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
I have spoken to Craig Matthews and hopefully he'll be "our guy" who wins the case!
Wow, I cannot believe Informercialscams.com disappeared! It is obvious that DirectBuy reads all of our comments and is trying (again) to do some damage control. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I guess the heat was getting too HOT! I hope people will continue to do their homework before even signing up for the open house presentations and that current / former DB employees will also band together against their unscrupulous employers. DirectBuy is not above the law.....they got Bernie Madoff, the Attorney General will get DB, too! It may take time, but we're all growing in the fruit of patience.
I joined this Direct Buy thing may 16 2009, and by May 25 2009 I call this DB place and wished to canaell but got no help from them at all.
as for this cooling-off period I"m not sure everything was pressured all in one day, with no chance to really think about it. I have a copy still of the cancellation letter which sent to them in care of the person I spoke to at DB and yes it was signed me and my fiancee. Since then I have tried to talk to some one at DB the person claimed to be the owner of the Brampton location and refused to cancell .....What next?
If you read the letters to Dawn, (we both live in Ontario, also)She got her money back with my help. Her letters start on page 15, up to page 17 of this site. The really good news is that Ontario actually has a "real law" & an gov't agency to help you file a complaint, if you do not get results from my advice.
First you need to call the main # where you joined and confirm the owner/director's name (confirm spelling) & are there any co-owners. If they ask you who is calling, just politely repeat your request without answering them. Do not let them connect you to anyone.
Send a reg'd letter to the owner & keep copies & your receipt
Include that your letter is a follow-up to your recent request on______, to RESCIND your contract & you are requesting a refund in full.
There high pressure tactics caused you undue stress because you had to sign on the spot & would not be invited back if you did not sign.
Their actions were in violation of the Consumer Protection Act of Ontario.
It would also help if you found some cheaper products & inc. a copy of any that you find with as much detail as possible (upc #, model #, brand...
Any questions, please ask, but please read the letters I am referring you to, lots of info included.
Also, include that you will be expecting a written response within 10 business days & you will not accept a response by phone or any other unsecured method of communication.
I have been posting references on other complaint sites / blogs to your information. You are the only one who has helped people successfully get their membership $ returned! Yes, it bugs me that you have to give an email address to get onto some of the sites, however, I set up an email account just for the DB issues that is not connected with my personal email. That way, DB can't show up and threaten me at my front door. DirectBuy is going DOWN! I can just feel it!
I agree it is great what Trudy is doing and so nice to see some success on this site. At the same time, DirectBuy generates a BILLION $ in annual merchandise sales and a refund here or there means very little to them. Individual refunds will not take them down. A national class action could.
Thanks for your on-going support & encouragement.
I knew that I did not have to worry about you protecting your identity.
great e-mail address idea...
I was so happy when I typed in Infomercialscams.com & it said gone forever.
I got your recent message & I found out what happened to info...scams
Thanks to Mikey, you can check out his links, recently posted.
1st link -262 complaints vs. db
2nd " the archives - the last one, dated Feb. 3,08
"DB NIGHTMARE"- leads to 411 complaints 2/21/08 to 2/22/06
---Go back to-below title: db threatens...
db threatened the site & they caved in...changed to phoney letters & then disappeared...good news!!!
The only odd thing is that Mikey said that nothing disappears from the net, but my letters are missing because they were written after Feb. 08.
I wonder where they are, just curious.
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By the way, I just came across a "Yelp" site, thanks for the info that it is a scam. You have to be so proud of your son, because you have taught him integrity to avoid working for such a scam.
Bogusia's post on July 18/09, has asked us for our ideas about his strategies. I am going to send a letter to him now, & I am sure that he would appreciate your input.
I am amazed and so happy that you had the dedication to read every page of this site. You are absolutely right that corporate greed prevents news coverage and definitely corrupts it, in their favour. I am very worried about people who don't protect their identity, also.
Your parents so unbelievably lucky to have you looking out for them.
You have also done excellent research and found a site that I did not know about, "userbuzz"
I agree that you would have had nothing to lose by listening to the response to your cancellation...
Thanks for joining us to help warn others.
Good luck to everyone who are still trying to resolve their issues with this company. I am forever greatful!
Did you get written confirmation of your cancellation? If not, send the reg'd letter, repeating your request. PLEASE DO NOT TALK TO THEM.
They definitely break the NYC law you are referring, too. The wording is basically the same as The Consumer Protection Act, of ONTARIO, CANADA.
I definitely agree with being pro-active, but I also warn people to be to careful to protect their identity. I actually read a case where an ex-employee had the police at her door, accused of bad-mouthing db.
YOUR STRATEGY SUGGESTIONS:
*BBB -(2 words) forget it
*Radio/news stns. - " good luck
*db makes too much $$$ from both
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Consider Roger's suggestion to make up an e-mail address without any personal info, just for responding to diff't sites about db.
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Make sure you get your written cancellation, before you do anything.
I don't suggest handing out fliers on/near db, they will retaliate, any way they can....harrassment, defamation, trespassing...
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I do like the idea of enlarging copies of the essential parts of the contract & a reference to the law they break. Underline if there is no cooling-off period, no refunds, no cancellations..., Consider handing them out to friends/family & ask them to pass them on...First, white out your names & anything personal, then photocopy...ask them to keep confidentiality.
Let us know what you think.
You have to contact the finance co. immediately & tell them that you are trying to cancel...ask them to explain what your obligation is.
