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rockrisley

Brookwood cabinets from DirectBuy anyone?

rockrisley
14 years ago

Neighbor went to DirectBuy and just texted me to ask if I know anything about Brookwood or Brookline cabinets? I personally have not heard of them. Anyone know anything positive or negative? Thanks.

Comments (97)

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    To live wire: yes, DB is actually marking up from true wholesale cost. The actual wholesale price sheets/books are in the showroom that show MSRP (which no one pays but a moron and DB says so right up front and then any other price points are shown plus the actual cost of the item paid by the retailer (if you are in the consumer products retail biz you will know exactly what price books/lists I'm referring to). Of course some manufacturers give "special incentives and rebates to the wholesalers and retailers to promote various products but DB passes those right on to the customer. Many items I have purchased at the published wholesale cost (or some call it minimum allowable sales price) from the manufacturers price book and then received an additional discount or a very sizable rebate either applied directly to my account immediately or as a check mailed to me later depending on the manufacturers rules. As much as it pains you to accept this, they are not scamming their customers. People join for the wrong reasons and when they don't buy enough to get their money back or are only interested in appliances or low end or other low margin products then they get upset and file complaints and such. I can only speak for the DB in Mountain View, CA but the salespeople were very upfront with us about whether the kinds of projects we had coming up and the type of items we generally purchased would make sense with a DB membership. For us it was a great fit. For people who come in thinking they are going to join a magic club that will get them everything at cost without paying a fee to the retailer (which is what the DB membership charge is) then they are naive and quickly disenchanted. Our DB never pressured us to join, they gave us hours to discuss and calculate and look through their manufacturers price books to determine if it made sense for us and let us choose.

    Best advice to anyone going in for the sales presentation is bring your iPad or laptop and plan to spend a couple hours googling internet pricing and comparing it to DB pricing and think for yourself. (Nationalbuildersupply. com, build.com, overstock.com, amazon.com, pricegrabber.com and other shopping sites give you easy access to best internet pricing for quick comparisons). And BTW, they tell you right up front that appliances are a low margin product and that you will save very little through DB on appliances (I ended up purchasing mine elsewhere as they don't carry sub zero, Viking or Monogram and I preferred the full service shopping experience of buying through a traditional retailer).

    The model works for DB because they make money by selling memberships (their 4-8% markup only covers the order processing costs). Yes, we members realize they will only stay in business if they keep selling memberships but most of us join when we are building or remodeling a large part of our house or have several very expensive purchases to make so it makes sense for us to join because we know will recoup our costs in the first 2 years generally and everything after that is gravy on our DB taters!
  • funkycamper
    8 years ago

    I agree, kompy. We were contacted by Direct Buy several years ago. I half-considered going to get the prize for attending but just the high-pressure pitch on the phone totally turned me off. And then I also remembered that we had attended a time-share presentation years ago and the prize for attending was no real prize (the fee to activate the prize, "free" travel, was about the same as to purchase it in the first place). Reputable businesses and their staff don't use pressure to make a sale.

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    BTW- easy to save $3K on a large bathroom vanity when you include upper and lower cabinets, fancy sinks, marble/stone/Quartz counters, high end plumbing and lighting fixtures, towel racks and mirrors. If you like Home Depot vanities and fixtures (and nothing at all wrong with that) don't bother joining.
  • xedos
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Um lucy - that's not a vanity. That's a whole bath remodel - not what Tommy said at all.

    How many "vanities" have upper cabinets ??? Medicine cabinet yes. But then, that's not really high end these days even if you buy a $$$$ Robern.

    Tell me these "high end " plumbing fixtures and the supposed savings - We've carried most of them over the years - franke, kwc, axor, dorn bracht, phylrich, rohl, vola - and a seller can't afford to offer a discount on any of them.

    I like bath vanities from Bulthaup and SieMatic cabinetry - what kind of "discount" can I get on those lucy ? I like Blue Bahia tops - how much is your club charging per sq. ft. installed ??? To make it easy for you I like a pair 18" 3 drawer bases flanking a 24" sink base - so 10 sq. ft of counter. I like kohler's K-2883 round sink in white or K-2361-B11 in glass if I' adding undermount lighting for a nitelight.

