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
http://cbs5.com/consumer/direct.buy.club.2.1699434.html
Typical article, some agree with us and others gave glowing reviews. Let the DirectBuyers beware! Please read all of these complaints......Don't join. It will only end in an empty pocketbook.
http://cbs5.com/consumer/direct.buy.club.2.1699434.html
Typical article, some agree with us and others gave glowing reviews. Let the DirectBuyers beware! Please read all of these complaints......Don't join. It will only end in an empty pocketbook.
please contact me to join
vallejomx@comcast.net
" $5,995, plus tax"
we have costco membership ( and 24 hr fitness membership also) and no tax charged on memberships, maybe db is pocketing the tax collected?
DIRECTBUY INC.
8450 BROADWAY
MERRILLVILLE, IN 46410
I just got this letter from db...
Dear.....
Thank you for the letter outlining your concerns. At this time we are declining your
request for a refund of monies paid towards the membership. I would like to speak with you regarding this matter, but given the limited contact option in your letter i will briefly outline a response here.
We do require prospective members to make a decision the night of the open house. This is requisite given our unique relationship with manufacturers. Our relationship with these companies could not exist if we operated in any other manner. After joining you were given three business days to consider the membership, in which you could cancel for a full refund. We do not feel such a significant period of time qualifies under the categories you listed in your letter.
You mention lawsuits involving db. We are a local franchise and Iam not aware of the legal matters of the other centers. Given a company of our size your claim is not accurate or relevant.
It is made very clear during the open house and in the membership packet that certain products "such as electronics and applances are often competitively priced amongst retailers. For this reason, when db culb ditermines that some suppliers' products may be purchased through retail stores at similar prices, we notify our members by labeling the front of the supplier catalog with a "marginal savings" identifier." db offers signigicant savings and we are up front about areas where the savings are limited.
If there are difficulties making monthly payments I would recommened calling Duvera and seeing what options they may have available. I know they have worked with members in the past to structure payments in a way that relieves some of the monthly burden.
Again, Iam more than willing to speak with you regarding your concerns. Please feel free to contact me anytime.
Sincerely,
Robert S
administrative director
db slc ut
what should i do now iam going to send my letter to bbb and to ut consumer protection, and i also was going to try the corrept add above also we were never given the 3 day trial period or at least not told about it
Thank you for your help
bj
I'm a NC resident who responded to phone solicitations from DB in SC on Sat May 29th. The pitch makes all the same promises the others have outlined... no hassle refunds, only 8% handling fee (not disclosing additional service and freight fees from the manufacturer), 80/20 best prices the 20% of the time the pitchman claimed was loss leaders at Walmart and Sam's. They put on the now or never pressure and tried to entice with a Las Vegas trip or a discounted membership price. They only gave me the membership literature after signing a NO REFUND/NO CANCELLATION contract and I wrote a check for the full amount. This was at close of business Sat. and they were closed Memorial day and not open til 1 o'clock today. The literature they provided contradicts all the promises made in the presentation. The contract was on a clip board and I signed the bottom front. After rereading my copy in the car on the drive home, I realized there were 3 more sentences on the back of the contract where I didn't sign or initial. It says that they are exempt and do not have to account for anything said or promised during the presentation or negotiation. That the only thing they will abide by is what is written in the non cancellable contract.
I've placed a stop payment on the check and I am putting together the letter you've described to others and will send it registered.
From reading all over the internet, it is not the last I'll hear from DB... I've read about them sueing and sending to collections, and reporting to all 3 credit score agencies.
I've called SCDCA and they are sending a complaint form. They did divulge that they have 2 other complaints against DB.
Do I fill out the complaint, or threaten to do so to DB in the reg. letter and wait for a timely written response before making the complaint?
I've called business and contract lawyers in the Fort Mill area to try and find one that has dealt with them already... nothing yet. Do I retain a lawyer, or wait for a response? I looked up successful suits in NY where they were let out of contract bc the DB contract was deemed "unconscionable" and another in a different state where it was considered not in "good faith" on DB's part. Do I use these words in quotations in the letter?
Any advice is greatly appreciated,
Sam
I want to send a registered letter to them tomorrow, but I don't have experience with such things and I really want to get this right early, so that I can get my money back.
We live in Dallas, TX. There is the 3 day rescission law. Do you think we have a good chance coming out of this without debt to Direct Buy? Please get back to me ASAP. I will be watching out for your reply.
Risskit@live.com
I know it will be an uphill battle trying to get our $4000 back but we are willing to try. I sent 2 emails to the local DB and not till I mentioned reporting them to the BB did they decide to give me a respone. This company exhibits no ethics when doing business and I plan to tell everyone I know to "beware".
Oh, how I feel your pain. You and your husband got caught up in DB's scam just as my wife & I did. I know it's a lot of work to look though all of the posts to find the information, however, if you want your money back, you'll need to do the homework. I don't know what's happened to Trudy. I hope she's okay. Perhaps she needed a break. After all, she was helping all of the people on this site on her own time and out of her good nature. Most of the information she's written is fairly the same and I am sure you can find someone else with a similar situation as yours. I wish you well in getting your money back. If you are not successful going to registered mail route, consider contacting the class action attorneys listed on this site. Don't feel bad.......we've all been there and need to stick together to shut this place down for good.
www.ctmlaw.com
www.johnwdavis.com (don't forget the "w")
abington ip law ofc. (no www. address)
www.todd-graves.com
www.izardnobel.com
Specialty Retail
DirectBuy, Inc.
SnapshotPeople Company Overview
DirectBuy, Inc. operates as a members-only showroom and home design center that offers merchandise at manufacturer-direct prices. The company offers furnishings; home improvement, flooring, entertainment, and outdoor products; and accessories. It also offers professional design, delivery, and installation services through its network of outside suppliers, contractors, and installers. The company was formerly known as UCC TotalHome, Inc. and changed its name to DirectBuy, Inc. in October 2004. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. It has locations in the United States and Canada.
8450 Broadway
Suite C
Merrillville, IN 46410
United States
Founded in 1971
Phone:
219-755-6211
Fax:
219-755-6208
www.directbuycares.com
Key Executives:
Mr. Scott M. Powell
Chief Executive Officer and President
Mr. Michael Abri
Owner
Mr. Bruce Kiernan
Membership Director
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2009.