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 would love to talk to anyone that has information about how to exit a contract with Direct Buy...I signed up on a Saturday and I pretty much knew that I wanted out of the contract...I went home and I ended up talking to my parents about it. I realized that it was not what I wanted to do and I tried phoning the next day to cancel (Sunday) but they were closed. I phoned Monday morning but there is nobody in the office until later morning. I phoned again, Monday on my lunch break and asked to speak with the associate who sold me the membership. I was relayed over to his voicemail and I left a message saying that I wanted to cancel my membership. He would not respond to my call. I tried showing up at the office the following evening after work. I asked again for the guy but apparently he was "out in the back parking lot and was just leaving". It took me a week and a half of phoning, leaving messages and showing up at the Direct Buy office showroom before I actually was able to talk with the office manager. They told me that I couldn't cancel, that Direct Buy didn't have a cancellation policy, that he would look at my situation and try to phone the head office in Vancouver, BC to find out what could be done. He asked me to phone back the following week at a specific time. I did as I was instructed and phoned back the next week at the agreed upon time. Again I was sent to the man's voicemail. I was still quite patient and asked that he return my call. He did not return my call. The next day I phoned again but could not get through. I was not able to go into the office after work that evening because of other commitments. The next day I phoned again and I told the receptionist I would be coming into the office. I showed up and spoke with the manager again in his office. He told me he had spoken with the head office in Vancouver and if I wanted to cancel, I would have to pay a total of $700 Canadian. I was absolutely in disgust. I still maintained the little composure I had left and told him that I would need some time to think about what I would do next. I told him that I was not prepared to just throw away $700 and the fact that I tried phoning in the office the next day and all week.
Sorry about the long winded details of my bad experience but I think it's important for people to know just how deceitful the Direct Buy company is...
I am wondering if anyone can help me? On April 17, 2010 in Kelowna BC I put down $500 towards a silver membership based on a 3 year term of monthly payments without interest. What are my rights as a consumer with this kind of contract and where can I find good information on this? I have already picked up forms now for small claims court. I am wondering if I stand a chance of getting my $500 returned or will I have to pay out another $200 on top of the $500 to satisfy their terms? I don't even know where they are getting $700 from - not sure if they just pulled that number out of the air or what? I would love to have your help to get a success story and I will join all of you in arms to make sure that Direct Buy will forever be hated by the consumer community!! ( :
I tried phoning on The following day (Sunday)and left a message to tell them I was hoping to cancel..I tried phoning on the Monday and left a long detailed message, explaining my situation and that I planned to cancel...I tried showing up on Tuesday in person and the membership manager, "the only person that could discuss membership details," was "out back and just leaving."
Wanting out - Dallas, TX
Please take the time to read Trudy's advice to other members. She basically has a formula using registered mail. In your case, I would suggest expediting your letter to ensure the franchise owner receives it within the 3-day cancellation period. I know this website is difficult to navigate, however, Trudy's example letters are proven to work. You just need to do your homework & take action now. There are also many class action lawsuits against DirectBuy, however, since you just joined, you should try to cancel.
Good luck & keep us posted.
Finkelstein Thompson LLP
Washington, DC office (877) 337-1050
or by email at contact@finkelsteinthompson.com.
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-STATE OR PROVINCE WHERE YOU JOINED
-DATE JOINED------OFFERED A 30 DAY FREE TRIAL?
-have you sent a written complaint???????Have you collected written proof of cheaper prices,
If you have wasted time talking to db, you are wasting valuable time!!!
SEND REGISTERED MAIL ONLY *NO E-MAILS & NO PHONE CALLS
sEND COPies of proof of cheaper prices & outline your specific complaint
ASK for a rescision of the contract
Ask for a response IN WRITING ONLY, within 10 days of receipt of your registered letter
iNC.that you will not accept phone calls or e-mails
***I AM VERY SPECIFIC FOR A REASON ---I GOT MY MONEY BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REFER TO THE STATE OR PROVINCIAL LAW THAT APPLIES
CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT &/OR DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE ACT
***THEY are deceitful, liars & promise excess savings that do not exist
HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS TO JOIN
NO REFUNDS OR CANCELLATIONS IS ALSO VS. THE ACT
*FORCINg you to give up your rights
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they are still scamming millions of people all the time
Don't give up!!!!!!!!!
As you can see from the other letter I just posted,
I am burnt out because people don't listen or trust me.
So I gave up for a while & went on a holiday too.
Please stay here with me & let's try to stamp out DB together!!!!!!!!!
BUT in the complaints that I have tried to help for over a year on this site, the AG still allows DB to freely answer your complaint
& does not "investigate" & does not warn db in any way to stop the
fraudulent actions
REMEMBER THAT THE GOV'T MAKES MONEY FROM EVERY BUSINESS, EVEN SCUMMY DB
When making a complaint to the AG, you can waste crucial time limits to make your complaints,
SO FAR, the AG wants proof of your complaints, t
this is the reason that I always say
FIND PROOF OF CHEAPER PRICES & SEND REGISTERED MAIL ONLY
YOU CAN ARGUE THE ///////////CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
AND/OR THE UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES ACT\
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My previous letter above outlines more details
PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP
asking too many of the wrong questions.
