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
    Thankyou so much Debbie M
    I know that everyone here can appreciate your hard work to deliver these detailed lists for us all,
    They will not be erased here...
  • 0
    shayne
    i want this message to get to Trudy and anyone else out there, it is shayne here in Barrie Ontario, i don't want to jinx this but i did what Trudy said, i wrote a letter and sent it out registered mail, but before i did that i sent an email to the members services department asking to rescind the agreement and i actually talked to the members services at corporate head office in the US, well i got a response...the franchise owner wants to meet to "resolve" the issue, i want to go but i am nervous if that even makes sense, i guess i have to go but when i responded i told here we could meet if she would be prepared to let me out of the agreement and reverse the charges on my credit card, i will keep everyone up to date.

    has anyone ever tried to make the shopping experience a bad one to get them to remove them from the member list instead of cancelling the agreement, i just thought if i can't get out of the deal, i will go and shop for hours on end never buying anything but wasting there people's time and maybe telling potential future clients about my real life experience, i won't lie or say anything that would get me arrested or sued but just let the cat out of the bag on their policies and fees to potential clients, has anyone ever tried that???
  • 0
    Frank
    To Trudy:

     My Wife and I got scammed into the whole Sign now or forever loose your opportunity to shop with us, on Aug 25th. around 10pm. (actually signed with ast. manager because he kept telling us we can cancel it if we wanted and how it wouldnt show up on credit) They closed at 8 but stayed late trying to convince us to sign up. We were reluctant to sign because right now we are in the middle of closing on a home. They told us over and over how they wouldnt run our credit until Oct (we are set to close in Sept.) and how nothing will show up on our credit report/debt to income ratio so nothing would show up against our chances of getting our home because they said it was in house financing. They even went as far as to NOT TAKE DOWN OUR SS#'s. So being so exhausted and overwhelmed, we signed and left. Iv'e read up on the internet about people getting scammed and with having such a bad feeling about it the whole time I tried canceling today Aug 30th and they said no canceling. My wife called back and some girl said we had 3 days or we had to talk to the manager. We went to Direct Buy and the girl then stated there is no 3 day cancelation time and how the Ast. manager was gone for the day, nor was there any cancelation.

    My Question would be, Without having our social security numbers nor a copy of my photo ID, how can they finance us? or even pull our credit? Would you happen to know if we are basically gonna be out of a home now? They also said They were in house finance and looking at the contract its actually Versa Finance company.

    Any advice would be appreciated, thanks Trudy.
  • 0
    Lanie
    Hi Trudy,

       I will answer all your questions in time. I just want to say a huge thank you to you and Roger for now. I have written on this site under two different names as I am convinced that DB is watching. Let me just say...I've taken things really slow getting ALL my ducks in a row very meticulously! I've started the "ball rolling" s per the required process in my state. I will let everyone know how things work out and I will post many things when able...including still pics from video's shot, documents, etc......
       No one should underestimate  a really pissed off DB member!
  • 0
    averde refunddue
    I forgot to mention that my contract did have a three day cooling off period.
  • 0
    Frank
    forgot to let u know but we live in Texas.
    Today we wrote out a 3 page letter at the BBB and we contacted the 3 credit report companies to put out an alert for credit checks, if they havent already done so, plus we put a merchant hold on DB with the credit card we used. We also contacted the FTC   (federal trade commision)?  for identity theft if they somehow obtained our SS# and they couldnt not help us because of our contract. I contacted Coporate office and they gave me the 3 owners names of the DB we went to in Coppell, TX.  Are they the ones we should address a letter too? I know you said you wrote out a letter on page 20 some.... but I am unable to find a letter. any help would be appreciated.
  • 0
    Roger
    Debbie M.
    Thanks so much for taking the time to list all of the DB vendors. This must be something new or only in your area because I don't ever remember getting this information when we joined.

    DB hurting a lot of people by selling their worthless "memberships" We all need to continue sticking together and shining the light on this company. Hopefully, we will be able to put them out of business or at the very least bring them to their knees.
  • 0
    Roger
    Hi Azadeh-
    Thanks so much for sharing your story & posting the information on other websites. It's a collective effort to put DirectBuy in their place. They are very rude whenever you start asking questions or seem like you don't want to purchase their membership right there on the spot. They will ridicule, shame and make you feel worthless unless you pay up. It's really abusive and they need to be stopped. I can't wait for someone to take a hidden camera in to their so-called "Open House" Only time will tell....Thanks for warning others. I am so glad you didn't join.
  • 0
    shayne
    message to Trudy, i am getting my money back, Thank you, i had to return the Direct buy stuff i got and i agreed to let them keep $50.00 for adm. fees but i am getting back my $5035, the franchise owner ackowledged the 3 day cool period, although she asked me to reconsider, she was fair and understanding, i expect a cheque in a week or so, i will let you know but i was promised the refund, the membership was cancelled and i look forward to moving on, if you state your case, get in quickly and send a registered letter as well as be prepared to file a complaint with the ministry of consumers services and be firm, it should work out.

