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deanbrent

'Direct Buy' for building supplies

deanbrent
16 years ago

Has anyone signed on and used "Direct Buy" for supplies used in building a house. Such as flooring, lights, fans, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, tv's, etc? Direct Buy claim that you can save by buying through them who buy "direct" from the factory. (www.directbuy.com)

Comments (64)

  • susanka
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree with krislrob and nadienc. The DB hard sell is a total turnoff; other than that, it's all been fine.

    If you're a dimwit on Fridays, krislrob, I'll take Thursday. Hey, that's today! A great day for it, our house is just getting finished, I'm worn out!

  • allan44035
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    To support a business that has treated SO many customers poorly just because you get a good deal on some material possessions seems like a poor choice, that's all I'm saying.

  • susanka
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't "support" it. I've posted my honest reaction to it for others to judge for themselves, as have others posting here, without name-calling or unenlightening personal slams.

  • kateskouros
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i wouldn't walk into neiman's and PAY to shop. that's absurd.

  • deegw
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    From what I can tell, much of the dissatisfaction comes from how the individual Direct Buy stores are operated. A few are run well, most are not. They probably make most of their money on your sign up fee and don't care a wit if you actaully order anything. If you are truly interested, see if you can talk to others in your area who have signed up.

    Now I'll be waiting for the obligatory Direct Buy glowing "testimonial" from someone who posts on the same day they sign up on the GardenWeb!

  • rachelh
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Allan-
    Do you shop at Wal-Mart? They even treat their employees poorly. That's an intersting angle against DB though.

    Me and my husband tried to attend a seminar but although the invitation said it started at a certain time, it had actually started 5 minutes earlier so they wouldn't let us in because we had already "missed too much." We went understanding the system and big fee and sign tonight pitch. Something about all the negatives seemed like a challenge to me to prove that it does work. Unfortunately we didn't make it in and I have gotten lazy and am not interested anymore. But I do believe that if you are the right kind of shopper which apparently a few are, it can work.

  • susanka
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    kateskouros, laughing at myself. My degree is NOT in mathematics (or even arithmetic). If you bought double the sign-up fee and they took half of it off, of course you'd be no better off. We probably spent $50,000 at DB and figure we saved at least $25,000.

    One more thing: Ignore the MSRPs they show; they're ridiculous. You have to compare the DB price on what you're buying to what you could get it for at the best possible price somewhere else.

  • rbanks
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How much is the up-front fee?

  • fairegold
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've seen reports of $5000. And there is a time limit on it, and must be renewed, tho I am not sure what the annual maintenance fee on the membership is.

    Note again, that this is franchise operation, and fees and service will indeed vary by location.

    Also keep in mind that DB (or the old name that was sued out of existence, UCC) only has one product. They sell "memberships". They do not sell or service any products. You are allowed to buy product through them. But the only product that DB has is a membership.

  • susanka
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We signed an agreement, which I can't find right now. I know we agreed not to disclose prices; I don't think we agreed not to disclose the sign-up fee, but I'm not sure, so I don't want to say, just in case. If you're interested, I guess you'll have to suffer through their hard sell and find out. They'll tell you at the end of the sell. It was less than 5000 for us, but not by a tremendous amount. This covers three years, and the renewal fee after 3 years is negligible (at least this is the case in the branch we joined at).

    Please note we bought almost everything for a new custom house there; you would save less if you bought less, and if you are buying lower-end things you won't save as much if you buy high-end. We were not buying high-end though, in most cases.

    Hope this helps.

  • fairegold
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another great flaw... you cannot "tell" the brands or prices. DOes that give you a big red flag or what? Let's keep a secret. Honestly, any real business wants happy customers and the best advertising is by happy customers' word of mouth. But no, we have to sign an agreement with this company NOT to talk?

    And they do not carry any of the high-end price-protected pro-style appliances at any prices less than what you can already find, last time someone reported. (Probably at the risk of some horrible penalty.)

  • susanka
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    fairegold -- Yes, you're told you cannot tell prices, but I'm not sure there's an agreement not to tell the sign-up price, as I said. Of course it's a huge red flag, and there are others. The hard sell, as I have also said, is a complete turnoff. But IF you do your investigation about prices and IF you realize hard sell or soft sell, we're always being sold something, you can save money on purchases if you are building a house.