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    Can't say cuz shopping and telling is prohibited. Oh, by the way no installs through DB. Gotta hire your own.

    DB already collected their "mark up" from selling memberships so they can afford to discount any and everything - all the way down to cost plus 8% to cover paying their order entry and receiving guys and gals that have a little work to do when members place an order. Plus they don't offer free returns, free delivery, or a fancy showroom with a bunch of salespeople so their cost to operate is way less to start with. Bad for some folks -but great for peeps who know what they want/need and don't need much handholding.
  • xedos
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    " shopping and telling is prohibited"

    we all saw that one coming -Some savings - me moving a 300+ lb. marble top from your store - delivery is not handholding. It's basic procedure.

    "peeps who know" - That pretty much tells everyone all they need to make an informed decision about a club.

  • funkycamper
    8 years ago

    Reading reviews where people can't get the items they want because DB has a limited selection, and about the super-long wait times for item delivery, and high shipping/handling fees, and if they can get what they want, they can get it cheaper elsewhere tells me all I need to know.

    Maybe DB is fine for those who are too lazy to shop around for prices and who really believe the rest of us are paying full MSRP for items.

    I know what I want and need and don't need any hand holding. I usually find that I've researched so well before purchasing that I know more than the sales staff anyway.



  • muskokascp
    8 years ago

    I know what I want too, and I'm a good shopper also researching things to death. If I can get what I want from DB, then I buy it from them because it is always cheaper from them, but if they don't have the item I want, then I buy it elsewhere. For goodness sake, DB does not hold itself out to carry every brand and item known to man, but many times I can find what I want from them and the price is good.

    I'm not a "troll" and not affiliated with DB. There is a lot of DB bashing that goes on here, and as a member, my experiences have been good and my savings substantial enough for my husband and I to continue with our membership.


  • xedos
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago
    • Come on funky, drink some of the kool - aid , it tastes great and is less filing. There's also an opportunity for weight loss by emptying your wallet.

    • musko , we're truly happy for you, it's just that the economics don't work for the majority of people.

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    That's so funny! Where else can you find a huge selection with thousands of manufacturers of all types of furniture, plumbing and electrical fixtures, hardwood flooring, carpet, window blinds, patio furniture, built in BBQ's, electronics, doors, windows, hardware, cabinets, and more under one roof. No where. No Web-store even sells that array of products. And yet you complain about product selection- funny!! They carried every name brand I was looking for except Anderson windows, and a few furniture/rug/lighting manufacturers that will only sell to designers (which can't be bought anywhere online or from a retail store anyway so no loss for the consumer on those). I never found an online price better for any items I bought and I searched the Internet for everything before I purchased. Some savings were modest, most savings very substantial but all items were less. If you don't need much help selecting your products then DB might just be your dream store- assuming you've got lots to buy!!
  • xedos
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Homedepot and they carry Anderson windows too !

    Certainly you can see why most of us won't simply take your word that these things are available and are cheaper. You always run and hide behind the threat of the DB high inquisitors putting you in thumb screws if you tells us what and how much.

    Let me reframe your argument about the DB sales being good for manufacturers. If sales are so plentiful, then DB would want to shout to the heavens that they'd reinvented the sales wheel . This wild draw no complaints from manufs. because more sales is good for them too. Consumers would be saving money hand over fist and DB's owners get richer . You know- ra ra , win win, everyone's happy.

    Fact is , this scheme doesn't work for most people , nor is it sustainable. Count yourself lucky that it works for you. You're a VERY slim minority.

    And........either you deal in high end or you don't . Which is it? Saying something high end doesn't make it so. High end brands OFTEN are not available online , only from designer or select outlets . So, if DB doesn't carry them , then that mythical savings is even less .

