Don't make our mistake
Complaint
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.
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
-SEND REGISTERED MAIL --Day joined--Day letter sent--Date received by DB
-REMIND db that they must honour their own company policy,
which they have neglected to include in the contract
so contract is invalid
-There are no fees listed in the contract signed
& there are NO FEES listed in the VALID contract that they did not provide to you
-DB did not have the right to approve a loan, ONE DAY AFTER JOINING
& at same time of being notified by registered mail
-YOU had not received access to their prices, in order to have the opportunity to compare prices, (during the 3 days allowed)
-When db "sent" your contract "for approval", IT had actually been "SOLD" To the Finance co., therefore making money
-IF there is any kind of fee, db would be required to provide all the paper work "legal proof" to you (...just another thought, if you care to go that far...)
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ALL DB CONTRACTS ARE SUPPOSED TO INC. A 3 DAY COOLING-OFF PERIOD
*1)click & PRINT A COPY OF THE WHOLE ARTICLE below--WCVB TV5 abc Boston
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/13332558/detail.html
HIGHLIGHT THE DATE & (near end of article),& statement on cancellation.
"Regarding our cancellation policy, any new member can cancel their membership within three days of joining."
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Statement From DirectBuy
Full statements from DirectBuy headquarters in Indiana:
May 16, 2007
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*2) ***CBC MARKETPLACE-THE PRICE CUT PROMISE ---VIDEO INVESTIGATION OF DB
on March 27, 2009
CBC TV News Reporter, Erica Johnson, on camera interview,
with Barrie Ontario, Directbuy Owner, Christine De Marsh
(approx. 12 min. in)
The Reporter stated:
"...Apparently, Directbuy has a BRAND NEW CORPORATE POLICY,
claims they give new members a 3 DAY COOLING-OFF PERIOD..."
The Reporter asks why this cooling-off period wasn't mentioned by anyone?
The db owner stated "IF ANYONE ASKS, WE certainly do mention that..."
Reporter: "...it's not in the contract, and it wasn't mentioned at the open house... "
Db Owner: "...there is actually a new contract coming out, that does address that."
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(Please use my direct quotes above, they are word for word accurate)
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3) Refer to Consumer Protection laws
a CONTRACT with "No Cancel & No Refund..."is an unfair trade practice
It forces the member to give up rights, guaranteed under law
Unfair or deceptive and unconscionable trade practices prohibited
in the conduct of any trade or commerce are unlawful
" Assistant Attorney General Christopher Hedges said DirectBuy franchises across the country, including Parker's, were already in financial trouble - largely because of spurious selling tactics.
"Nationally, DirectBuys are failing," Hedges said. "
will the company sue the attorney general for libel and slander? bring it on :O) bankruptcy is on the horizon
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http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/lake/766056 ... downgraded.html
" S&P said it’s concerned about the company’s decline in membership levels each month starting in February 2010, relating to the weak economy. It also mentions lawsuits that allege the company misrepresents the cost of goods to members and engages in deceptive sales practices. "
will the compny sue standard and poor for libel and slander? bring it on.
You did a fine job here Trudy but its time for you to rest now and let the courts finish them off.
The AG also took on APPLE and Microsoft both are still around. Talk about a scam, I continually have to re-buy broken software.
To many dollars, someone will want to collect the revenue.
Still waiting for a response!
Thank you so much for all of your efforts. My wife and I fell for their presentation one evening, and thought, Wow, this is great! We got home and read what you and others had written on this website a couple hours later. I couldn't sleep!
We we back the next day, cancelled the contract, and got our refund a week later. We will never make that mistake again. We owe you one buddy.
I joined Direct Buy in 2010 and I would like to cancel and get out of my contract also Direct Buy is a scam. Their prices are higher than they say they are. They say that their prices are cheaper than anyone else. I can go and buy it some where else cheaper. My finances have changed and I can't afford to pay for the fee any more. Do you know where the head office is and the address, phone number, e-mail address and the name who I can get in contact with. Please get back to me as soon as possible, thank-you.
A Member;
Donald W. Siemens
To: Trudy;
My name is Donald W. Siemens and I would like to know how and if you got your money back. I would like to cancel my contract also. Did you go to the head and who did you see or speak to. Where you you live if I may ask. I live in Canada, in Winnipeg Manitoba. May I have the address, e-mail address,
phone number please. I'm sorry to hear that you and boyfriend broke up. Did you and your boyfriend get back together. What is your nationality if I may ask. Thank-you for your time. Please get back to me as soon as possible. Donald W. Siemens
I live in CT, Signed out after leaving a check of $290.00 on 9/26/11, and couldn't get my money back after one month, even after sending a fax proving that the check has cleared(has requested by them). What is the better thing to do to get my money back???
Also, unless you are planning on spending a minimum of $12,000.00 in the very near future, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, even bother to sit for their two hour spiel. (You will have to spend at least this much to simply to recoup your investment.)
CAVEAT EMPTOR!!! Remember, this IS a SALES presentation. The person making the presentation to you IS there SOLE to SELL you THEIR product. The person making this 'presentation' to you does NOT get paid UNLESS you cough up your hard earned money and BUY a membership.
Another major thing to consider is that virtually all appliances and electronics (high cost or otherwise) can be found online for the same price, and in many cases even lower.
(So the part about investing such a large sum in order to save huge amounts of money on major routine annual purchases is VERY hard to justify to say the least.)
However, do I regret my membership purchase?
Absolutely not! I do have several projects planned for the next couple of years where I will be spending far more than the $12,000.00 or so required to 'break even' in my membership cost. So in my case at least, it was well worth the expense.
