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
    Roger
    Congratulations, Jessica!
    Thanks for letting us know the good news. Your success story keeps us going. As you know, none of us are paid to be on this site and people like Trudy spend hours helping out of the goodness of their own hearts. I am glad people are getting out from under DB. If I were you, I would check my credit report & make sure BETA isn't sending you to collections. DirectBuy is really two-faced and can't be trusted. Keep that letter as proof. Make sure BETA has received the same notification. Please continue to warn people to stay away.
  • 0
    Roy Swingle
    How do I get on board this class action law suit.  Swinglebutch@Hotmail.com
  • 0
    GraceProtects
    Hi...This is the exact scenerio that my husband and I just went through yesterday. It just so happen that after my husband and I got home he was watching the home shopping channel and noticed the same TV he wanted to purchase at almost the Direct Buy Price however it had free shipping and the stand included. I told him that is a way better deal and youl could break down the payments. SWEET...I felt that the Direct buy sales guy was doing to us just what he show us in teh presentation..reducing the prices just like he did you.

    Luckily my husband told me to call and cancel today. When I called the guy Brent said oh I'll hold your check until the end of the month and we will change the date on your paper work.  As I looked at the paper work I noticed that he and added a date on the back of the contract that he never even mentioned.

    Please Look On the back of the contract it give specific language you need to use to cancel.

    This is a real rip off- a great presentation but a bad deal for hardworking consumers...what a scam. I'd rathr keep paying retail dues..what is the difference OH Yeah I know...I wont be paying month fees for years plus interest, hidden shipping & delivery fee, hidden handlig cost and higher taxes....Nope Thanks I'll stick with my retail dues. Sorry Direct Buy!

    PS Yes..our sales guy told us of how he was a coustomer and now a sales manager also...WOW their script is deep! 10 thumbs down.

    Best of luck everyone
  • 0
    GraceProtects
    Please look at the back of your contract. It tell you to use specific lanaguage that you must use to cancel. I would follow that to the letter. I Canceled my contract today that I signed yesterday. I canceled via a phone call--The Sales manager was trying to wheel and deal. Then I typed a letter and submitted it via fax recapping my phone cancellation. I put a stop payment on my bank check and In the morning I plan to mail the same copies to the corporate off in Merriville to ensure that all parties involved are celar that they suck and I will not be doing business with them.

    Good Luck
  • 0
    Grace Protects
    Hi Yes,

    On the back of the contract it has a cancel by date and instructions. My husband and I feel like you. It wasnt even 24 hours and we canceled today and contract that we signed yesterday.

    Best of Luck to you!
  • 0
    fem
    well it's been 5 business days and still I have heard nothing from DB. They haven't tried to contact me by any means at all, even to confirm that they've received my fax and letters (even though the postal service tracking system says that they received both my letters and one was even signed for). I'm going to write a follow up letter and notify the MCS who are going to follow up with them on my behalf.
  • 0
    advice for Fem
    HI FEM
    Make sure you are counting 5 business days from the confirmed received date, plus a few days to allow their mail back response to you,
    if you are too anxious, gov't agencies get annoyed,
    Good Luck! Do not give up!!
  • 0
    Tara
    I wish that I would have seen this link sooner because I just made a huge mistake and signed a contract with my husband with db and they are holding the check until this Friday.Do you think there is a way of getting out of this stupied mistake??Or is it to late??
  • 0
    Victim of One Sided Contract
    We signed up recently with the Huntsville Alabama Direct Buy.  We were told it was a one time fee of $4990 for a lifetime membership and that you would pay $198 a yr afterwards starting on the 4th year.  We actually passed in excess of 10 times on the contract and initialled the opt out line after they kept us there an extra hour and a half trying to get us to sign.  As we were leaving, they offered us very discounted membership which we reluctently decided to accept.
    We were never handed the contract or membership book as they were filling out the paperwork.  As our rep was filling it out, he would ask us to sign and we were stupid enough to believe this was a standard finance contract (we've never encountered any kind of contract like this in our many years of purchases, memberships, etc).
    The next day I sat down to look everything over.  The lifetime is 3 yrs with the option to renew 7 times for a total membership of 10 yrs.  Their claim that I can give this to my child or grandchild is actually only if I die and left it to them in my will, I will be considered in default on my finance plan if I die, and I apparently gave up my heirs rights and gave Direct Buy the ability to pursue them after my death.  It also states that they do not have to honor any oral promises or claims to us and we apparently waived our rights to sue them.  It's a total one sided contract with no cancellation option.