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    Musko- hope you didn't think I was calling you a troll... I'm a very happy 2 year DB member and in total agreement with you! It's so funny how DB members will readily admit that membership is not right for everyone (if you don't have a lot to buy, just want the cheapest made merchandise you can find or you need a lot of handholding to select what you need it's not a good fit), but DB haters who troll the Internet sites will insist that it's a scam, everyone is getting ripped off, and that there is some hidden evil lurking in the DB membership model. Perhaps they are just angry retailers that can't accept that not everyone needs a fancy showroom and shopping help that is reflected in the prices they charge. Come on xedos... it's called co-existence and it can be fun!!

    Sorry xedos- can't outfit your house with high quality furniture or buy any high end fixtures at Home Depot. Can you get your Franke, Axor, Rohl and other fancy stuff you mentioned there? I think not. That's funny though!
  • autumn.4
    8 years ago

    lucy-you described a bathroom - not a bathroom vanity. That was not how I read the above posters statement of savings. Of course with a whole bathroom including plumbing you could reach a savings total of $3k. I am not a 'hater'. I could care less if someone joins and it works for them. I was commenting specifically on saving $3k on a vanity. Nothing more, nothing less.

  • _sophiewheeler
    8 years ago

    Actually, yes you can get Axor at Home Depot and Franke and Rohl at Lowes. And all of those at ProSource or Falk, cheaper.

    I guess DB is operating as a non profit with only enough margins to pay for the real estate and lights. Must be staffed by volunteers. I must have missed them forming a 501 c3.

  • xedos
    8 years ago

    Now you've really gone and stepped in it.


    Axor - and the ENTIRE line can be ordered at any store in the country without special handling fees !


    Rhol faucets at the depot

    Franke too !

    And, I'm not a retailer, nor in sales.

    I also haven't seen anyone round here that starts threads just to dump on DB.

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago
    Sorry, didn't buy any of those brands so never checked it out, but if DB carries it I'd guarantee it would be less.

    Sophie- they profit from selling memberships (think of it as prepaid markup if that makes it easier to understand). Upside for buyers is they can buy many tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise and the prepaid markup becomes a smaller and smaller fraction of their purchases and far far less than they would pay elsewhere or online. Works fabulously for many whole house remodelers.

    Never heard of prosource so I just checked it out online. None of the products I bought show up on their site. Oh wait, maybe you have to become a "member" to see all they offer. Sounds familiar.
  • hvsteve1
    8 years ago

    I think DB has changed in recent years. They are now pretty much on-line sales. They have closed most of the showrooms around the country and have only a handful in metropolitan areas. In upstate NY there was one in our community. When I moved to Tennessee there were two within about an hour. First one, then the other, disappeared leaving one two hours away. Now that's gone. We are members for more than ten years. We are used to going to the showroom and pulling out a pile of big loose-leaf catalogs and spending hours going through them. Now we go on line and, when we go to some brands, find five or ten items listed where there used to be hundreds of printed pages. We did a big kitchen remodel up north and a fancy bathroom down south and saved more than enough to be happy with what we spent on membership (at a much lower price than recent years) however, we belated renewed last year and haven't found anything to purchase. We plan on doing a kitchen but can't find the selection of high-end products we want and no longer have an in-house designer to work with as in the past. I really don't think DB is long for this world, especially as I don't think they are signing up new members as THAT was the main purpose of having the showrooms...as sales floors for membership recruitment more so than a place to shop for members. I can see them eventually becoming just another on line retailer with members consisting of those who have signed up prior to the last year or two and willing to keep paying two or three hundred dollars to renew. Who knows, they may even drop the membership requirement.

  • funkycamper
    8 years ago

    Ahem, Lucy, most of us commenting are here in the Kitchen forum a lot. Some of us kitchen addicts are here almost daily. Nobody went trolling around the internet to bash DB. Somebody trolled in here to praise it.

  • bry911
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The problem that so many people have with Directbuy is that it is essentially a pyramid scheme. The business model doesn't even make any sense, for the life of me I can't figure out how they stayed in business as long as they have. The business requires new members in order to continue going, renewals don't supply nearly enough funds. Any business model predicated on constantly signing up new members at a huge cost is going to struggle eventually, and they are. After getting their bonds downgraded to junk bond range a few years ago they defaulted and had to restructure.