As long as you communicate with them, they usually try to offer suggestions, ask them what is the lowest payment that they will accept. Just tell them that you are having some financial difficulty...you don't have to go into major details to them. Ask them to send a follow-up to you with a lower payment...
I am not familiar with Beta, but I do know that if you ignore them, & do not make payments, they will send it to a collection agency. That would be another nightmare for you because collections, do not follow rules & are often verbally abusive. Bullies just like db.
Unfortunately, you have an obligation to them until you unless you can get a confirmed cancellation.
You don't need that added to your problems.
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Re: to db
-confirm with the post office the date that db has rec'd your letter
-send a fax about 15 bus. days after that date, remind them that you have not heard from them...repeat your request
-As soon as you get a written response, you can file a complaint Google: Consumer Protection Branch of Ontario
They have a list of things to do before you call them, & you can download a copy of their complaint form
My letters to Dawn should have all the info about the branch...
They also have tape recorded info about collection agencies & credit councelling
Branch toll free 1-800-889-9768 after hrs. has automated info, also
Good luck...don't give up...Any questions, just ask.
I've been scammed from DB in Ottawa and I am trying to get my money back. I am also trying to get them to refund me for the kithcen cabinets I purchased which came in completly damaged and the wrong color. It has been over 6 months now and I am getting discouraged. But I just found your letters and it's giving me some hope. Every time I communicated with DB I used e-mail and asked for a received receipt. I have sent them an e-mail requesting my refund for bith my membership and my cabinets and asked then tp respond within 5 days. They never responded. My membership is financed thorugh the Directbuy Mastercard. I haven't tried sending a registered letter yet, but after reading your posts, I will surely to that now. Please let me know if there is anything else I should include in my letter. I would really appreciate any other info you may have.
Thanks
Pat
We're all in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. I am so glad that informercialscams.com is gone. Although that just means DB's team is considering an alternate strategy.....just as they are with the "trial memberships" they seem to be selling recently. I guess they figure some money coming in is better than no money at all. What bugs me is that they probably take the new member's personal information and there's probably something hidden in the "fine print" that says they don't have the opportunity to cancel or that after the "trial period" is over, their actual payments begin. Overall, we both know that DB is filthy, dirty.
You are dangerous to DB, so I'm sure they are probably trolling to make sure that your entries on infomercialscams.com are "lost" forever. They probably had to hire someone to specifically make that happen.
Going forward, strategies to consider are the following:
Consider making an appointment to see your city attorney or start a writing campaign to your state attorney general (or equivalent in Canada). As with your other advice, always follow-up in writing and log all phone conversations so that you'll have a log. Being polite and appreciating government officials when stating your frustration will get you a long way. The "squeaky wheel" does get the grease!
Contact local college & universities. Both Journalism & Communication Department professors might be interested in having their students research & report on DirectBuy as an instructional lesson. College students are not yet tainted by the advertising dollars that the tv, radio & internet media are.
Local university law schools also do work "pro bono" and this might be one of those cases they can work on with other mentor attorneys.
I have used both strategies in other cases I have worked on and it's been a learning experience for both the students & me. They get lots of "real world" experience & I get a bunch of hungry youth helping me with my plight. I have contacted some people about DB, but haven't had any bites yet.
Someone had protested with a sign outside on the sidewalk of a DB location. Since he was on city property and not blocking traffic, the police allowed him to stay even though DB wanted him out of there. If you're pretty brazen, check your local laws and see if this is an option. I can't see myself doing this, however, maybe someone else will.
Maybe you or someone else like "Mikey" or another DB victim might have more luck in their area as we both know that the BBB is a waste of time. I used to trust them until I found an unscrupulous contractor bought himself an "A" rating.....It's sad to think that we have all trusted them to be consumer rights advocates.
Thanks for your encouragement / support as well. You're the best for staying on top of this site and helping so many people. Trudy, you're truly an inspiration!
DirectBuy may have a corner on the market now, however, they will go down in the end......I truly believe that.
Hi Roger, I have thought about doing that myself and would love to get a few other Calgarians scammed by this Company to join me, but may be hard to arrange a group protest. One thing I don't think they would want is a visible public protest.
It's so true that DB does not want any negative press. If you check Google News for DirectBuy, you find that they donate furniture to the Boys & Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, and to people who have lost their homes in natural disasters. Sad thing is that these folks are all getting sub-standard merchandise & DirectBuy's name is attached to reputable organizations. I do volunteer consultant work with a non-profit & I told the Director that although people may offer you things, they may not be the right people you want involved in your organization.
If you do get a chance to get out with your fellow Calgarions, check all local & State laws. Send a press release to the news media prior to your protest so maybe some newsperson will cover the story (orlook at you like you're nuts).
Good luck.
What did you say as your main reason for wanting to cancel?
Did you try to find any written proof of cheaper prices? This is important because it has been a year since you joined so they are going to be very difficult & want to know why you waited so long.
I would try 1 more reg'd letter stating that they should respond & co-operate with you to prevent further action to be taken against them;
inc. the references to the laws that they have broken (using the 2nd reference that I list in this letter.
Ask for a response within 10 business days.
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google: british columbia consumer protection act
*You will see one lead to the Bus. Practice...Authority - check the complaint tips to make sure that you have included all the info you need
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*Other title is the "Table of Contents..." which gives you the law info.
You need to inc. the parts of the law that you feel that db violates
Part 2-Division 1 & 2 - apply them to your situation
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*You will then have 3 documents to include with your complaint to the bpcpa
The more info, the better. DON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!