    'Nuff said from me on this subject. No more from me. I've been trying to give an honest appraisal of our experience but it just seems to inflame people. Fine. Don't buy from DB. The spirit of these forums is to try to help each other with decisions that have to be made, and that's what I hope we can all continue on doing.

  • beachgirlok
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I went through the presentation. Sign up fee was $3800, I believe. If you do decide to go through the presentation, have some items priced your best price for comparison, because they won't give you their prices unless you have prices to give them. For example, I priced doors, their doors were exactly the same price. Same thing with Mirage flooring (and they wouldn't give me their price unless I gave them mine first). When I priced kitchen appliances, they were going to save me $500 on my entire kitchen. And my price was delivered and installed. Their price did not include delivery nor installation - so actually, it would probably cost more. If you are buying a lot of furniture, I think they might save you a lot of money, because furniture has a high markup, but I'm not sure it would be $3800 worth, and I think it would be a lot more trouble, to pick up large items and do your own installation and/or assembly. They practically threw us out (i.e., "we're getting ready for our next presentation") because they could see that we had done some homework and they could see that a sale wasn't likely because we weren't saving money on anything we priced. And, we were told that if we didn't join that day we were banned forever from DirectBuy. I've been thrown out of better places. :) Okay, I'm over it now.

    Oh, but I forgot my favorite part. They planted a guy in the group presentation to say "Wow, that's incredible!" every so often. And they were talking about the unbelievable buy they offered on some type of golf shirts (I'm not a golfer, so I don't remember the brand), and promoting them as Christmas gifts, etc., and I asked the "incredibly" stupid question - but what if they don't fit? I was told that that had never happened before. I am so sure that no one has ever asked to return an item because it didn't fit.

    Anyway, my DH and I left starved (after 3 hours - but in their defense, they offered us Krispy Creme's and coffee) and we were bouncing off the walls with the sugar and caffeine, glad we had gone survived the presentation, because we really had been hoping it would work for us, and glad we didn't join.

  • krislrob
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm in SoCal and the fee to join was more than what is mentioned above. I just bought bedroom furniture and it is amazing the markup on furniture. I had priced it out at two other establishments previously to joining and it ended up saving me half after all was said and done. Granite counters are a very good value depending on what you buy. The kitchen that I have currently and just put granite in last summer would be about $3k less than what I spent with another granite guy who was the least expensive of the quotes I received. Same granite, same edge. Apples to apples.
    If I had've bought my windows and French Doors through DB, I would have saved several thousand dollars, but I couldn't wait for their bid.
    The other things that are amazingly marked up that we'll save on are toilets, bathtubs, lighting fixtures.
    Our DB doesn't carry the appliances I was looking for and the savings on those are marginal, which they tell you about at the get go. The customer service at my DB has been great, the people are helpful and they're friendly.
    It's not for everyone and you have to shop it out ~~ just like anything you purchase.
    I think we have to pay a nominal fee per year after the joining fee.
    I can't stand their sales tactics for joining. I had the experience of not being allowed to come without my DH. I held back the eye rolling at their meeting. Cornball stuff. I just wanted to get the answers to make a decision. Not knowing what brands they carry makes it hard to make a apples to apples decision at the time, but we were able to compare a few things I did have the prices on. Since we joined, despite our initial cynicism, it has been fine......

  • niebry
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I keep hearing people claim that they can save money on furniture purchases. The Direct Buy price is definitely lower than what you can get the same item for shopping retail, but then you have to factor in the shipping charge (8-9%) and then the ridiculous Direct Buy handling fee (8% for them to open the box and inspect the item). Now you've tacked on almost 18% onto the Direct Buy price and you still have to arrange to pick the furniture up yourself.

    In case some people aren't aware of this, most furniture stores will allow you to negotiate the sales price. Walk into a store you like and tell them you'd be willing to make multiple purchases from them if they'll knock a certain percentage off of the sales price. I did this last year and the sales person told me that he'd not only give me the price I wanted on a kitchen table (knocking over $400 off the price they had on table/chairs to beat the price that Costco had) but that he'd give me 20% off of all future purchases as well. Now I can walk into the store, ask for sales person X and save. Furniture mark-up is crazy.... sometimes as much as 50-60%.

    My father in law is a wizard when it comes to talking to salespeople. He never pays retail prices, even in retail stores. He's made so many contacts and saved thousands of dollars on purchases. Stereo equipment, furniture, tools, salon products, even rental cars.... he never pays the listed price.

