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
    Question for you
    Hi "almost scammed"
    Where do you live?  I would love to know because I have never heard of any choice other than a new 3 day cooling-off period, in the States.
    I'm glad that you were saved from the headaches we have went through.
    You are safer not to ever go back, because they are insanely high pressure.
      It sounds like a trick, & they would increase the prices after you make a committment, to make up for their "losses" from any savings that you might have received.
  • 0
    Riose
    I am so glad I found this site, we have an appointment tomorrow at noon!  I will definately cancel, thank you to everyone who shares their stories.  You have saved me a huge headache.  Good luck to everyone trying to get their money back.  I will do my part by telling everyone about your site, who is interested in joining this scam.
  • 0
    Roger
    Hi Riose-
    Glad to hear that you aren't going to your open house appointment and wasting your precious time. Most of all, you'll keep your money where it belongs......in your pocket! If I were you, I would have DirectBuy remove your name from all of the contact lists, databases, etc. This way they won't be able to harrass you by phone. I would fax the request to the center where you were scheduled for the open house. Keep a copy of the fax transmission so you have proof you requested not to be contacted going forward.
  • 0
    tex
    Trudy,
    I think I found you too late!! About a year ago my ex-boyfriend and I were pressured into a membership... Which is sad because I'm not easily persuaded by spending alot of money on things of this nature... Anyways my ex bf and I broke up over this and he called the following day to cancel the membership... They were busy at the time and took his info... They kept sendidng bills to him and he paid them so they weren't delinquent... December he stopped paying... Beta finance is now sending bills to a 3rd party collection agency... I just recently found out that it was not cancelled more than a year ago as we were not on speaking terms... I tried calling the Toledo Ohio center that we got the membership from but the owner said basically f*** you... I called the corporate center and he said the corporate office can not do anything... So I'm clueless on what to do now... the salesman we had vaguely explained things as we were his first victims... He never fully answered questions.... I guess what i want out of you is how you got your money back... I am new to this page and cannot find the section on where you were able to get your money back... I'm blind lol PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!!!
  • 0
    Trudy
    HI TEX
    It's really awful that you broke up over db, it's really sickening to hear how much power db has, even after all the bad publicity they are finally getting.
    I think that you need to find out the status of the payment plan, how much has been paid & how much is left owing, before you decide how to proceed.
    Did you live with your bf when you joined, or are you the co-signer with a diff't address that is not written into the contract?  Have you ever been notified in writing, about the debt,by either db or the collection agency?
    DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU HEAR, IT HAS TO BE IN WRITING...
    If you fill me in a little more, I will try to help you.
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    DirectBuy Lawsuit
    Please contact me I already have a lawsuit pending and need a member plaitiff.
    This would be no cost of aggravation for you.

    937-477-7701

    My attorney;

