responsive and competent. People, there are many avenues through which to take your complaints - do it. This outfit needs to be run out of town.

He pressed and pressed me to sign up today, but I told him clearly that I would not and wanted the trial membership. He told me that I would only be able to purchase up to $1,000 which is reasonable but that I would only be able to buy out of one magazine they publish. He really didn't want to give me the trial membership but when I insisted, he finally told me that I would not be able to look at the pricing books nor would I be able to get help from the sales associates. He went on to say that he didn't want me to spend much time in the showroom either since I hadn't paid for a real membership. They put a lot of emphasis on the secrecy of their setup so that customers don't take the prices to other retailers and use them to negotiate. The truth is they don't want you to find out how they really operate and how little you would really get for your membership dues.

After reading the other complaints on this website, I see I made the right decision by walking away but I wanted to make the specific point that the 30-day free trial membership is absolutely false. They have no intentions of letting potential members "start enjoying access to the direct cost price without the hidden markups like hundreds of thousands of DirectBuy Club members already enjoy". They should really be stopped from advertising something they have no intention of delivering. Consequences: none other than a wasted day and a bad headache. I just wanted to warn others.

On my kitchen cabinets, I saved over $2300 vs Lowe's or Home Depot where my wife works as a kitchen designer! So again I question the ** that people are saying on here about this place. My first experience with Direct Buy was with a couch that was on sale at a furniture store called Stickley. It's on Wolf Rd. in Albany. The cost of the couch at the store was $3700. We got the exact same model number at the club delivered to our home and put where we wanted. It was $2200! That's $1500 less than the store plus they were going to charge us an additional $150 for delivery!

So all in all, over the years, I have saved literally thousands of dollars. And yes, at the current cost of membership, it sounds like you have to be purchasing around $20,000 to make up the fees, but do you ever really look at how much you spend on stuff over a 3-year or 10-year membership? I mean when my wife and I joined, we were renting and didn't really use the club for major purchases. We did buy smaller things, backpacks, etc. with great savings. But we knew that when we got into a house, we would use it and we have, a lot. The savings on the window treatments are out of sight. Over JC Penney and Macy's, we saved over $5000 on our window treatments and that is not a joke! Cash is king and I like saving it.

The manager helped me and we looked through the catalogs together. He found the same thing I did. The local store was offering me the same washer and dryer at basically the same price once you added the shipping and handling costs, and the local store would deliver free the next day! No waiting 6 weeks and having to pick them up or pay for delivery! The manager then offered me another year at no cost and I accepted because I didn't know what else to do. My free year is close to expiring and I have decided not to sit back and let this happen.

I want my money back. Their false advertising has caused me to lose not only a great deal of money, but a great deal of my time and energy. Also, I just got a letter from them looking for buyers for their business so I am afraid that they might close up shop before I am able to resolve this. I believe that they have already changed hands once since I have been a member. Would small claims court be a good and quick option?

They swore that the accounting department tripled checked it, but she would get back to them on this. Not 5 minutes later, I get a call saying, "Never mind, they were looking at the price for a different tile. No under charge after all." So much for triple checking. Had I not resisted and said it was okay to charge my account for the additional $1,800, they would have taken the money with nothing further said and made no further investigation. I wonder how many times this has happened before with others who might be less inclined to challenge them? But I have to concur with others who have mentioned the undisclosed 8% service charge (or mark-up in other words): the cost at DirectBuy is no longer that attractive.

After seeing the ads and the sales presentation, we purchased a membership on 4/29/09. We were renovating a house we had purchased and needed bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances, cabinets, flooring, lighting, etc. By May 15, after having priced 15 - 20 items with DirectBuy, we had purchased nothing, we realized that savings would be minimal, if at all, and we requested a refund. To date, we have not received a refund. It appears as though many others have come forward with similar experiences. We have spent $4,490 for a membership and have received no benefit.

They totally controlled the tour without giving us a chance to think or ask questions. We were rushed into a salesman and video presentation where the salesman Chris was showing us at least six to seven various products on a laminated paper from a bulletin and each one showing how even on sale with retail, DirectBuy will cost at least 45-50% off! On their 45-minute presentation, they mentioned very rapidly that there is an 8% handling fee as well. We were told that once we walk out the door, we can never become a member! The membership, they tell us, is around $6,000! What a great psychological sales technique! We were in an ugly trance the entire time and felt completely flustered and pressured.

After that, we sat with Krista who says she owns the franchise, not giving us a chance to think about it. She said that if we leave, we can never come back. It put us on the spot and we didn't want to lose the chance. She made us sign an agreement and the second we walked out, we realized that we were completely tricked. We felt hypnotized at their place!