  • brutuses
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you disclose the prices, what happens? Does DB put you in jail? I'm so glad the kid was rude to me in the beginning and I realized this company was not professional and were only interested in how many suckers they could pull in.

    I didn't realize what a hassle it is to buy through them. You actually have to pick up your furniture from them? That's crazy. Not worth it to me.

  • tony20009
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    DirectBuy can be a good thing for some people and the wrong thing for others. In short, if you have a Wal-Mart budget and Macy's taste, DB may be a good value for you, especially if you have to fix-up and furnish your whole house. For all other folks, you need DirctBuy about as much as you need a case of anthrax. That said, below in detail are some observations from my experience in dealing with DB.

    Before you even contact DB, do your homework as follows, and I'm going to lay this out in a step-by-step fashion...

    1 - Do your research on the web and via the telephone to figure out just what appliances, cabinetry, floors/flooring, counter tops, faucets, sinks, small appliances, furniture, fixtures, appointments and so on that you want to get. Be sure to have model numbers, brand names and manufacturer names (which may not be the same as the brand name in some cases) and prices. Also collect this information for your second and third choice options because if you are like me, at the right price, even the third choice option will be just fine. (If you are buying cabinets, be sure to really know the construction methods that are used and what your desired cabinets will and won't have in that regard -- materials -- what's the thickness of the wood/stone/metal, what wood is used, is it solid or veneer, assembly methods, reinforcing techniques, etc.)

    2 - Determine your cost for delivery, installation and whatever else it'll take to get the stuff installed and operating.

    3 - Call DirectBuy and make an appointment for the earliest session they offer on any given day. You'll want this early slot so you'll have time to perform step 5 below.

    4 - Go to the session and sit through the dog-and-pony show. Take your notes and figures with you. Hopefully you have this stuff arranged in a printed spreadsheet.

    5 - After the "spiel," go to the catalogs there and compare the prices they offer with those you found. Write it down on your spreadsheet, add it all up and see what you will save.

    6 - Add in the cost of DirectBuy's handling fee and any other fees and surcharges they may have. (8% on most items but not on major appliances)

    7 - Join if you'll save more than you'll pay. Don't join if you won't. For those who don't know, the membership at DirectBuy is currently $6,200 (June 2007 in Washington, DC area).

    I did this to check whether I'd save anything on my kitchen appliances, counters, and cabinets. In my case, I found that Blue Star is not available through Direct Buy. Wolf, Gaggenau, Thermador and several other nice brands are available through them and the pricing is shown in the catalog, but you have to ask for the catalog that covers the high-end appliances. Because I'm doing upper end cabinets, however, DirectBuy was not a good deal for me in the end. That is in large part because I want cabinets, flooring, and appliances and accessories that all are what might be called high-end. At DirectBuy, I could only get the appliances (not including the range) and the accessories that I wanted. (I'd have gone with Wolf rather than Blue Star were I to have joined DirectBuy.)

    The cabinet lines they offered don't have the construction features I wanted and they weren't quite as high style (SieMatic/Poggenpohl) as I prefer, but were the construction quality there, I could have modified my choices a bit and even done something Mission or Shaker styled if necessary, those styles being my alternative choices IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT ENOUGH. (If I could find all wood cabinetry with high quality construction in a say Shaker style for half the price of the SieMatics, I'd have gone that way.)

    Notwithstanding that most of stuff they have is geared toward the lower end to mid-range, they nonetheless have very decent prices on some desirable stuff: GE Monogram, Kohler and Franke, their own line of granite countertops (I didn't check the thickness of the granite as by that point I was fairly certain I wasn't going to join) and some others. Also, I found that were I to have bought the applicances through DirectBuy, I'd have definitely saved a meaningful sum ($1,500 for range, faucets and sinks and $20 per sq. ft for counters) by doing so, but the appliances alone won't justify the membership fee unless you have a lot of kitchens and baths to outfit.

    I helped a friend do the research for his kitchen and when he went, it turned out that even after paying the membership fee and the handling fees and the sales taxes, he was still saving over $12,000. Then again, he'd dropped the bulk of his funds into buying the home (a fixer upper in a very chic location), so he was just looking for functional stuff to replace the barely working crap that came with the house rather than top of the line stuff. Also, he has to redo floors, ceilings, walls, light fixtures, just about everything...the only thing good about the building really was the actual structure itself.