    i was psyching myself for the worst but so far i am pleased, won't be done until the money is in the bank.

    keep the faith, be prepared and listen to Trudy
  • 0
    gloria
    We are very very unhappy with Direct Buy. I'm not certain yet whether there could be a significant savings, but their service is horrible. We joined about one and a half months ago, and now they pretty much refuse to talk to us. They are angry when we call to ask for info on status of orders, and other times that they have made mistakes in orders.  They say they'll call us back when we leave a message, and never have.  We have to continuously be calling them and they seem to be dodging us.  It's horrible!  We spent $5000 on the membership, and have already spent another $7000 in orders, and they treat us as if we're bothering them.
  • 0
    duped2
    don't know if I can help any.  YOur case with db is horrible.  yes, i believe trudy means that we write to the owners.  
    they really can't do what they did to you legally.  if they can than this isn't the USA.   i'd look into legal aid or a lawyer.  
     i'm still working on getting my refund.  i can't blow over five grand down the toilet.  most db people victims must be giving up, moving on and write it off.  
     we don't have money to waste.  hope you get your resolution soon.  and we will get ours and DB will get theirs.  They rip off the people trying to save money who need to save the most. Not to put into their stingy hands.  It makes me furious.
  • 0
    mikey
    I notice  a lot of  the  db smarmy ads for  fit the key, win a makeover  ads on  satellite  tv lately ( dish network)


    no doubt dish net  places ad  money above  honesty also.

    (I have dish net, and sent them and email to shame them and a a link to this site,, so far no reply)
  • 0
    Skip
    I notice the date on this post of 2008. Unfortunately, I did not read any of your posts until after I parted with $4000.  Contrary to their promises, I also found that I would have to pay 26% EXTRA if I bought my kitchen from DirectBuy. I want to know if your suit is still in progress and/or if I can help you with, or benefit from, any of your work.

    I am so sorry I didn't think to search for you before I was pressured into joining.

    Skip
  • 0
    Skip
    Aren't you the clever one.  Congratulations on you perspicacity.  Thank you for stating the obvious: that I am a chump.  I agree, of course, and I felt pretty bad about it even before I read your post.  

    By the way, do you have any friends?

    Love,
    Skip
  • 0
    Toyang
    I am amazed with so many complaints when I started looking into to Direct Buy website. I had a very UNPLEASANT encounter with the phone clerk here in Burbank,California.  Ms. Hernandez is very judgemental through out our conversation per phone calls. she made comments like " you seem.......... " " You sound like ........."  She is so unprofessional in the way she communicates which makes me wonder why she is still in this job. She hanged up on me when I asked for the manager. I had multiple dealings with American Express, other banks, insurances and companies but never like the way she talks and handle the situation. Instead of acknowledging her faults, she sugar coat it with "I am just digging deeper" . I think she needs training and more if she hasn't. she is the first initial dealings people has to go through on the phone before entering the store. My impression on her was sooooo bad that I would not want anything to do with Dircet Buy.  My blood pressure went sky high after talking with her. She needs to GO.
  • 0
    TRUDY
    HILANIE
      very glad that we could help you, don't give up!!
    YOU are very right to be as cautious as possible,
    DB IS ALWAYS WATCHING---ask for private reonses & giving e-mail addresses
    trying to get us to give up our e-mails addresses,
    always trying to insult us, intimidate & show their character by
    'BEING "NAME CALLING BULLIES"...very transparently stupid

    DON'T BE TEMPTED TO BE VERBAL!!
    EVERYTHING IN WRITING, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!
  • 0
    duped2
    Hope you didn't join!  Sure wish we didn't.... We're not saving anything and all the verbal suggestions and conversations with them were red flags and yet we took the bait anyway, signed up, paid up and were ripped .  DON'T JOIN unless you're a millionaire already and own property and houses to redo.  

    After getting the wool pulled over our eyes, I'd never hook up with db.  You can get whatever you need to buy locally or order straight from companies online.   DON'T Join...... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0
    duped2
    It is the law that you have a 3 day cancellation period.  Get your money back, withdraw the membership which the asst mgr told you that you could do.  Don't let them do that to you and loose your house because of bad credit.  They cannot do that legally!   You have 3 days to cancel the and you were within that timeframe.  They're just jerking you around if they said you can' cancel. ( B S ) Hope all works out in your favor.  Get rid of the Agreement.  Also on the back of it, it should say 3 day cancel...
  • 0
    Contact the Media
    I noticed that Better Homes and Gardens carries ads for DirectBuy.  In my opinion, this tarnishes the reputation of their magazine.  I would never subscribe to it just for this reason.
  • 0
    Roger
    Contact the Media-
    Sad that everyone is selling out to purchase advertising space. I noticed DB also advertises (or had advertised) in the Rachael Ray magazine as well. Booooooooo to those who don't do their research and continue to help DB scam the public!

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