Don't make our mistake

Complaint

-1
Polly Globe
Country: United States
We attended their presentation and after some calculation decided to pay for the membership which was $4990. We wanted to update our kitchen and bathroom cabinets, as well as bedroom furniture. We put down about $1000, and the rest was financed through their lender Beta Finance.

A month later we started planning our purchases and realized we were about to pay more by buying through them than we would otherwise. What the don't tell you on their presentation is that while you save about 10% on furniture they add 8 % handling charge in addition to 7% tax, and that doesn't include shipping.

I am now trying to get our membership money back. Do not become a member! Buy from other stores.

Comments

  • 0
    TRUDY
    HI ROGER
    Thanks for the acknowledgement & the support!
    It's always good to hear from you!
    Boy, does db ever think we are stupid!!!!!!!
    The joke is on them!
  • 0
    Trudy
    HI ALPHIE
    You're obviously refering to Duped2, it is "VERY INTERESTING" that they go into all the other details, & don't know what the contract states!?!
  • 0
    TRUDY
    HI ALEX
    Where are you? I sent you a very detailed response on p. 93
    IT'S very similar to the response I JUST sent to James,
    Don't give up!!!!!!!!!
  • 0
    alphie
    db is so very proud of the services it offers to its members that im sure they would have no problem with anyone praising its virtues on the internet, lets give db a hand and post the contract for all to see and their membership will probably increase, lets all do db a favour  and post their contract. maybe we will all receive praise and a cheque for helping them along.
  • 0
    Diana
    Boy do I feel like my husband and I dodged a bullet here.  We knew nothing about DB but they have been running an ad on TV in the San Francisco Bay Area.  It goes something like this "Call our 800# and we will send you a key.  Bring it to our showroom and if it fits the lock in our showroom you could win a $50,000 home makeover plus other prizes including a 3 day 2 night vacation".  So, we called. Why not?  Seemed harmless.  They quickly sent us a key with an invitation.  Then they proceeded to call us non-stop.  It was really very harassing.  

    We made an appointment and went to the Concord, CA showroom.  I have to add however, that they also called us several times after we made the appointment and wanted to speak with and confirm that both my husband and I will attend.  Weird.  Also they stressed "no children".  I told them that we have a 28 year old daughter in a wheel chair who can not be left alone.  I told them we either bring her or we don't come.  The lady on the phone had to get permission from her manager to allow my daughter to attend.  Also weird.  They wanted to know if we made over $35K per year because if we didn't, we didn't qualify.  Geeze.

    We go there and there were several members looking through catalogs and using calculators appearing to be very frustrated.  We were then shuffled into a room to hear their sales pitch.  They only gave the price of the gold membership which was $5,995.00 which would cover the first two years and then it would be $198 per year for the following 8 years.  Wow.

    They only showed us a few price comparisons which were ads on their display board with yellow sticky notes and told us we would save a huge amount of money over the course of the next 10 years.  Then they took us out to the showroom and showed us one item in one book which was for wooden blinds that we could save about $400 on.  Here is the other catch, everything you order gets sent to them, and you have to pay to have it shipped to you or you have to pick it up and if it's something that needs to be installed, either you have to do it or hire someone.  Hummm, sounds like a big pain and potentially expensive.  

    Then "the closer" took us to a table and asked us some very stupid obvious questions, like "do you want to continue to pay marked up retail prices for the next 10 years?"  Of course, NO.  

    Then he wanted us to join and pay $5,995 that day for the gold membership or we would NOT be allowed to return for another 7 years.  What?  He said it's clearly spelled out on their invitation which was filled with a lot of small print that I quite frankly didn't read.  We explained to him that our current budget situation is pretty grim and told him that the only items we need to purchase in the near future are a new washer and dryer and we can not justify spending $6,000 to save a few bucks on that small of a purchase at this time.  He then suggested we finance the membership and pay $500 down and $200 per month.  We told him that we were not prepared to do that.  We told him that maybe we could revisit it in 6 months or so, but not today.  He again told us that we would not be allowed back for the next 7 years.  Then he suggested that we purchase the silver membership which is $3,995, however, he added that with the silver membership, we would not have access to all of the manufacturers.  Well, what's the point of that?  

    When he realized we were not going to cave and hand him any money that day, he couldn't get rid of us fast enough.  We tried their stupid key in the lock and of course it didn't work.  There was a gold spot on our invitation which he scratched off and we won nothing, but he did hand us a 3 day 2 night free vacation voucher to the destination of our choice listed on the voucher, no place really exciting.  But then I read the small print on the voucher and when you book this "free" trip, you have to pay a $29.95 per night deposit and it says that most (not all) of it will be refunded when we check in to use the voucher.  I'm sorry, "free" doesn't mean pay a deposit.  What kind of free trip is that?