$5,874.30 is way out of our budget and they even said that if we pay it through time, there is about 20% interest rate on it! What a crazy ride. Besides, we checked into many retailers, especially Costco and BJ's to see if its really true that you can save around 50% off. Costco's markup is only about 10% of manufacturer's prices!

What a con well done by DirectBuy! They put 8% handling fees on top of that, plus Krista told me that they have their own trucks to deliver to us but she and Chris had no clue how much the delivery price would be! Wow! We will continue to save other people from being victimized. It is interesting to note that the number two search on the Web of DirectBuy is "DirectBuy Scam." I wonder why. Save your money. Please help me get my money back.

1) During the sales process we were told that that we would be able to do 90% of our shopping on the Direct Buy website. We received our login to the website on Tuesday May 5, 2009 at which time it was apparent that less than 60% of the products were listed on the website and less than 30% of the products had a price listed requiring that we visit the showroom. The evening of the 5th I contacted Bank of America and flagged the membership fee transaction as potentially being disputed. I spoke with the Direct Buy Showroom Supervisor the next day, Sarah **, and she explained, apologized and confirmed that 90% of the shopping cannot be done on the Direct Buy website. Regretfully, this did not rectify being deceived during the sales process for us. The promise of being able to do 90% of our shopping through the Direct Buy website was one of the primary reasons we chose to purchase a membership.

2) During the sales process we were led to believe that we would receive lower than retail prices on every item sold by Direct Buy. During the sales process we were told that the pricing in the member catalogs would be the price that we pay. During a visit to the showroom we compared two items from different categories as a litmus test and found that the member pricing was higher than standard retailers. When we raised this concern with Sarah ** she told us that they have to look up actual pricing on a tool that only Direct Buy staff has access to; a far cry from the what-you-see-is-what-you-get sales pitch promise.

These two examples are the concrete examples that we encountered. There are also several inferences and exceptional examples of savings that are implied to be the norm. The Direct Buy sales model forces customers to purchase their membership before being able to preview the actual savings of the membership. Overall, the Direct Buy staff established significantly inflated expectations and deceived us as potential customers. Then when we requested a refund based on these deceptions, Direct Buy refused our request for refund. Direct Buy is refusing our refund request based on the fact that the membership agreement form states that the membership dues are nonrefundable.

Our key objection is that the service we received was not as promised at the time we signed this agreement. We met with Sarah ** on Friday, May 8, 2009. We attended a private new member orientation and this is when we did our comparisons to other retailers and observed the significantly greater number of products available at the showroom as opposed to the website. It was during this meeting that we outright stated we have no confidence in our relationship with Direct Buy and requested a refund. Sarah ** stated that this would not be possible.

We have yet to make a single purchase using our membership and have no intention. We have disputed the charge on our credit card with Bank of America. Through the help of Bank of America, Visa and the BBB, we hope to receive a refund of our membership fees. We also hope that through raising this concern through Consumer Affairs, that Direct Buy adjusts their sales practices to more accurately describe their offering and avoid this situation with other potential customers.

I made several more attempts to contact you to schedule an appointment with no success. When I called again to ask for the sales associate who was supposed to handle my project, I was told that no one with that name or number worked there. At this point, I was at the height of frustration. I have been paying Direct Buy and have gotten absolutely no service from you. It seemed like once they heard I was from the South Bronx that they weren’t interested in coming to my home. I have gotten no service for the money that I have paid out.

After this experience we were very displeased with DirectBuy's false claim of esteemed buying power. I vaguely remember a law protecting consumers from false claims such as this; businesses that sell services with false representation - consumers disillusioned by the claims of businesses. I would like to be advised of any laws that would allow us to receive at a very minimum, a portion of our membership fees back.

We are in the middle of adding a second story to our house. We saw an advertisement of DirectBuy on TV and decided to visit their showroom to check it out. My wife and I were anxious to find out what products they carry, and how they might look in our empty home. We have five bedrooms to fill, one empty kitchen with no cabinets, no appliances. In all likelihood, we remodel only once in our life, and we don't really mind spending a little more on furniture and appliances.

We filled out an online form to get a free pass to visit DirectBuy. A lady called and told us that we cannot bring our minor child along. So we arranged to send him to a babysitter. My wife and I arrived at the showroom and were greeted by a host and the store manager. Then we were shown to a desk by the host for a short interview and to wait for the start of the infomercial presentation. While our host interviewed us, both my wife and I noticed the hardwood floor display behind him and imagined how it could fit with the design of our living room.