    Lets look at the assertions.

    There is no way they are getting the same prices as Lowes or Home Depot. Economies of Scale are simply too powerful, those places simply have more bargaining power because of the numbers in their customer base.

    So Directbuy's only possible source of savings is the often quoted "no retail stores." But we can find other chains with the same warehouse model to see if a few stores are more efficient than a lot of stores. We know that both Lowes and Home Depot have a 34.7% gross profit (sales - cost of inventory) and Lowes makes about 5% while Home Depot makes 7.6% profit. Lets compare that to Ikea who had a 44% gross profit to get a bit over 5% profit. While not conclusive it is evidence that the extra costs for retail outlets are easily covered by better pricing from manufacturers.

    Given these two things, which are true, and are exactly like we expect to see. The only profit vehicle left which can still see members actually getting savings is memberships. In other words for everyone who saves money by enrolling with Directbuy another member must lose money, if the business plans to remain profitable, or new membership sales and renewals must be enough to fund the profit.

    There is only two reason to use the big enrollment fee instead of annual payment type memberships, (1) a get rich quick scheme, (2) to fund unsustainable capital growth. Neither of which make DB a good company.

  • _sophiewheeler
    8 years ago

    A $25 administrative fee once is not even Costco level. It surely doesn't approach DB's overpriced hype.

  • Tracy Fritzler
    8 years ago

    oh good grief...how can I remove myself from this convo???? The string is about whether or not anyone had ever heard of Brookwood Cabinets and if so, their experience. It was never intended for those that do not like DB or the concept to get on here and bash the hell out of those that are SATISFIED MEMBERS!!! WE DON'T CARE WHETHER OR NOT YOU LIKE DB OR THE CONCEPT. WE DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK OF THOSE OF US THAT JOINED AND ARE SATISFIED. UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO CONTRIBUTE REGARDING WHAT?! OH YEAH BROOKWOOD CABINETS PLEASE MOVE ON!

  • Tracy Fritzler
    8 years ago

    As for praises for DB: I asked specifically about purchasing Brookwood Cabinets from DB a few months ago and received some honest information from a member regarding HER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE on her kitchen remodel. Where do people get off trying to dissect her experience and prove her wrong...since the remark was made about most of you being kitchen addicts on the kitchen forum daily then you do know there are many other convos going on in the forum where YOUR experiences and expertise might be appreciated. It isn't here! Now quit clogging up my mailbox with idle BS about DB as that isn't even what this forum is TRULY ABOUT.

  • bry911
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    First, learn how to unsubscribe from email alerts if you don't want them. It is not rocket science.

    Second, you don't own the thread. You chose to resurrect a dead thread that had already drifted. Noting that the thread had already drifted, and would obviously continue to do so, then you should have started a new thread. Not only that, most of posts since 2012 were really just about Directbuy and little to do with the cabinets.

    Next, these things are not just for your consumption. Someone considered a Direcbuy membership should be able to search and get information even here. So the idea that you yelling at us about how this wasn't helpful to you. Well Al Gore - after you invented the internet it kind of got picked up by other people and now, it isn't all about you...

    Finally, this forum is a community and this forum is TRULY ABOUT what the community wants it to be about. Have you ever thought that one of the reasons the kitchen forum is so active is because the thread drift is so interesting?

  • xedos
    8 years ago

    Tracey, I'm not sure you're qualified to comment on what the OP intended this conversation to be be about. They asked for comments both positive and negative !

    You might take your own advice and move on if the non koolaid drinkers aren't to your liking. But, they have as much right to be here and say their piece as you do. Don't recall you adding anything about Brookwood either. Oh, forgot you looked at them.

    In the DB catalog , or in person ? You didn't say, and you certainly didn't have anything to say about the construction or finish.

    And no one is bashing an individual that I can see.

  • funkycamper
    8 years ago

    Grow up. Conversations wander. I've never been on any forum where that doesn't happen. Look at the bottom of this web page. see the "Click to switch off notifications about new comments". Done. Good riddance.

