mkultra25 Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I've started seeing a lot of TV ads for DirectBuy, and this morning they also had an ad flyer in the Chronicle. For those who haven't seen them, it appears to be a members-only outfit specializing in home improvement materials/services which claims to "eliminate the middleman" and thus deliver pricing closer to wholesale than retail. So what's the real story with them? Are they something like a blend of Costco and Home Depot, or a MLM deal dependent on continual recruiting of new members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I've started seeing a lot of TV ads for DirectBuy, and this morning they also had an ad flyer in the Chronicle. For those who haven't seen them, it appears to be a members-only outfit specializing in home improvement materials/services which claims to "eliminate the middleman" and thus deliver pricing closer to wholesale than retail. So what's the real story with them? Are they something like a blend of Costco and Home Depot, or a MLM deal dependent on continual recruiting of new members?From what I've read on places like slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com it appears to be a MLM scam-ish type place....they pitch it to you, and then give you the chance to buy in.....if you leave without signing up then and there you'll never ever be able to sign up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stolitx Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 Try the BBB. I think they have information on them and other set-ups like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chamo Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 I'm a member.... It is not cheap, but if you buy a lot for your house, have no problem with limited amount of vendors and have patience to wait weeks for delivery, it is worth it.I have bought through them wood floors, gym equipment, a pool table, lots of furniture and electronics to say that my 10 year membership has paid for itself in the first 2 years since I became member.It is not for everybody, I repeat, you need to be a patiente shopper, but the savings are real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted October 21, 2007 Share Posted October 21, 2007 How much does it cost to join?flipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chamo Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 How much does it cost to join?flipperIt is something around $4500 for the first 3 years and then you pay an additional few hundred for the other 7 years. After that I thibk you go on a yearly basis for $100 or so.I estimate my savings in this 2 years I've been a member around $10k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I'm a member...Behold the power of HAIF! I love when people looking for something here find exactly the right person to answer their questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 From what I've read on places like slickdeals.net and fatwallet.com it appears to be a MLM scam-ish type place....they pitch it to you, and then give you the chance to buy in.....if you leave without signing up then and there you'll never ever be able to sign up again.I really hate that MLM and scam seem to be used so interchangeably. There are plenty of reputable MLMs out there that are the furthest thing from a scam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 How much does it cost to join?flipperWhen I went, it was $5400 for 3 years, and like $150 for each year afterwards.They pressure you like crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 $5K does not pass the sniff test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 $5K does not pass the sniff test.If the products are cheap and you are planning on furnishing a whole hour or twenty, it would definitely be worth it. When I get around to building mine, I will look in to it.I'd love to see the catalog so I can see what they offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webdude Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 doing a search on them yields countless complaints. Unsubstantiated, but certainly doesn't add much confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwilson Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 doing a search on them yields countless complaints. Unsubstantiated, but certainly doesn't add much confidence.There are tons of complaints against extremely reputable companies as well. So that doesn't really say much.That isn't to say that I don't think it is a scam. I'd just opt to see their selection and pricing and service before I made any determinations.I tried finding a copy of their catalog online, but I couldn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipper Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Good stuff: "10/11/2007 - David writes:I am a former employee of DirectBuy, and worked for about 4 hellish months in their Queens, NY call center. Another poster said the showroom is on Woodside Avenue, but it is actually on Queens Boulevard, about 1 mile west of the Queens Center Mall. I can verify for anyone who wants to listen that DirectBuy is a bad deal at best and a scam at the very worst. Call center reps are trained (and I use that word loosely) to call and re-call (up to four times daily) anyone who has responded to the t.v. ad or newspaper ads in order to 'tie them down' in the words of one of the owners to their 'appointment' for an 'open house'. Also, the high pressure and guilt-trip tactics used to qualify potential customers for an 'open house' are just plain nasty, rude and mean. I couldn't take working for such people any longer and while I worked there, I did what I could to dump records out of their system so as to keep these people who just thought they were gettign a brochure from getting an endless stream of calls and follow-up calls and confirmation calls and the like. Be careful folks -- if it seems too good to be true, it isn't. And yes, they want up to $5,000 up front for 5 to 7 years before you can start 'saving' the loads of money they promised you would. "dozens of satisfied customers! http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/direct_buy_scamsflipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 I was amazed to see that they are still around. I visited their showroom some 20 years ago. Paying money to save money just doesn't sound like a good deal to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeebus Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Michael Savage plugs Direct Buy on his show. That might help some out there cement their opinion of Direct Buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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