Those are questions I’ve asked myself over and over — practically every time I see the commercial for DirectBuy on TV.
Jim says we should try it. I’m more hesitant.
I know they offer a “free visitor’s pass” to familiarize you with their club. But I figure it’s more of a ploy to try & sell you a membership on the spot — and their membership fee is probably a few hundred dollars or something.
So I’ve been asking around…
Even though there’s a DirectBuy club near me, most people I’ve asked haven’t really considered visiting.
Only one contractor friend of ours knew much about it. He said, “It’s not worth it. I wouldn’t do it.” He knows a handful of people who have joined, and he made it sound like they didn’t get too many “great” deals. He said you can find better deals on your own — if you look.
But I recently heard from a reputable source a whole other take on DirectBuy. This one is a bit more controversial.
I found it quite interesting…
Another Take On DirectBuy
Steve Bass, an Internet and computer pro at PC World magazine recently posted an excellent summary of DirectBuy on his “Tips & Tweaks” blog.
He started out something like this: “I saved $4,300 because I had access to the Internet. How? I didn’t sign up for DirectBuy!”
That got my attention alright. To me, that said a membership at DirectBuy costs $4,300. Wow, I didn’t think it would be that much!
So, I read on.
Steve dug around on the Net — he actually did a lot of the legwork for people like you & me who are simply curious about the club. In the end, he found some pretty revealing articles that anyone considering a membership in DirectBuy might want to read first.
From Steve’s article…
Here’s a list of sites that talk about DirectBuy. Give them a look, then come to your own conclusions:
- Consumer Reports recently posted an article that’ll give you some insights into DirectBuy’s tactics; see “With DirectBuy, it will cost you a lot to save.“
- Askville by Amazon has ratings and reviews about DirectBuy.
- Ripoff Report also has product and company reviews. Here are the results from a search on Direct Buy.
Be sure to click on the links that Steve provided in his article as well!
But, it doesn’t stop there.
Apparently, DirectBuy sent a cease-and-desist letter to at least one site that wrote something bad about them. Then, a non-profit public interest organization stepped in. And things spun out of control from there.
Check out Steve’s links to those stories.
More About Direct Buy:
Their tagline is “DirectBuy… The #1 way to buy direct for your home.”
They have 130 private members-only showroom throughout North America.
Members have access to approximately 700 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in the U.S. and more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and authorized suppliers in Canada.
Members have the ability to custom-order furniture and cabinets, as well as arrange for delivery and installation.
There is no obligation associated with attending the Open House (the event that “free visitor’s pass” gets you into).
They ask for your decision (to join) on-the-spot at the end of the Open House event.
They keep the membership dues confidential until you attend an Open House “and take a good, honest look at what DirectBuy has to offer.”
Source: DirectBuy FAQs
People Are Talking About DirectBuy
For the most part, it appears that you ether love ’em or you hate ’em… A number of people seem quite satisfied with their DirectBuy memberships, while a lot of people obviously aren’t.
- DirectBuy Testimonials (…by region)
- The Ultra Secret Society Of Direct Buy
- Direct Buy Membership: A Consumer Report
- The Skinny On Direct Buy & Uniway Memberships
- Video: Direct Buy Sued For Deceptive & High-Pressure Sales Tactics
- Complaints.com: Direct Buy
- DirectBuy Employees Discuss Facts vs Myths