The infomercial was long and boring, and we found out how much the membership would cost. I was almost ready to pay that, if we find the right merchandise in the showroom. After the infomercial, we were walked to the showroom for more presentation on how low prices were at Direct Buy. Surrounded by interesting furniture displays, my wife started walking around to examine them. She did that also to escape the never-ending presentations. She was bluntly told by the store manager that she is not allowed to walk around and that she has to listen to the presentation. We were offended by his action. We are not used to being told what to do and what not to do within what we considered our right. Most consumers would agree that walking around a showroom to examine merchandise is not an unacceptable behavior.

After the presentation at the showroom, we were told to fill out a survey. I began to feel that we were being herded around like animals. So I told the host and the store manager that we are not going to do that. The manager asked us to leave. We asked if we can visit the showroom to see the merchandise. He said we cannot because there is confidential pricing information there. I told him that I am only interested in looking at the merchandise and will not look up the pricing information in the catalogs which are kept in a separate library. He said no and quickly showed us out of the store.

While at the parking lot, I had a second thought. We spent money and time to arrange for a babysitter, drove the distances to get to the store, and set aside time from our busy schedule. Why should we leave without fulfilling the objective of seeing the showroom? I have a free visitors pass to DirectBuy's showroom. I can challenge the store manager. I asked my wife if she wants to go back to see the showroom. She declined. So I went back in by myself and asked to see the showroom as part of the activities promised by DirectBuy's advertisement. He was visibly annoyed by my challenge to his authority as the store manager (I later found that he is also the owner of the store). He called his security team to throw me out.

Two heavy fellows and their security manager came. The heavy fellows grabbed my arms and started removing me from the store. Sensing that the manager's order was inappropriate, the security manager disobeyed him and stopped the forced eviction. He started reasoning with me. I gave my reason and he appeared to understand it. Then he said that any store has a right to throw any customer out. He seems to be a more reasonable person than the store manager, who appears to be more concerned about exerting his absolute power like a dictator. I also sense that he is so concerned about his big ego that he is willing to drag down the corporate image of DirectBuy with it.

I told the security manager that he has to call the police to throw me out. I ignored all their orders and walked around the showroom. But needless to say, by that point, I was in no mood to examine any merchandise. I did that just to make a point that a customer has the right to walk around a showroom. I don't know if he called the police or not. I am not a lawyer. I don't know what the limit of my right is within their store, and I don't really want to go to court to find that out. So I left after I proved my point.

Most stores treat customers with respect and trust. We can walk around freely in the showroom of almost any store because the store trusts that we would not do anything inappropriate. All DirectBuy needs to do is to inform visitors that it is not appropriate to look at the confidential pricing information during the visit, and almost all of us would have complied. For the few who do not, a case can be made to kick them out. At DirectBuy, my wife and I were treated like thieves even before we have done anything they considered inappropriate. The so-called confidential pricing information (?) is just a poor excuse for a brute business practice. I frankly do not see what benefit DirectBuy could derive out of such a practice. That is why I am dumbfounded by DirectBuy's insistence that they had acted properly when I complained about this instance to the corporate headquarters.

We do not know who is responsible for this matter, but were are not happy with services, we have not use any benefits and we want to cancel the account. We signed a contract on 4/30/08. We knew we had three days to cancel, but we did not received our account confirmation until May 2, 2008 at 3:57pm. Therefore, we did not have enough time to really see what direct buy was all about.

During the open house, we were told that we were going to save money by shopping direct, but when we actually had the opportunity to check the prices and compare we were not going to be able to save any money because their prices were higher than what it was outside on the stores. Then the delivery process was long - it would take up to 16 weeks for merchandise to be delivered to their warehouse and then we have to arrange to pick it up from there. So we would have to pay two delivery charges. Thank you for your help.

The charge for this was $6,000 of which I paid $2,500.00 and never got anything thru them. I am retired and it is a personal hardship and they will not release me from the contract.

I was shocked when I saw the membership price for the first 2 years and asked if I could think about it. The escort/salesman said no I had to make a decision now. I explained that I did not see this written anywhere and that if I had to decide now, then my answer is No. The escort got agitated with me stating that that information was posted and I should have been aware of this before coming in.

THe entire experience left me extremely angry at the escort/ salesman's tactics, high pressure pitch, and his attitude in the end. They offer fresh baked cookies, coffee, and lots of smiles, while in the store. They really lay it on thick. I will not go back due to the rudeness of the salesman and their outright dishonesty in their commercials and sales pitches.