Learned lesson but still fighting
Complaint
Laddie0813
Country: United States
I will not repeat all the complaints and reports about Directbuy's fraudulent treatment of their members. All is true. Just read all the complaints combine them and that's what my husband and I have gone through. We paid close to $6,000.00 and have bought $000.00 merchandise from them. NOTHING. No service nothing from them. Just took our money and sat back and laughed. There is now a class action lawsuit which we just received notice of being included. So I guess somewhere there is a list with our name as members. We have deceided to exclude ourselves from the class action because I do not believe we would be reimbursed even close to what we have given those crooks. Of course the court will not let you know how much until the date to exclude yourself from the lawsuit has passed. We live in Minnesota and I would really like to get together with a few other members and sue. There is a favorable climate against Directbuy with the courts now, and I believe our outcome would be better than the class action Swift vs Directbuy. We have tried different options even calling the owner and pleading for a refund at Christmas. I am disabled and my husband lost his job a few years ago. His job was outsourced to China. He is 63 with no prospect of employment in the future. Yes we really need the money!! It has been about 5 or 6 years since we joined and I am willing to wait for the right opportunity to get our money back. I think it is stupid to pay so much and receive less than $500.00 in restitution. I even thought of picketing in front of their location in White Bear Lake on a busy street. I just might have to do that this summer. If I stop just one person from making the mistake we did, it would be worth it. Determined to succeed in Minnesota.
Comments
this is for all who need help with the lawsuit..i m one of the victims too
DIRECTBUY SETTLEMENT CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBER CLAIM FORM
Only one Claim Form for benefits under the Settlement will be honored per DirectBuy membership.
Your Claim Form must be postmarked (or, if submitted online at www.MembershipClubSettlement.com, must be
completed) no later than June 11, 2013.
PART 1 – INFORMATION ABOUT YOU, THE CLAIMANT:
All items marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
*First Name: *MI: *Last Name:
*Address:
*City: *State: *Zip Code:
*Email:
Telephone:
– –
*DirectBuy Membership Number (provided with your class notice):
*Only if you are a Current DirectBuy Member, Check One of the Following Benefits:
Cash Payment $10 discount
PART 2 – CERTIFICATION UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY:
By submitting this Claim Form, you attest under penalty of perjury under 28 U.S.C. § 1746 that: (1) you are a Current
DirectBuy Member (you purchased a DirectBuy membership in the United States or Canada which was current as
of March 22, 2013) or a Former DirectBuy Member (you are not a Current DirectBuy Member but you purchased a
DirectBuy membership in the United States or Canada at any time and you were a DirectBuy Member at any time
on or after October 11, 2002); (2) you did not default on financing payments to Beta Finance Company, Inc.; (3) you
have not previously released Defendants from liability concerning the claims in this case; and, (4) the information
contained in Part 1 of this form is, to the best of your knowledge, truthful and accurate.
Submitted By:
Print Name
Signature Date – –
MM DD YY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAILING THIS CLAIM FORM
PLEASE RETURN THIS CLAIM FORM TO:
Swift v. DirectBuy Settlement Administrator
PO Box 3719
Portland, OR 97208-3719
YOUR CLAIM FORM MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN JUNE 11, 2013.
YOU MAY ALSO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT YOUR CLAIM ONLINE AT www.
Membership Club Settlement .com NO LATER THAN JUNE 11, 2013.
If, upon submission of your Claim Form, your Claim Form cannot be verified, you will receive a rejection notice
specifying the problem and will be given the opportunity to cure any such problem within no less than 21 days.
We went there today to pick out our cabinets, we already have a design for the kitchen.
We were told in order to buy cabinets from them we would have to make an appointment with there designer, and pay 300.00. We don't need a designer we already have a design, we told them.
It didn't matter we could not order cabinets with out paying the 300.00.
We lost 2000.00 for joining this co. Never got to order anything.
What a SCAM!
Joanie Martin Nokesville va
I haven't had the experiences that I have read on this board and have not felt the need to sue DB. There have been a few minor issues over the past 9 years for sure, but the local outlet is still here, they have had the vast majority of the product we have wanted when we go or order online, and the Calgary DB has entered into referral relationships with local businesses who give small discounts for DB members.
We have not used DB that much until this year when we did a major reno, but even before this year we made back our entire membership fee by purchasing an expensive leather living room sectional and sofa for $6000 that, at the time, was over $10000 in the two stores that carried it (I went and checked). We have since ordered two dishwashers (the second as part of this reno), a washer / dryer, a fridge, microwave, gas oven/range, three sinks and faucets, a weight set and bench press, high end iPod headphones, as well as a few other minor things that I'm sure I'm forgetting. I haven't totalled up our savings, but after recovering our membership fee I would conservatively estimate our savings at around $25,000, including from using local referrals for part of our reno (granite).
I'm only posting this to help those reading to know that not everything about DB is bad or fraudulent. It sounds to me that DB is run on a franchise model and it depended on where you lived and bought your membership (ie. if your local franchisee was a crook, then you got screwed, but if not it basically worked). If that's the case, then a class action is appropriate and others in local areas who truly got screwed should definitely try and recover as much as possible through a smaller local class action in your state or province.
When we signed up they did tell me that the membership was only 10 years, and that if you wanted to renew for another 10 you would be able to do so at the same price. But there was, at least back then, the pressure sales job of "if you leave now without signing up you won't be eligible again for X years" (forget how many).
A couple of suggestions: DB is best for high end things that you would buy as is at another store such as appliances, furniture, etc. It's definitely less good for stuff that you need to see / touch / feel / experience before knowing that it's right for you. So if you're doing a reno and are not that handy or good at understanding what something will look like in real life from a catalogue, then stick to the appliances and simple stuff. But if you're thinking of joining because you want to buy the same medium to higher end stuff that you would buy in any retail store at a low to medium price point, then as long as your franchisee is not a crook and is stays in business, you can save some good $$.
Good luck to all!
20.00 fricking dollars really. Now I know how those Madoff people felt. I don't care if your giving [***] away Ill never buy another membership to nothing again