    I have since had the opportunity to check out the online site.  I compared it with our local weekend sales at our local retailers.  I didn't notice any big savings.  What I did notice is that I would rather pay a little more for the opportunity to bring it home in the same day, take it back if I don't like it, and have it replaced if it's a dud.

    Do you have any suggestions about how to get out of this contract?  Furthermore, the contract falls under Louisiana law.
  • 0
    Trudy
    Hey Roger
    Long time, no talk... hope all is well with you,
    Did you see the new "improved" contracts outlined by Fem on p. 104?
    I AM MORE SHOCKED, & Outraged than ever,
    what an iron-clad criminal contract, nervier than ever!!!
      I AM  wondering what your feed-back is on that one,
    do you have any news on any of the class-action suits?
    Hope to hear from you soon...
  • 0
    Trudy
    HI Victim...
    Incredible high pressure tactics as usual,
    db makes me so damn sick...
    When did you join?  Are you within 72 hrs?  IF so, I have references

    If not, you need to find written proof of cheaper prices,
    the difficult part of that, is that you have to force db to put the "whole price" in writting, because the "catalogue" price is NOT the price,

    You may use e-mail, only for the purpose of requesting the "whole" price
    request the price, cost of shipping, handling, other odd fess &
    if it is a large item, do you have to arrange your 3rd party delivery,

    *IN your Registered mail, you can complain about the fact that you have to pay a high-pressure loan (if applic.)

    -or if you have pre-paid...you have to pay for the merch. on top of that,
    HOW could anyone save money, if it is 50% off, they already got the other 50% in advance... adds to the scam of high-pressure...

    REFER to the Louisianna UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ACT
    I AM short on time, I will have more info shortly...
  • 0
    Victim of One Sided Contract
    We joined approx a week and a half ago.  Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.  I'm determined to find a way out.  I'm willing to put every single line contained in the contract on here if it will help.
  • 0
    Roger
    Hi Trudy-
    Hope you are doing well. Wow, it makes me so MAD that DB keeps changing it up and playing more games! Pretty soon their contract will say you're going to give them your home, cars & children! I think they are just getting more and more desperate. Who would want to sign away their right to sue in court? Shouldn't that make people want to wonder why they want to have this written policy on their contract? I think it's probably in the "fine" print and they are so busy distracting the new member that they don't get a chance to really read the contract in its full entirety. I am so thankful you continue to be dedicated to this site and helping others. You are a true gem and much appreciated!
  • 0
    mS. mUch
    I am in Florida... I have been scouring the internet for days.... reading and researching for hours and hours...30+.  We joined DB in May 2010 after the typical high pressure sales pitch... where we said I dont think I can benefit in the club... the only thing we were interested in buying was photography equipment and perhaps pavers...maybe.  And thats what we told them...Then they had an "in" and went with what we gave them... we requested a catalog.... the only one they had was Canon... but the salesman reassured me he could get just about anything there was to buy.. He had never had a request he couldn't fill!  Then we were offered a 30day trial period because we weren't biting.  After 3 hours we were just exhausted and would do anything just to get out of there.  After the 30 days if we weren't satisfied the contract would be terminated... Should have got that in writing.  It took almost thirty days and many phone calls just to get into the website, remember the catalogs were no use to us, as we approached 30 days I priced out a few items to see where we stood.  All of them could be bought cheaper on the internet.  Some by hundreds of dollars.  I got out the contract to have a look before I called to cancel.  Thats when I found out the contract only allowed a 3 day cooling off period... then I read the Oral Clause and how verbal agreements were void by the contract.  My stomach dropped and I just knew...we were in trouble... so I began my internet research.  Then I hired a lawyer because not only did I want out I couldnt make the payments anyway.  New circumstances arose... Our landlord hadnt paid the mortgage in over a year and know we're being evicted (by the bank) from  the house that we thought we were rent-to owning.  Great.  The lawyer was helping us with both the house and DB... but kept ignoring the DB part and actually got us evicted sooner from our home.  I have several letters I wrote them requesting they take action or address the issue but nothing happened.  So now its October I have filed a complaint with BBB and Consumer Affairs in Florida.  The BBB wants to start arbitration but the end result is binding ...so I am hesitant to commit.  I have researched public records of DB in small claims court and it seems the judge almost always favors the consumer so I am tempted to go that route.  And I am concerned mediation will not get us anywhere since the owner of our DB has repeatedly told us he will not let us out of the contract.  I have joined a class action suit here in Florida with lawyer Nancy A. Kulesa but that pertains to DB receiving kickbacks from their suppliers and not contract annulments or refunds of memberships... we havent bought anything we just want/need out.