    Broadly speaking, if you are already able to afford, and already do buy high-end stuff, you probably won't want to bother with DirectBuy as the variety of things they have that you want (unless you just really shop a hell of a lot for more basic things) is somewhat limited once you start looking at flooring and cabinetry options. Since that's where the majority of a remodel's cost sits, there's little point.

    I live in D.C. and when I went to DirectBuy, they spiel they gave used a sample family having a household income of $80,000. I assume therefore that that is about the income of their target customers in my area. Well, let me tell you, any family living in the D.C. area and having kids is just getting buy on and $80,000 household income. They aren't starving and have enough to begin some home improvement projects, but they aren't in any position to be lavish. I just offer this to provide a gauge of who may have some potential benefit from this approach to saving on their projects were they to go with DirectBuy.

    I've seen some folks complain about some of the sales methods at DB, such as both spouses having to be in attendance. Well, there is a reason for that. Given the household income of DB's target customers, no single spouse is likely going to commit to spending $6,200 for the privilege of buying things. So DB is just trying to eliminate the "I have to discuss it with my spouse" as an issue that can prevent them from closing the sale. And truthfully, I can't say I blame them for doing what they can to improve their chances of making the sale...it's their business after all and they are trying. I don't fault them for trying. We buyers mustn't forget that it's our responsibility to assess the merits of an offering.

    DirectBuy also states a policy of not allowing you to return to join at a later date. I'd guess the reason for that is because everyone would, after attending the first sales session, come back a second time fully armed with prices and specs for the stuff they want and be able to make an informed decision about whether to join. When I was there, I noticed that I was the only person who came with a pad and detailed specifications and notes about the things I wanted. The other attendees seemed to be there and checked just one or two things' prices. I spent 90 minutes checking everything on every item I wanted, in one case even, finding and pointing out to the DB folks that their catalog was out of date as the model number had changed on one item.

    After I checked for the stuff I was planning to buy in the next few weeks, I then checked for stuff I'd already bought and knew about. So though I wasn't in the market for furniture when I went there, I did look for some furniture brands I'd bought in the past couple years: Baker, Henredon and Bernhardt. I could not find any of those three lines in their catalogs, and as I have mostly Baker furniture in my home, I certainly wasn't interested in Pennsylvania House, which they did have. I looked for Rolex and Audemar's watches as those are the brands I and my family members have and didn't find them either. I didn't find any Patek Phillipe, Cartier or Breitling either. I looked for clothing lines I was familiar with and found none of the ones I like to buy. I looked too for Frette bed linens with no luck again.

    When I kept coming up empty on so many things, I asked about it. It was then that they confided to me that they really don't carry high-end stuff because, they claim, there isn't much markup on such items. I think that's not really the case outside the appliances and electronics industries. I think it's more a factor that folks buying that sort of stuff aren't going to put up with driving to some inconvenient location to sift through catalogs in order to save $200 (after the handling and delivery charges are added back in). say, on an $800 bed sheet. Indeed, when I spoke with the DB representative on the phone, I told her I wasn't keen on travelling to the other side of town to go to their showroom as I hadn't a single other reason to go to that area aside from the fact that it's on the way to my beach house. That said, were I able to save $3,000 or $4,000 on a new armoire and a similar proportion on sofas, end tables, and other furnishings, I'd consider it a good value and probably go there periodically. The fact that one must go to the DB facility to take delivery of most things isn't that big a problem -- call a local moving company (ideally a couple college kids trying to make some cash for the summer) and have them meet you there pick it up.

    One thing I did find odd is DB's policy regarding how you place orders through them. It made me wonder whether the order is actually placed in your name as a "partner" in DB. If that is the case, and I don't know that it is or isn't, you should be able to contact the manufacturer and arrange for delivery to your own location. Moreover, if that is the case, the sales tax that DirectBuy claims to charge you is in fact just profit in their pockets. If anyone here has actually joined DB, could you please share what names appear on your bill of lading and invoice? Are you permitted to see the purchase order issued to the supplier and if so, who is shown as the buyer? I wonder too whether the agreement one signs with DB states your status in the organization: member, partner, etc.

    If you use the approach I outlined above before going there, you won't need both spouses because you will have an objective basis for determining whether the value proposition is there for you. When I went there, they saw a wedding band on my finger and asked me if I'm married. I just told them no.