    The whole thing smelled of some horrible time share deal.  We left and are very thankful that we did not fold under their pressure.  After reading all of these complaints we are double thankful.  

    After seeing so many complaints, I can not help but wonder WHY they are still in business?  Has anyone called Dateline NBC? This seems like something right up their alley.  I'd love to see them go in there with a hidden camera.  To those who have lost their money with these people, I am truly sorry and hope that you somehow recover from this terrible ordeal.  These people need to be stopped.  What they are doing is just WRONG.
  • 0
    Su
    Hi All,

    My boyfriend and I live in Sacramento, Ca and unfortunately we are in similar situations as most of you are with this company.   We are in our early 20s and became members of Diretbuy in May of this year. Since our memberships we have not purchase anything from the company.  Like many of you we felt pressure by their sales representative, misled by their sales tactics and were not properly informed about the three day cancellation.
    As of now, we have missed one payment and plan on canceling our contract.  However before coming across this page, I had no idea you couldn’t “just cancel” your contract since its not a credit card or anything like that… but the nightmare have become worse as I’ve come to find that it is harder than I had first thought.  
    I would like some inputs on what steps or actions I need to take and how to write a letter of complaint.  I have never written one before and really don’t know where to start or what kinds of facts I should rise.
    Thank you in advance.
  • 0
    Su
    Need your help TRUDY!!!
  • 0
    NEW LETTER
    Hi Trudy, i apologize for spamming the site... i am in complete frustration.  I am really hoping to get this matter resolved before school starts.  I have scanned through the pages, but can not seem to find your letter... will you be so kindly to reinstate the letter. Thank you so much Trudy.  You've helped a lot of people.  Thank you.  -Su
  • 0
    TRUDY
    THE TRUTH IS:  Alphie did not write THE LIES (THE TRUTH...)
    some low-life re-wrote it & put Alphie's name on it,
    as if it wasn't low enough, to print it in the first place, previosly,
    & now for the 2nd time..........
    low! lower! lowest!  

    NO ONE WILL STOP US, THEY JUST FUEL MY FIRE
    & REMIND ME WHY I WILL NOT EVER GIVE UP THE BATTLE
    VS. THE LOW-LIFE LYING SCUM......A.K.A.  DIRECT BUY  A.K.A.  DIRECT LIES
  • 0
    Trudy
    SU------HOW DARE YOU TO TELL PEOPLE TO DOUBT THIS SITE
    & ALL OUR DEDICATED HARD WORK!!!!!!!
    REPOST YOUR INTIMIDATING CRAP 2CE
    HAVE THE NERVE TO USE ALPHIE'S NAME
    ASK TRUDY TO REPOST A LETTER THAT WAS NEVER POSTED ON THIS SITE!!!!!!!!!
    then make a feeble attempt to " apoligize..."
  • 0
    Still mad as hell
    TOO LATE SU ---------WE CAN'T WASTE OUR TIME WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0
    Su
    Please explain to me how or where i dropped "Alphie's name" in my previous messages.  I came on to this site looking for help.  When i wrote, " However before coming across this page, I had no idea you couldn’t “just cancel” your contract since its not a credit card or anything like that… but the nightmare have become worse as I’ve come to find that it is harder than I had first thought."  I meant, i didn't realize how many people were in the same boat as i was and had no idea i couldn't just cancel my contract at my own will if i wanted to with directbuy.  Next time read others messages carefully and process your thoughts before dishing out your anger.  And when i mentioned "the letter(s)" i was referring to the messages posted on Page 2! Looks like i won't get any help on this site.  I'll look elsewhere.
  • 0
    CORRECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    PAGE 3!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0
    TRUDY
    HI FROM TRUDY
    INFOMERCIALS.COM IS GONE! YAHOO!!!
    SO MY ORIGINAL LETTER IS GONE, MY INFO IS UP TO DATE AT THE END OF THE FILE
  • 0
    TRUDY
    HI FROM TRUDY----MY LETTER & REFERENCE HAS DISAPEARED!!!
    MY INFO IS PRETTY MUCH UP-TO=DATE AT THE END OF THE FILE
    SINCE PEOPLE ARE STILL commenting, please post at the end of the file
    I cannot monitor new posts on the first few pages, Don't give up!!
  • 0
    Trudy
    WE don't do private e-mails here, to keep confidentiality
  • 0
    alphie
    tnx trudy you know my style, ive struck a nerve with the make the contract public scenario i thinx :O)
  • 0
    Interesting
    looks like we know who Mr.reality is... alphie! you posted it under your name then realized your mistake! good job!
  • 0
    very interesting...
    i agree... very discouraging.
  • 0
    alphie
    we have them on the run trudy, im with you 100%, but you already knew that, a different approach is all i was going for, you had the fight the contract bases all covered there was and is not much that can be added to your advice

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