  • xedos
    8 years ago

    There you go making sense again. KoolAid drinkers don't want to hear it.

    ...........now, back to our regularly sched. adrift thread.

  • Tracy Fritzler
    8 years ago

    no actually the thread was about Brookwood Cabinets and I've not seen any comments from xedos, funkycamper, bry911 about Brookwood Cabinets. I am still interested in Brookwood which is why I continued to follow the thread. Grow up? really...I think that those that take a home improvement forum thread AND turn it into something that likens to a FB political post are the ones that need to grow up. I am well aware of how to remove the email subscription. I had hoped I could follow it to learn more about Brookwood and less about YOUR opinions of DB. I knew my posts would get the typical chest beating responses...thanks. I'll go back to ignoring and deleting as I had been doing for the past few days...maybe someone with something interesting to say will post eventually.


  • bry911
    8 years ago

    Again....Start your own thread, instead of resurrecting one that had already drifted. If you want updated information on the cabinets, then don't pick a thread that is mostly about DB, regardless of what the title says.

    I still contend that one thing a person might want consider when buying cabinets is the likelihood the brand and company will be around to service or replace cabinets. Since DB has a going concern issue, the health of the company is important to whether or not you should buy a brand exclusive to the company.

    So since you want me to contribute to the discussion on Brookwood Cabinets, here you go. At this point there are serious doubts as to whether or not Db will remain solvent in the next few years and certainly a business model change has been signaled by the new owners. The future serviceability of the brand leaves a lot to be desired.

  • funkycamper
    8 years ago

    Don't yell at people two posts in a row and then you won't be called childish. If you don't want to discuss the DB issue, then you could have started a new thread about Brookwood. In fact, you still can.

  • Marilou Eby
    8 years ago

    Tracy, I think I promised to upload some photos of my Direct Buy kitchen that I saved many thousands on (vs. 4 cabinetry quotes from different custom cabinet vendors). We went with Crystal Cabinets (long time high quality U.S. cabinet company that will honor their lifetime cabinet warranty whether Direct Buy is in business or not). Could not be happier with my cabinets and the finish is absolutely amazing. (My photography does not do the kitchen justice either- much better in real life). Also did 3 bathrooms, an office and my laundry/mud room with Crystal cabinets through DB. Love every room! My last comment on Direct Buy - I think since each club is a franchise it's going to depend on who owns the local club and how good they are at running it (sales to new remodelers and customer service to members will be the ticket). I love my club and the people who work there are top notch. When I have an issue with anything I bought through them they are right on it and will get me replacement parts free of charge shipped right to me without a second thought (even when it's for stuff my kids broke). Hope they don't go out of business, but if they do I have already come out way way ahead on my membership.

  • PRO
    The Kitchen Place
    8 years ago

    Crystal is a higher end custom cabinet line. Brookwood aka Starmark is a builder grade to semi-custom category.

    Pretty kitchen, lucy....I considered being a dealer for Crystal at one time. Good company and reputation.

  • muskokascp
    8 years ago

    I do not know anything about Brookwood cabinets as we went with Cabico through DB. They also have a lifetime warranty on their cabinets regardless if DB is still around or not. They make a nice product, Canadian made. Pictures of my kitchen can be found on GW if you look. Our induction, hood, fridge drawers and dishwasher were all DB purchases as well.

  • Tracy Fritzler
    8 years ago

    thank you for the pics lucy! Very nice! Unfortunately my local club didn't survive. I went in to meet with in house designer, left a copy of my plans for her to work up some ideas for cabinetry throughout and the following week I received an email about the online shopping/design for my area. :( I have utilized the online design and am satisfied thus far. It's a very slow process for me bc we work out of town and have put the house on hold until after first of the year. Will keep you posted as we progress.

    thanks for the clarification of grade Kitchen Place. Any experience with Brookwood as a company ie: warranty issues, etc? I've tried to do some research online but haven't found much about the brand in reviews independent of their site.

    I will do some research on the Cabico muskoascp. I don't recall that brand. Of course the day I went into the club to meet with in-house designer I had A LOT of info thrown at me so I left feeling a bit overwhelmed which I'm sure happens during ALL phases of building a new home.