    So my question is does anyone have experience dealing with a BBB arbitration?

    And our lawyer even finally told us the contract was too air-tight and his services would be more than it was worth to fight it.  Anyone else receive this response?

    I also sent DB a certified letter requesting a termination of the contract and a refund... and the reasons why.  Perry called and told us no way and invited us for another sales pitch so we could understand the club better and why its so WONDERFUL!

    Please Help
  • 0
    mS. mUch
    @Diane they have gone in undercover twice...I cant "find" a really helpful one I found a couple months back...Im pretty sure it was CBS... but I did find this....http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/the_price_cut_promise/main.html...
    http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy  ...is a great source of info.
  • 0
    Ms. mUch
    On your side...from various states has helped some people I read a story about a guy who was deployed to Iraq and every other creditor would work with him execept for... you name it Direct Buy.  He got an on your side reporter to call and thats all it took... one call and he got a refund and a termination... I am also near Tampa Fl lets get them involved...its not right
  • 0
    mS. mUch
    I have been searching old posts on this website... has anyone posted a contract yet?... I couldnt find one on here... Would it be beneficial... I have one already scanned if it would help the cause I would be happy to post it.
  • 0
    mS. mUch
    Ok I have read more... and officially relinquish my last offer.  I just need help....not a ...um... well um... ?.. forum dispute....?.. I do have however info for a Florida class action... but just for concessions of purchased items... its a start but not what most here (including me) are looking for.

    I forgot to add in my post #1 above we have the high interest installment plan with Beta Finance and have been paying them only because we're trying to close on a house...  After the close date we will stop... we simply cant afford it... I dont know what we were thinking...!&**$#@ grrrrr
  • 0
    Contact your Legislator
    Have any of you thought about contacting your legislator to make such one-sided contracts illegal-- or, at the very least, make the 3 day cooling off period apply to sales at the sellers place of business?  Your state representative (or his/her staff) often has the ear of the attorney general.  The attorney general's office may even agree to mediate for you, instead of the BBB.   In my view, this is the only way of stopping them.  Now is the time to contact the candidates.  They want your vote in November and will probably lend you an ear.
  • 0
    Ka
    Beware of Direct Buy.
    Yes you will save a few $$ on your items.
    But, they have the worst customer service I have ever seen and experienced.
    6 months ago I purchase a few things. It took over 2 months to arrive @ the wrong warehouse and they had emailed the wrong person to advice that they had arrived. 2out3 items came in either wrong or missing a piece. They then re-ordered the items 3 times and so far it's still not the correct piece.
    Now they won't return my phone calls and they won't reimbursed me for items I purchased over 6 months ago.
    You are better off spotting a good sale. You won't have any handling fees, delivery charges and a big headache.
    Don't do it! It's not worth it!

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