    Anyone should recognize that selling methodologies that prohibit disclosure of the selling price at the point of initial contact/inquiry several things:
    - The target audience for the product is low to middle income families
    - The primary products offered will appeal to the target audience, but there may be some, but far fewer, things that other market segments will appreciate
    - The price is "high" for the target audience
    - You are going to encounter the typical "strong-arm" closing tactics/questions, which DB plainly writes on a piece of paper for you.
    - You should not enter into the sales arena with the seller without empirical measures that will allow you to assess the relative merit of the seller's offering(s)

    Other products that use exactly the same marketing methodology as DB: products sold door-to-door such as encyclopedias and vacuums, automobiles, houses marketed to first time buyers.

  • dallasbill
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    tony20009... that's the best non-member expose of DB that I have ever read. Well done!

  • teresa_b
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Very interesting, Tony20009. I am hoping a DB member responds about the purchase order as a partner and the parties identified on the bill of lading and invoice. You raise such a good point about one should be able to get delivery to your own home.

    Teresa

  • niebry
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have never ordered from Direct Buy so I can't address Tony's question specifically. By the time we factored in shipping and the Direct Buy handling fee the items we were looking at weren't worth the effort. My belief is that DB is making a decent profit off of their 8% handling fee (DB charges you 8% of the total cost to unwrap and inspect the item). I'd be willing to bet that most of the time DB does just enough to make it look like they've opened the box to inspect your item.

    I have a huge problem with how DB handles their shipping. DB charges 8% (or a minimum of $90) to have your items shipped to their warehouse. We were told that our shipping charge could ultimately be less than the $90 minimum and they'd refund the difference. They also told us that they won't know how much it's going to cost us until the item arrived. They also said that for certain items we're going to have to pay more than 8%, but once again.... they can't give us an exact quote until the item arrives. How can they do business this way? We're required to pay for shipping but we won't be given an exact quote on how much it's going to cost until the item arrives? What if the cost of shipping is so outrageous that it's not worth purchasing the item in the fist place? What if I want to purchase a $200 suitcase.... they're requiring me to pay $90 to have it shipped to their warehouse and I may or may not recoup some of that cost? Uh, uh.... that's just wrong.

  • allan44035
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    And no I don't shop at Walmart for similar reasons.

  • zion.power
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Actually I have never been there but few of my friends went there and they said all the things like flooring, lights, fans, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, tv's, electric ovens, toaster etc. are very cheap. So, I think if they are satisfied then anyone canbe. I'm going to join them soon.

    cheers.

  • kateskouros
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    i don't see how anyone has a chance to consider their options carefully when you have to slap down $3800 (differs by location) on the spot or be told they are not allowed back in.

    and my husband doesn't make the purchasing decisions, i do. he's out working for the man... (or woman as the case may be.) imho, money is best spent elsewhere. it doesn't please me when little worms fresh out of high school try to back me into a corner. ...i don't think so.

  • margi6
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is for teresam_at ...I am currently researching Kitchen Cabinets and would love to know your ebay source. Can you please provide it to me? THANKS!
    Margi

  • kemptoncourt
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Margi,

    I have to weigh in on the cabinet source. ALS Home Solutions gave us a great quote on Haas Cabinetry. I don't want to post the entire quote for confidentiality in pricing but we're getting 31,000.00 of cabinetry for 10,000.00. There will be installation costs but we'll be much better off then had we hired a custom cabinet maker in town. As a rule I'd beware of buying cabinetry online. If it's not a name that's respected I would order small to start. Some of the RTA stuff out there is real junk.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Haas Cabinetry

  • kemptoncourt
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I don't have any experience with Direct Buy but from reading the posts I feel like they still fit the definition of middle man. If you're into convenience and the "one-stop-shop" it could be the way to go but why not at least make an attempt to really buy direct by going to the wholesaler. Below is a list of various links to vendors I've found to have very competitive prices. You have to weed through the junk for some of it but as a rule pricing is about as competitive as I've found.