  • hvsteve1
    8 years ago

    We used Brookwood on both the kitchen and bath mentioned in my earlier post. Very nice stuff for the money and a lot cheaper at DB than any other cabinet retailer. It is semi-custom and we went with every optional bell and whistle on both jobs.

  • xedos
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Wow, you're tolerant of your local store , for which you paid $$$ to access , closing - but are intolerant of thread which you didn't start goes in a direction which you don't like ?

    That's rich.

    And when that bothers you , your solution is to scream at people and tell them to change what they are doing? That's just plain ol...........

    In a public forum you have to accept that there will be all kinds of viewpoints- even those you don't like and disagree with. You can certainly ask that people change their views or even tact, but you have no expectation that they will do so. NONE !
    Screaming at them is not a wise move either.

    I work on projects out of town often, and for clients who also live away from the project. They all run smoothly because the folks callin the shots know how things REALLY work ! That is not always the same thing as how they'd like the world to be either. And, they certainly don't put things on hold for three months because someone went out of business or there was a hiccup or a delay designing a kitchen.

    And......I don't see how you possibly know what the thread's orig. intent was since you weren't the original poster and joined the conversation five years after it started ! You're certainly entitled to your view on how it should unfold , but you have no control over it anymore than someone else participating. Live with it , or don't read it , or unsubscribe it, or block all the old posters -all things within your control that still allows others to express THEIR viewpoints and experience.

  • lzolton
    8 years ago

    We have been members with DB for 15 years during this time our home has flooded twice. During our first renovation we chose Omega cabinets and were extremely pleased with both the price and the top quality of the cabinets. We recently flooded again and had to re-do our kitchen. Our designer at DB steered us to Brookwood Cabinets as they were offering a discount. We chose Brookwood and I will say that although the cabinets are nice, I prefer the Omega Cabinets.

  • PRO
    Sea Ranch Abalone Bay
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I discovered this Brookwood thread here as we are preparing to update our kitchen and they are now on sale through DB.

    We have used DB to install wood flooring, rose quartz fire hearth, purchase large and small appliances. Savings from our first remodel paid for our membership many times over.

    We've used DB for various personal luxuries as well.

    And now we are ready to do it again- on our personal home. Knowing that -as with many other discount online shopping services- there are no returns... Of course I want to be sure the product is what I want & need.

    I'm also finding now (June 2016) the price savings of products may not be that significant when purchasing from deep discount vendors.

    The greater cost is in the wait time for products to arrive. But then again that varies as well.

    Knowing the DB system-- we are prepared for the wait and are able to set up a staging ground for products.

    Coming back to the original topic - cabinets from Brookwood: Here is what I've discovered:

    Youtube-

    Brookwood Cabinetry Visits Indianapolis DirectBuy

    StarMark Cabinetry's showroom in Sioux Falls. Ideas for your kitchen, bath & remodeling projects

    Product page

    StarMark Cabinetry is made by hand in America

    And because there are no refunds I was hoping to hear more of the quality of the cabinets or locate them in our area to see them in person.

    I look forward to more photos of projects done with Brookwood.

    As for being a member of DB:

    We too are long time DB members and have seen the changes over that time..including our neighborhood store moving down the road and then later closing.

    With the company moving more towards online services I've not had any difficulties. In fact I set my search filters for online purchase and then check for direct home deliveries.

  • Terry Johnstone
    7 years ago

    Just found out that after 10 years of membership and virtually all of the showrooms closing, DB is now doubling our annual membership fee from $150/year to over $300. Cutting service and raising prices. Not sure we will re-up.