Bear in mind too, before I made the decision to part with $3,100.00 of hard earned cash, I already knew enough from my previous employment experience (working in sales) about the pricing of the particular retail items that I would be purchasing. Enough at least, to know that the this part of their sales talk about the mark ups on consumer goods was not merely 'blowing smoke'.
Still, I DID have a TREMENDOUS apprehension that I might VERY well be buying the proverbial 'pig in a poke'. This is my gut reaction to EVERY high pressure sales talk!
DETAILS of MY EXPERIENCE with DirectBuy...
Prior to my decision to take DirectBuy up on their program, I had already planned a major kitchen remodel (which I had completely planned and drawn out myself) and which I had already priced at a couple of the big home improvement chain stores. The one nearest my home being the least expensive of the two (so I'm using their figures).
My kitchen is a very average, basic 11' x 12' space.
I priced cabinetry from KraftMaid with the local retail store and the base tab (NOT including taxes, NOR delivery, and NOR any installation CHARGES) was calculated to be $22,000.00.
The store did offer me a 10% discount since the order would be over $20,000.00. This brought their BASE tab down to $20,000.00.
Following the purchase of my membership, I then took this same kitchen design to DirectBuy and had them price the KraftMaid cabinets.
DirectBuy's total price for my project (which DID include BOTH sales Taxes and Delivery Charges, but again, not installation), was only $12,500.00.
So, from the get go I actually saved (including the cost of my membership) at least $4,400.00. If you were to consider the additional sales taxes and delivery charges the retail home improvement chain store was going to charge me, I saved at least another $2,000.00.
OTHER COMMENTS:
I was very impressed with the knowledge and experience of the DirectBuy designer.
Also, the DirectBuy designer was also able (because of the manufacturer promotions the designer was aware of) to incorporate additional upgrades that were not included in the original design in the total price I received for my project. (These items would have cost me nearly a $1,000.00 more at the retail store.)
So st the end of the day, even after the huge cost of the membership, I actually did save about $7,500.00
CONS: Although the membership sales rep was a pleasant enough fellow, I was NOT impressed with the high pressure 'buy now' or 'never' presentation.
The mailer I received said come take advantage of your 'free thirty-day' membership. In my opinion, this is completely misleading! As far as I'm concerned this is tantamount to false advertising, because first,...
the sale's people do their utmost to NEVER discuss the 'trail membership' and second,...
when you press them for the 'trial membership' details you find that this 'arrangement' is so very, very limited that one can hardly call a trial of anything, 'membership' or otherwise.
More appropriately, DirectBuy really should call this...
'the period they allow whereby you can still 'choose to buy your membership' if they let you.
In reality,(since these ARE sales people) I do not believe ANY DirectBuy sales person would actually refuse to sell you a membership at any time in the future.
So again, this is nothing but sales pressure, and their 'never again' spiel is simply a lie.
Also, although their membership terms are lengthy enough to assure you have ample opportunity to recoup your investment, they should offer renewal terms which are more concrete. (I still have not received anything guarantying a renewal of any kind except that if I cough up another $2,600.00 in the first six months of my membership, I will be allowed to extend my membership from three years to ten.
In addition, bear in mind that even if you never used any membership benefits (regardless of the duration of your membership), if you should decide it is not for you, you cannot re-sell or transfer your membership to anyone else, for any reason, at any time.
And of course, lest we forget to mention... DirectBuys membership rules DO have restrictions on your making purchases for other parties.
All in all, it's kind of a shame they use high pressure 'time-share' type tactics to market their program, because I really believe the DirectBuy program can be very beneficial for the right people.
DirectBuy could be a lot more effective and successful if they were top use a business model that simply focused on directing their services to people who really could benefit through it without the 'threats'.
The hype they use that everyone really needs them is more than a little exaggerated, and leaving ANY customer (or potential customer) with a bad taste, at least in my humble opinion is always BAD business.
...also, most of the info you need is on the previous 2 pages here
California Consumer Protection Law ------Contract LAW---
Mistake, Duress, and Fraud
*A MISTAKE by both parties to a contract on an important issue makes the contract unenforceable.
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.
*DURESS is physical force or mental pressure by one party
to make the other party agree to the contract.
Duress makes the contract voidable by the party put under duress.
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*FRAUD is the intentional misrepresentation of an important issue of the contract.
Fraud in a contractual proceeding makes the contract voidable by the party upon whom the fraud was perpetrated.
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*UNCONSCIONABLITY
A contract may be unenforceable if it is found to be flagrantly unfair. This defense is usually found in consumer cases, in which a person buys an item under terms so grossly unfair to the customer that the court refuses to enforce the contract.
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*STATUTE OF FRAUDS
"statute of frauds" requires some contracts must be written to be valid. Contracts concerning the sale of goods worth more than $500,
contracts that cannot be performed within 1 year
contracts to pay someone else's debts, leases for more than one year, and contracts for marriage must be in writing.
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THE CONTRACT IS WRITTEN BIASED, IN FAVOUR OF DB
UNJUST ENRICHMENT, STEALS your money, giving nothing but empty promises
The 30 day trail certificate that is mailed out has the limitations printed on it. (Maximum purchasing $1000.00 over 30 days).The web ads promoting it also have the limitations shown. It's a promotion to encourage sales (It's free).
Just ordered a set of Blizzak Snow tires. Saved $73 per tire over the best price I could find retail. Total saving 4 x $73 + tax saving came to $329.96.
You would think with all the complaints on this site someone could post at least one web site with lower prices than DB.
Point is we just all got to get together and let everyone know how bad this store is.