    Hardwood Flooring (yes prefinished), Slate for back patio (and possibly foyer) and possibly stone surround for fireplace
    http://www.builddirect.com/

    Interior Doors
    http://www.goodvaluecenter.com/

    Cabinets
    http://www.alshomesolutions.com/Site/Templates/home.htm

    Lighting
    http://www.wegotlites.net/

    http://stores.ebay.com/Tiffany-Direct_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

    Sift Through....may be something you need
    http://www.homesurplus.com/

    Florida Tile Supplier
    http://www.floormania.com/laminate/index.php

    EBAY STORES

    OUTSTANDING APPLIACE DEALS:
    http://stores.ebay.com/Ad-Mark-Products_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZQ2d33QQftidZ2QQtZkm

    Chandeliers
    http://stores.ebay.com/Estate-Chandeliers_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

    Mouldings (better price locally?)
    http://stores.ebay.com/GlobalOne-Forest-Products-Inc_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

    Exterior Doors
    http://stores.ebay.com/Grand-Entrance-Doors_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

    PreFab Fireplaces
    http://stores.ebay.com/ONLINE-DISCOUNT-FIREPLACE-OUTLET_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

    OUTSTANDING DEALS ON KOHLER PRODUCTS
    http://stores.ebay.com/QuikDrop-Georgia-Suwanee_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm

  • woodinvirginia
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Anything they advertise on the Cable chanels over & over again to the point of ad-nauseum .Always ends up being a SCAM I don't care inf its male enhancement, or satellite Internet,repetitive ads during on the TV tell me they are looking for MORE & MORE customers to REPLACE the ones that got hip & left them. Wish they would make the Cable companies & Satellite TV companies have more TRUTH in their advertising policies.

  • dona0
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My friends joined DB for about $5000, they then had to drive all over the city to look at everything then go back to each place to pick all the stuff up, even carpet and pay the DB handling charge. It took them weeks. they never recouped their initial down payment. So they priced everything for us, we got all of our kohler products cheaper from our local plumber, carpet and flooring were also cheaper just buy price shopping. They also did not carry any of the appliances we picked. And for the furniture, it was cheaper to fly to North Carolina, and have it shipped then at direct buy.

  • worthy
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    DB doesn't take kindly to criticism. Keep posting negative reviews on Direct Buy and you'll get a lawyer's letter.

  • nacnac
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My wife and I went to the DB sales pitch and fell for it.
    We signed up that night and were going to bring back a check for $5000 in two days. When we got home, we read the contract and couldn't believe what was in it. More specifically, what they left out of the sales pitch. They
    neve told us aout the 8% handling fee on everything.
    They also left out the part about not being able to return
    anything. And the best part, they didn't tell us that
    after you order something, the price could change up to
    like 10% and you'll be billed the extra amount when you
    pick it up. That was a deal breaker for me. How could
    you be charged more after you're given a price and pay
    for something? I couldn't believe it.
    We found one of the many DB bashing sites on the web
    and starting reading what other people had to say about
    the extra charges and no refunds. Apparently, we weren't
    the only people who felt how we did. We went in the next
    day and cancelled our contract. We had three days to back
    out but we didn't want to take any chances. As far as I'm
    concerned it the best decision we ever made. I'm especially glad that we didn't give the guy a post-dated check like he wanted. After I said no to the post-dated
    check he said how a $100 down? Talk about high pressure.
    I think I can understand how people get sucked into bad
    timeshares. I was so excited about joining after the sales
    pitch. I'm glad we home and actually read the entire
    contract. My advice, buyer beware.

  • elleh
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I was interested in joining DB. But trying to get a time where both husband and I could attend was not working. They called 4 times to set up an appt. The first time I was on the phone I told the woman that I couldn't make it at all the following week due to traveling out of town. She kept suggested an appt for that very same week and I finally snapped at her reminding her that I had told her I couldn't make it that week. Whenever they called to try to schedule an appt, I would ask if I could call them back with a time that was good for both husband and me but I was always told that they did not have a contact number for me to get in touch with them....there went my interest. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

  • Ron Natalie
    16 years ago

    I had the hard sell by Direct Buy's predecessor in our area UCC. Frankly the "Pay the outrageous fee or go away forever" tactic won't work on me. I walked. I did dig through their "books" and the few items I knew what the REAL deep discount prices outside of UCC were were not priced at any great bargain (even before you add all the UCC additional gouge).

  • sierraeast
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Even their commercial is a joke. A bathroom remodel that would come in at 10,000.00 costing 3000.00. Seems to me they forgot to include th 4500.00 fee bringing the total up to 7500.00.

  • Ron Natalie
    16 years ago

    To add to kemptoncourt's list, faucet.com typically does 40% off retail (which is really like 20% off Home Depot price) on most of the plumbing stuff.