  • sunshine3943
    7 years ago

    Just Installed off-white beaded inset Brookwood kitchen cabinets purchased from DB. Pros: a) 1/2 cost in comparison to custom inset cabinets sold through Rings End, equal or lesser cost in comparison to average stock cabinet lines (not inset) sold at Lowes or HD. b) new cabinets don't smell nearly as bad as my "stock" cabinets installed in prior home (Brookwood claims to be VOC compliant in CA and it seems to be the case). c) cabinet designer was very helpful and patient with multiple revisions we had to make to accommodate the odd space we had to work with. Located remotely (all local clubs have closed down within 6 hr driving range), it helped to work on the project on our time via email and phone instead of being tied to a tight appointment schedule at a showroom.
    Cons: there are a few quality craftsmanship issues - not all cabinets are built at perfect straight angles (need good installer!!!), shelves inside cabinets look like a low grade quality, two cabinets arrived damaged - with different color paint (!) covering scuffed corners. To give DB/Brookwood credit - exchanges were made rather quickly. Bottom line: you get what you pay for. May be we'll try Omega in our next kitchen.
    Agree with the posts saying that you save a lot on high end stuff with DB.

  • cpartist
    7 years ago

    Funny I just looked on DB and didn't see any high end products.

  • Kimberly Nelson
    5 years ago

    I have them and are very high grade.

  • PRO
    The Kitchen Place
    5 years ago

    DB is creepy. That's exactly what I implied 9 years ago when this thread started. LOL. Article from Dallas News - Nov. 2016


    This is a story about a creepy business gone bad that is now trying to go good.

    Do you remember DirectBuy?

    The company used to advertise in TV commercials as a members-only savings club for every kind of household item. You'd go to their showroom for a pitch and that's where the wackiness kicked in. If you didn't bring your spouse, you couldn't come in.

    If, after listening to the sales job, you decided not to buy a membership package right then and there (as high as $7,000), you were banned from coming back.

    If you bought and then found out that you couldn't buy what you wanted and the prices were not cheaper as promised, you couldn't get a refund.

    Lawsuits piled up. Consumer reviews were awful. I remember trying to interview franchise owners in 2010. They wouldn't talk to me. The PR guy for DirectBuy in Indiana didn't bother to answer all my questions.



    Yes, indeed. DirectBuy was a truly crummy company.

    Then the company disappeared. The TV ads stopped. The last of the 160 franchise stores, including one in Carrollton and another in Fort Worth, closed forever, leaving high-paying members angry and confused.


    Where did DirectBuy go?

    Answer: This month, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing $185 million in debts to the best-known home furnishing and supply companies in the world.

    Sounds like the final act of an old-line company that couldn't cut it anymore, right?

    Turns out, it may be the beginning of a new DirectBuy.


    Chapter 2

    I'll admit that I had to alter the course of this story. A crummy company filing bankruptcy? What's left to save?

    Turns out DirectBuy has quietly remade itself, as executives describe it, into an Amazon wannabe with "concierge customer service." No more 20,000-square-foot showroom stores. Everything is now online and mobile-ready.

    You want a certain sofa? You take a photo of it, and the new DirectBuy app recognizes the sofa and shows you their cheapest price. If it's not low enough, DB will drop even lower.

    Need a home decorator to come and help you? Sure. Got that, too. Live chat? Yep.

    The price for this service is $200 for a one-time initiation fee, and $40 a month in a one-year contract. That's thousands of dollars cheaper than the old cost that came with a three-year contract.

    DB also promises a refund if not happy within the first 90 days. That's a jolting change for the company's old ways, fighting to hold customers to their wacky restrictive contracts.

    DB claims 200,000 customers nationally. They now switch to the monthly subscription model when their contracts expire. Six years ago, my records show, DB had 10,000 customers in North Texas.

    Chief marketing officer Curt Hilliard says his mobile-ready company uses search tools to find the lowest price, including delivery charges.

    "We don't just meet the price," he promises. "We drop the price a guaranteed percentage."

    The bankruptcy establishes a "clean slate," says spokesman Mike Georgeff, the PR exec who was hard to pin down in the old days. Now he's pretty talkative about the future.

    The company expects to be acquired by its lenders who become the new owners, he says.

    "We can establish a clean slate for our future business and prosperity," Georgeff says.

    Be skeptical

    The company must prove itself as a reincarnated version of its old self, says Julie Baker, retired TCU professor of marketing.

