Membership Scam

ComplaintsFurnitureDirect Buy

Complaint

0
MGN
Country: United States
I feel stupid that I did not check this site before I went in for the open house and signed up for membership.  I signed for Silver Membership and the Sales agent told me that I have access to 700 suppliers (Vendors).  Two days later when we went to buy some items and filled out the order form they told us that for Silver membership we have access only to about 150 vendors.  Since that time I am trying to cancel my membership.

I signed up for same as cash - three installments to be paid in three months.  I paid my first installment with a credit card.  I have tried both the local store and Corporate office to cancel the membership with no luck.  Few questions that I have are -

1. What happens if I talk to my Credit card company and dispute the charge, will they recover the first installment from DB?

2. Even if they dont cancel the memebership, can I just not pay the last two installments?

Any help in this matter would be helpful.

Thanks!

Comments

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  • 0
    Papo
    Trudy:

    I am also a victim of DB.  Paid for the mebership without doinf the due diligence research.  Now I have to agree with ALL the BAD things said about DB - my experience is exactly as describer by so many members/victims.  I signed over a year ago and wish I could get out of this contract.  Is there a class action going on anywhere I can join?

    Papo
  • 0
    Michelle
    I just went to Direct Buy to see what it is all about and I thought I had a 30 day free trial membership but when I came in, I was told to be prepared to join tonight or I can't stay.  They would not tell me how much the membership cost is for some reason like it was a big secret.  Does anyone know how much we are dealing with, hundreds or thousands to join.  Please help!
  • 0
    screwed by DB2
    The memberships start at about $5000.00 but please go here and read the hundreds of complaints against them.  It is a scam from the word go. Run as fast as you can away from them
  • 0
    tj
    BBB's are organized regionally, and since they are run separately, there is wide variation in how effective any given BBB is in both resolving consumer complaints, and accurately disclosing improper business behavior.

    You can find anything from warning press releases and a full detailed expose of an especially fraudulent company, to white-washed reports for companies who "join" and pay them, even when other consumer complaint forums indicate systematic fraudulent activity.  

    It all depends on the local management.

    What you can generally depend on is if you are being stonewalled by a business, a BBB complaint will often get a response, since no response is what will get them an "F" rating, and disqualify them from membership.

    BBB isn't always the best path to handle a dispute (sometimes DA or AG complaints are more effective), but in some cases it can be a useful tool.
  • 0
    tj
    They appear to be playing the same games health clubs and timeshare sellers play.
  • 0
    tj
    ripoffreport.com is probably the most useful complaint site, in terms of investigating company practices.  It's searchable by company, with years of complaints on file and unedited consumer reports.  

    Make your own decision regarding the credibility of each consumer, but after adjusting for that, large numbers of similar independent reports overcome excuses and spin.