  • crazy88
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have worked for a Direct Buy, and here is what i have learned:
    -Unless you are going to buy A LOT, and i mean A LOT, of items, it will not be worth your time.
    -By the time you pay shipping, handling, etc..., you will have not saved any money.
    -Customer service is very poor due to lack of training. Many time i have seen them sit someone at a desk and say "get to work"
    -I have been cussed at many times because customer have found items for the same or less on the internet. You just have to research it.
    -INSPECT EVERYTHING, many times, with furniture, when it arrives damaged, they will just fix it themselves rather than making the mnfg send a new one.

    So please becareful and look for the prices online, print it, and compare!!!!

  • aidan_m
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You will find the best prices on anything by simply Googling the manufacturer and model #. Look at all the hits- one will have the best price. I try to make all major purchases online, after doing the research and determining the exact product I want. Sales tax is not charged on most interstate internet orders. Some internet vendors charge too much for shipping and handling, but others throw it in free. I bet you I can find anything cheaper than Direct Buy- oh wait their prices are secret so I would have to be a member to find out!

  • cincinnatipatty
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have yet to re-coup our membership fee with Direct Buy Cincinnati! In building our house I have e-mailed DB quotes to electric, plumbing, appliances etc.. DB has yet to be the best prices!!! They have handling fees that end up making it not competitive! They even get their appliances thru the local distributor that most builders use, but SEARS beat them on Kitchenaid prices by thousands of $$$$s. Don't waste your money like we did, what a stupid mistake we admit that we made!!!

  • hoosierdoc
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We have a "Direct Plus" here in Indianapolis. Membership was free, and annual fees of $75 after this. Same discounts as direct buy but they place a 15% surchage on the order. We were able to get our lights for 5% cheaper than builder pricing, counter tops much cheaper. furniture is about 15% cheaper in the end than best price in the stores. It's the join fees that kill you, and then the surcharges. If you can find a retail club other than direct buy, go for it!

  • logic
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmm....shopping with Direct Buy means one has to pay an exorbitant fee to shop, have zero info on product cost unless I supply one, be bamboozled into signing up on site, precluding any research beforehand, and if I join, spend tons of time doing research to make sure I'm not getting ripped off, pay to pick up what I bought..and possibly pay extra to rent a truck to do so...be limited to what brands and models I can purchase...have no idea if they will be available when I want them...have no idea of true price or delivery cost until item arrives...

    And people actually do this???? Amazing.

  • meldy_nva
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yep, people do that.

    People also start building without knowing what they want (or will get) for flooring, carpeting, wall finishes, insulation, appliances, HVAC, kitchen cabinetry/counters, bathroom fixtures, etc. I find that equally amazing.

  • pecos_bill
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just found this wonderful thread after signing our contract with DirectBuy today. My cancellation will be submitted tomorrow in person.

    1. It was not clear in the presentation that the handling fee was a profit margin for DB nor did I scour enough to find how many mfrs had that fee.
    2. I don't recall any mention in the presentation that orders cannot be canceled even if not shipped. You can request it though. I wouldn't need this anyway.
    3. the kicker: THE ORDER PRICE IS NOT FINAL UNTIL RECEIVED (or after?) but there's no going back if it's different.

    As we are not contractually obligated to any kind of secrecy. The Denver area DB franchisee wants $4990 to join for three years which includes a $30 fee to extend membership out to a total 10 years at $199/yr.

    IF I had just bought a house and needed to fix it up, I might consider this option. More succinctly, presuming a 25% savings _in general_, you would have to spend $20,000 during the membership to just meet the cost of membership before savings actually begin!

  • garymunson-2008
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Has anyone else suspected a 'shill' in your DB presentation? There was one couple in our group who got into raving what a good deal the program was, engaging everyone in conversation about how much money they were going to save building their new house. I really wanted to call the couple on it but my wife made me leave it alone....

  • kompy
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I own and operate a kitchen cabinet dealership. My business parnter's cousin purchased a DB membership because they were building a new home. After pricing out her layouts, she was shocked that our builder pricing was less than DB. We discount 5% for builders. She ended up buying from us. She did buy a few vanities from DB...but they were pretty junky.

  • jemr
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Direct Buy definitely isn't for everybody.
    If you're shopping only for cheapest price & aren't concerned about brands or quality, it's not for you.
    If you only buy a few very specific brandnames and DB doesn't carry them, it's not for you.