    She checked out the older version years ago and realized the offerings were better suited for someone furnishing a house or doing a major renovation. Otherwise, initial costs to join were too steep to overcome.

    She told me this week that turning around a company with a bad customer service culture is very difficult.

    "For me, it just doesn't make sense, especially over the long term," she said. "I don't see how they can be profitable charging $40 a month. They have to make a profit on the furniture even if they say they are not. There are warning flags for me."

    Can the same company come back in a bigger and better way? I hope so.

    Remember, this is a story of a creepy business that's trying to reform. Certainly, we need more of that.


    Staff writer Marina Trahan Martinez contributed to this report.

    Check out The Watchdog on NBC5 at 11:20 a.m. Mondays, talking about matters important to you.

  • chrissyg243
    4 years ago

    I’ve been a DB customer for 13 years and am working on renovating my 4th home. Back in 2006 after spending 60K on kitchen cabinets alone at a local retail K&B store, we found DB. Our initial buy in was 5K with $168 annual guaranteed for 10 years. After that shocker of a price tag for kitchen cabinets I price compared for the next phase of the Reno, the guest bath. I saved over 7K on those cabinets alone. Also saved on the new bath tub, sink, faucet, toilet. And, the exact cabinet hardware that listed for $3.99 each at Lowe’s cost me $1.89 through DB. So, even with the added surcharges, I still saved a hefty amount. Not a single retailer offered me any discount at all (even for repeat business as I was cost comparing). Say all the negative things you want, DB has saved us thousands of dollars over the years.


  • Steve R
    4 years ago

    Sun of a gun! I thought they were long gone. I do get an occasional email offering travel services but that's it. We were pretty early members (nothing like 5K) and had a showroom near us in NY. We saved a lot on a high-end kitchen renovation. We moved to Tennessee and had another show room not too far away. We continued to shop and buy there but it eventually closed, along with most others. While the on line savings may still be as good, we just cannot shop for renovations on the internet. We never bought anything such as furniture that we could not see and touch. We did see all our cabinets, hardware, etc. in the showrooms. We spent more money at local retailers for the renovations in our new home but my wife also changed her mind several times on things such as flooring and tile. You can do that with samples in a showroom but not with what you ordered on line.


  • Shannon_WI
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hmm, since this thread first started in 2010, Direct Buy has gone through a bankruptcy, a couple of restructurings, been forced to close almost all of its 150+ showrooms leaving just a handful left, had a scathing review by Consumer Reports about the lack of price transparency which makes it difficult to know if you are saving anything more than if you shopped at any other furniture showroom, electronics store, with a flooring contractor, etc., and a lawsuit by the West Virginia Attorney General for deceptive and unlawful sales practices. Yet Direct Buy still desperately clinging on, and employing people like poster Chrissyg243 above (who may be a bot for all I know) to find old threads, and do a one-time post to promote this thing.

  • Brian Sheehan
    3 years ago

    We purchased these cabinets 13 years ago and they still look great. Very high quality for a high end house.

  • tapattee
    3 years ago

    We are still members of DB. We used them a lot the first few years on our membership and saved a lot of money. We did home flips and bought cabinets, flooring, tile, etc. The local tile company we bought from said we got better discounts than the contractors. Some items were great buys (i.e., bathroom fixtures, toilets, interior door handles) but things like appliances were cheaper at our local Airport Home Appliance and Home Depot. We just re-newed for one year since we are building a home. I'm hoping the savings still exists.

  • tuckerhenry
    2 months ago

    Is Directbuy stll in business? I bought Brookwood cabinets from them and LOVED them, Never a problem in 15 yrs (then I sold the house, but the cabinets looked the same as from the first day they were installed)

  • tuckerhenry
    2 months ago

    sunshine3943, did you wind up going with Omega cabinets the next time around?

  • tapattee
    2 months ago


    tuckerhenry - Directbuy is still in business. Their customer service is via email now. Last year, July 2023, their vendors were Fieldstone, Ultracraft, Norcraft and Timberlake. I made an appt at Home Depot and checked out the quality of some of the cabinetry that they also sold.