    Craig T. Matthews
    320 Regency Ridge Drive
    Centerville, Ohio  45459-4251
    (937) 434-9393
  • 0
    Tex
    Hi Trudy,
    The remaining balance was about 3600 as of last thursday... I paid 1000 (which brings it down to 2600)so it would not go to a 3rd party collection agency (since he hadn't been paying it since december)... When we signed we were not living together, we were living under each of our parents roofs...it was the salesmans first sales pitch... He kept getting up and asking his supervisor questions that i'd ask him... I told him we didn't live together and he said it was fine (therefore only his name and address was on the loan paper)... I never received any deliquency reports or anything as they didnt know my address, so i assumed he fixed the problem... I only contacted them because I wanted to know if he had been paying it or had it cancelled (since thats what he originally tried to do)...When we signed for the loan (which we never should have been approved for) I was working part time as I was in school... I didn't know my average income so the salesman told me to just take a guess at what it was... They never even seen my income... My ex didn't work at the time and was the primary signer on the loan... I don't know why I signed anything... They were just so convincing... We didn't even have a house of our own to use their services and we would not have been approved for a loan even if we wanted a house trailer... We were not financially stable and still aren't... My ex doesn't want to make the payments but I dont want to have bad credit... Before I found you I gave beta finance an address and my phone number... I called direct buy to get my name off the membership and they told me I couldn't remove my name unless I had my exs approval basically... This is a big headache that I want to get rid of...  I don't want db to get my money because they are crooks and the owner of the one we opened it with was sooo rude to me when I questioned her...
  • 0
    Worried
    Trudy....I have just stumbled onto this site today.  I was hoping to pick your brain if possible, as you seem to have sage advice to offer.  My husband and I joined Direct Buy (in Ontario) July 2nd.  We paid an initial deposit of $524 and decided to finance the rest of the agreement.  We immediately saw the error of our ways and began the process of cancelling the membership.  I went in person to the outlet and spoke to a manager about cancelling the membership.  He said that he was not in charge of such decisions and the general manager would be back in the office July 7.  I left with him our letter requesting the cancellation.  I had him sign my copy that he received it, etc.  I also faxed a copy of that letter to the office that same day (I have confirmation).  He took my membership info (contract, introductory package, etc).  We then phoned and left a message with the General Manager on July 7th asking him to respond to our request.  The man I spoke to in person on July 3rd phoned me on July 8th (I think by accident) and I asked him if our membership had been cancelled, he said he would have to talk to "upper management" and would be in contact with me later that day or the next.  He called me the following day to say that our membership had been cancelled.  I asked him if we could please receive something in writing...I also asked if we would be refunded and if we had to do anything specific to cancel the pre-authorized debit transactions with the finance company.  He said we would receive a letter of confirmation, the refund would be handled by the accounting department, and that we did not have to do anything to cancel the pre-authorized debits.  I am a little gun-shy based on all of the things I have been reading about this company, and I am a little concerned I have been duped again on the phone.  Is there anything else you would recommend I do at this time, or do I wait and see.  We have not yet received anything in writing or a refund (although it has only been 4 days since receiving phone confirmation of our cancelled agreement).  I am worried about the wording of what we asked for (CANCEL vs RESCIND).  

    Any advice/encouragement would be most appreciated.

    Thank you!
  • 0
    Trudy
    Hi Worried
    You are always right to be suspicious of anything verbal, & you have done everything right so far.
    FIRST - contact the finance company directly & explain that you have cancelled & would like to make sure that they rec'd info from db, & you are waiting for your written confirmation of cancellation
    -ask the finance co. to also send you written confirmation of cancellation
    ==========================================================================
    SECOND -- just call & ask for the name of Director/owner& is there a co-owner, & how to spell their names, (but do  not state your name or any other info)...ask for his #number and/or extension #
    I suggest a reg'd letter addressed directly to the owner or director of the location where you joined.
    Outline all the steps that you took, by dates, & names of who you spoke to,
    ...you have a verbal confirmation of your cancellation & are  
    REPEATING YOUR REQUEST for your written confirmation
    along with your full refund...
    Also, written confirmation of the cancellation of the pre-authorized debits with the finance co.
    -ask them to respond within 5 BUSINESS DAYS
    BOTH YOU & YOUR HUSBAND MUST SIGN IT.
    ===========================================================================
    I think that you should receive your refund by July 27th, to allow for mailing time.
    Any other questions for me, please ask...let me know what happens
    ----------------------
    If you don't get your money back, you can use ontario consumer protection act to back you up...check out the letters from Dawn in this site...
    They should ease your mind a bit.
    Good Luck
  • 0
    Trudy
    Hi Tex
    Where do you live? your situation is very complicated...I need to do some research based on where you live...let me know...
  • 0
    chantal
    Hi trudy,direct buy recieved my reg letter on the 2nd it is now the 14th and Ive heard nothing!What would you suggest I do now?
  • 0
    mikey
    isn't it amazing how much horsing around db  gives you  ( stalling)  compaired to how swiftly they can take  your money.

    if it was a ligit company they would have  a system in place to handle   refunds./

    a real bunch of criminals.

    and once they go out of business,  all the members that were suckered into joining  will  be left with  less than nothing
  • 0
    Tom
    A new national class that will include a claim to obtain a refund of your membership fee is being filed.  This is the only suit that will seek a refund of your membership fee.  Contact:

    Craig Matthews, Esq.
    tel 937-434-9393
    cmatthews@ctmlaw.com

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