    Just as some Attorney General lawsuit complaints often include BBB statistics in support of their plea, you can find state regulatory agency decisions listing ripoffreport statistics in support of their sanctions.
  • 0
    cpa
    thanks for the warnings. i don't even want to step foot in that place now!
  • 0
    BK
    I'm sorry people feel ripped off by Direct Buy.  The same kind of thing can happen when you buy vacation time shares. We went through the sales pitch, signed up for the entry level and for a couple of days suffered "buyers remorse" wondering if it was really worth it.  Then I went back to the showroom and started checking prices and such and trying to figure out the system. Yes, the entry level selection was very limited for what we wanted to buy but I was able to look at all the books (you can look at anything in the showroom)  I checked the prices against those at Lowes, Home Depot and online- I realized that we could save money by going to the higher level.  We did and have been very happy with it.  I'm sure different stores handle things differently but to me the main thing is to know what you are getting into and decide if you can really afford it, will use it enough to make it worth it and basically just do your home work like you would with any major purchase.
  • 0
    bk
    We are members and are very happy with it.  Yes it is pricey and if you are not planning on making any large purchases in the next couple of years I'd think twice about it.  We have purchased 5 major appliances, flooring cabinets and counter tops, and sinks.  We are very impressed with the savings - we got beautiful high quality kitchen cabinets with more features that the ones advertised at Costco (which is usually very good) and saved about $1,000. On the appliances we saved from 100 to 400 on each item from the lowest prices we could find.  We saved about $1000 on counter tops so were able to get much higher quality within our budget and the bathroom sink I wanted was significantly less than anywhere else and they even had one I liked better.  It is kind of a pain to order from books but you learn pretty quickly to find something in the store you like & go buy it at Direct Buy - almost always they have greater variety than you can find at the store. I would just say that they don't deal in bargain stuff - if it's all about low price I'd say it's not for you but if you want quality at a good price I'd check it out. We have saved enough to pay for our membership already.
  • 0
    LOP
    Hello Tudy,
    I'm in the same situation as MGN with Direct Buy of Brooklyn & Queens in NYC. One week ago after 3/12 hours of hard sell presssure tactics at 11pm I subcumb to exhaustion and hastily signed the contract thinking NY had some kind of buyers remorse law that would allow me to cancel within 72 hours.  Well it doesn't. I visited the showroom on the weekend, just to find that they were not obtaining any bargins for me that I couldn't obtain myself elsewhere. Of course I was told the membership was non cancellable. Per the BBB they already have an F rating.But I think NYC has a fraud protection law 5-34 that may work.I also financed the $5.5k with Consumers Edge DBA Directbuy of Bklyn & Qns.  Pls help my job may be shaky too
  • 0
    qt
    there are three plans available.. obviously the one with 150 manufacturers is the least expensive of the plans.  the GOLD plan has alll of the manufacuters.. the 700 plus that they advertise on tv.  all of the plans are laid out on the table and explained clearly- unless you just don't GET it the first time.
  • 0
    pissed ex employee
    I have helped with these contracts, and yes we have let our members out if they caused enough problems..
    after you give the certified mail if no response start picketting there place of business, you know on Saturdays, and week day evenings, when they have the most protential members coming in.
    Make flyers to educate them, they have to have about 45 members atleast per month to keep the lights on.. if not they will slowly start to dwindle..
    I know this is not how you want to spend your time, but as long as you are on the sidewalk or on either end of the buildings you wouldn't be on there property..
    Trust me I have seen others do it and YES they do get there $$$ back due to no members joining because of YOU.....
  • 0
    pissed ex employee
    I have helped with these contracts, and yes we have let our members out if they caused enough problems..
    after you give the certified mail if no response start picketting there place of business, you know on Saturdays, and week day evenings, when they have the most protential members coming in.
    Make flyers to educate them, they have to have about 45 members atleast per month to keep the lights on.. if not they will slowly start to dwindle..
    I know this is not how you want to spend your time, but as long as you are on the sidewalk or on either end of the buildings you wouldn't be on there property..
    Trust me I have seen others do it and YES they do get there $$$ back due to no members joining because of YOU.....
  • 0
    Skip
    Bull [***]!

    DB is a high pressure sales SCAM.

    Watch OUT! (caveat emptor)
  • 0
    skip
    This complaint sounds legit to me as I experienced a similar problem with DB. I am now certain that it is a scam operation.
  • 0
    Cam Miller
    Are you a blond? All you really have to do is put yourself in the seat of the manufacturers. I'm sure they want to give discounts to some retailer that has 2 million scam complaints. MATH, LOGIC, COMMON SENSE. If you don't know what these are you can look them up at dictionary.com. Or maybe you can buy a dictionary at DirctBuy.com.

    Hey, everyone who got scammed by DirectBuy is embarrassed to say they got taken. We want to defend it because if people knew the truth, they would know how stupid we people who fell for it are. It's one of the most embarrassing things I've ever done. I hate admitting I fell for their high pressure scam.
  • 0
    Renee
    I have been to a Best Buy, and they do misrepresent everything and at the end of the open house they tell you, yo have to a buy a membership before you leave or you can never come back. They don't tell you about their high priced membership costs when they call constantly trying to get you in there.
  • 0
    TRUDY
    TYPE IN:  "DIRECTBUY COMPLAINTWIRE"
    FIND:      DIRECTBUY COMPLAINTS- DON'T MAKE OUR MISTAKE

    Sorry for any miscommunication
    Please join us --no e-mail address needed!!!!!
    post at the end of the file, I cannot monitor p. 1 anymore!
  • 0
    dissatisfied with direct buy
    Ripoffreport.com actually is singing direct buy's praises after they "sopposedly" fixed a few customers complaints.  They are still doing the same high power sales pitch and preying on people with out regards to how the price and fees will affect them.  Direct buy's sales practice is no better than that of a sleezy used car salesman.
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