    I read a lot of the negative comments about it online & most of them just confirmed that it would be a good deal for us.
    Since we're owner/builders and have to source a lot of things ourselves the membership fee wasn't a big deal - we made it back in the savings on our windows alone. (bought very high-end windows that wouldn't have been able to afford to look at otherwise).
    We have a very tight budget but expensive tastes so I don't know if we've saved tons of money with DB but we have been able to get much better quality than we could afford elsewhere.

    Keep in mind that they are franchises so the customer service & sales tactics can vary a lot between locations depending on the owner.

    Another thing that varies is the local merchants who are associated with DB. We're lucky enough to have lots of good ones at our location so have been able to take advantage of the design services at big lighting, plumbing & tile stores & a high-end local cabinet manufacturer while getting great discounts.
    We haven't bought everything through DB, it's just one more resource for us. I'm always on the look-out & have found some great deals at store close-out & moving sales.

    Another thing to consider is that if they carry manufacturers you like, you have each company's entire line to pick from, not just the best-selling items that the stores carry. That's important for us because our tastes don't always coincide with what's most popular in our local stores.

    It doesn't make sense for everyone, and it depends on what your local showroom is like, but I have no regrets about joining.

    After reading some of the responses, I don't know why people get so worked up about a company they have chosen not to deal with. If it makes sense for you to join, that's great; if not, don't join but why get so incensed about those who do?

  • bdpeck-charlotte
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's not about being angry at DirectBuy, it's about truth in advertising. They say they save you 50% off retail, and that's just not true. They save 50% of MSRP, the List Price Book they show you... but that's not retail. Retail for HD and Lowe's is actually close to 40% of MSRP.

    Specifically, our friend works for American Standard, we have their MSRP book, and she let us know what HD and Lowe's buys them for and what they sell items at for retail. And DirectBuy was more expensive than those box stores. Furthermore, if you Google the item numbers, you can find prices from small distributors that beat the box stores.

    Maybe you got a deal on your windows, maybe you got a better price on cabinets and tile than you expected, but we just finished our OB project, and DirectBuy couldn't save me a dime over the internet and local shops.

    If you do your homework before you go to their "open house", you'll find that their prices can be found elsewhere, or beat altogether.

  • brutuses
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a philosophy and think anything is a scam if you have to pay money up front to save money. That in itself doesn't make logical sense.

  • hanejo
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is my db experience.
    At first very frustrated with the process of finding item and pricing.
    Someone who was a member finally help us understand how to best use db. We have been members now for six years with great success.
    Here are some examples of the savings we experienced.
    Our membership was 5k.
    The best price I could get on exactly the same cabinets from the same company that db used , was 15k, rounded to a hundred dollars, direct buy price 7800.00 handling included , add 450.00 for shipping to my residents , as I am three hours from db. So 6750.00 savings. Membership paid.
    After that appliances for same home build, stove , laundry, fridge, dishwasher, all priced in comparison to the major discount retailers, total savings 3200.00. Recent purchase was a large wall unit , Internet priced at 6400, bought at direct buy for 2300, all in.
    We have over the years bought beds, blinds, electronics, furniture, plumbing supplies , carpet, and decorative wall art. All was at a significant savings, so I fail to see all the negative about db. Having said that I have found some electronics cheaper else where, but why would I spend time running around or surfing the net endlessly, when a simple price check from a few places to confirm the savings.
    The thing I had to remember tho with db is they are not sales and service people, you are now the wholesaler, and need to be prepared to handle challenges yourself.
    Their website is helpful for shopping but could be much better, all in time.
    But still very happy we stayed in our membership

  • Terri
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    hanejo, we joined 6 months ago in preparation for a gut remodel and so far I'm very frustrated. I'd love to hear more tips from you on how to use db. Like you we are 3 hours away from our store so everything needs to be done online. And I agree, while their website could really use an overhaul it's not unusable.

    I do know the one Toto toilet I've purchase so far I did save almost $200. But that the only thing so far I've been able to find savings on. I've thought several times that maybe I just don't know how to utilize db to it's potential. Thanks!

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We went to db before we started to build and decided the $5k up front was ridiculous and it would take a lot to save that much in all our purchases, esp since we still had to do all the legwork and they would make absolutely no guarantee of minimum savings or any savings at all. They would not even guarantee you wholesale prices or anything else. There were no quantity discounts through any attempt to combine purchases from their customers or anything else.

    I figured that I could save $5k right off the top by not using them and using the information available on the internet to price shop and get good deals. After all, ebay is free.