I have been a sales professional for the better part of 12 years and
have dealt with every type of customer personality there is. Today, I got to be
a sales prospect at Directbuy of Baton Rouge,La 14141 Airline Hwy. After having
seen a TV ad for their service, I made a call and set up a visit for Saturday
6/19/2010 at 2pm cst. Directbuy's sales approach is very clever, and very, very
structured. Directbuy grabs total control over the sales presentation. Oh,
before I get too far down the road, you need to know that when you visit them,
you are going to get a sales pitch. I have nothing against selling especially
since it's what I do for a living. But the closest thing I can think of to
describe their approach is that it's like being invited on a 2 day weekend to a
Florida resort all expenses paid, only to become a captive for a sales
promotion. You are only allowed to come by appointment, if married both husband
and wife must come, and if you have children, LEAVE THEM AT HOME! As you might
have begun to figure out, Directbuy wants you and your spouse to be under their
control, without any distractions, for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I am still ok
with that. There were many times when greeting my sales prospects I wished they
had left their kids home, and that I had BOTH spouses present (to avoid getting
the "I have to talk it over with my spouse" sales objection). What happened
today however came as a complete surprise and prompted me to write this review.
The issue I have is that the sales rep (Jim Morgan) was not properly trained to
deal with questions that did not have a pat, scripted answer. He became
increasingly furstrated that some of my questions (and his answers) made
Directbuy membership appear to be less of a value than being represented. Since
the presentation was given to three couples in a group, he became concerned that
the questions I asked and the answers he had to give, could ruin his chance of
selling either of the other two couples on their $4,790 membership plan.
Near the end of Jimbo's presentation, he asked me about the price I paid for a
front loading LG washer, steam dryer, and matching pedestal stands at my local
big box store. I was supposed to say "$3,000 plus tax and delivery", to which he
was supposed to flip over his little sales pitch card showing that Directbuy
members only pay $2,182 for the same set. Only problem for Jim Morgan was that I
answered before the group that I only paid $2,200 including tax, delivery, and
set up! He then tried to attack me personally by suggesting that "Directbuy
isn't for everybody...If you want to spend time hunting for deals then go
ahead". To this I answered, "everybody is looking for a deal, that's why I am
here in the first place"! This was all he could take! He called me and my wife
away from the group, and ordered us to leave. I asked what the problem was and
all he could say is some gibberish about the way I was conducting myself, and
that he did not have to state why I was being ordered to leave. He even said
he'd call the police if I refused to go immediately. The "fake" Mr.Friendly
veneer came off, and he turned on me and my wife like a scene from Invasion of
the Body Snatchers!
Upon reflection, I think his military back ground as a sniper, and field
commander did not allow him to risk giving up his paycheck, total control of a
situation, or being made to look inferior. The irony of the whole thing is that
my wife and I were the only ones in the group that he had ANY chance of selling!
I am wondering if Bill and his wife Pat from DeRidder,La got thrown out too?
Pat was also asking legitimate questions to which Mr.Morgan could not always
give a "good" answer to.
The take away here is that if you go to Directbuy, don't ask any questions that
challenge the sales person and might diminish the value of their membership.
They tell you once you are there, "you will only get one chance to join and it's
now". "You either sign up today, or you'll never be able to join again". Since I
was thrown out because Jim Morgan didn't like me, I guess I will never know
whether or not it's worth it to join Directbuy. I do plan to take this up with
his boss, and Directbuy corporate offices. Remember..."Dont ask the wrong
questions!!!"
why waste your energy here!!!!There are lots of other low life sites for you to lie with all the other low lives,
THERE ARE TONS OF CLASS-ACTION SUITS ALL OVER THE STATES!!!!!!!!
I WONDER WHY????????CAUSE DB IS SCUM
I joined the Syracuse NY DB on Friday, June 18. Nothing was told to me about the 30 day trial until I asked about it. Which would tack on $1000 to a membership if i decided to join. I wrote and mail a certified letter on Monday, June 21 to rescind my membership and refund my deposit in full.I did call on Saturday, June 19 only to leave a message for someone to call me about my membership. But no response. However, I did spend much of yesterday going through this entire postings. As I have not had the chance, I am not able to compare prices. I asked to be allowed to think it over but was told that I couldn't, that the decision had to be made that day.
As I was there a long time, the owner came up to me to ask me what was my thinking in taking so long to make a decision and I said I can't afford the Gold membership. Then i was shown the silver. and the owner asked if that was better. and said to trust them that this is a great deal. the deal breaker for me was that the owner said that I would recoup my membership in my first year, and if I didn't they would refund me my membership. OF course I am sure she would deny that statement. But I joined. Then came out some policies had they been given to me top read prior to signing I would not have joined.
During our conversation I did tell them that i wasn't working. the subject didn't come up again until signing where I asked if I should write unemployed or write down my last employer. My salesman said better to write last employer info. Although I am unemployed, I can survive with what I have been saving. And bc I thought I would save more by being a member, I could buy the things I needed for my house. When I returned home, I gave it more thought and looked thru a catalog, I realized the brands did not fit my lifestyle. and that I would never save or recoup my membership. That's when I found your site and read the horror stories.
Unfortunately, I live in NY state where a 3 day cooling off law doesn't apply. Is there a general corporate policy that allows cancellation even if on my agreement it says cannot cancel? Can I use the bait and switch laws, duress, coercion, oppression, and undue influence to support my claims for canceling? I am just confused to what laws protect me if any and feel that I may be stuck with this for the next three years.
I am shocked to see so many people have been and continue to be scammed by DB. Thank you very much for reading.
This site is for those who are dissatisfied with DirectBuy. Sounds like you work for them and are trying to make them sound better than the scamming liars they truly are.
Welcome back. I am glad you took a break. I know it's frustrating when you're trying to do your absolute best in helping people who won't put the effort in to helping themselves. Taking time off is a good thing and will help refresh you. I was worried about you, however, hoped you would return. We must continue fighting the good fight. Thanks for your dedication and patience in helping those out there to get their money back.
** For anyone else out there who is reading this entry, please do your homework and be patient. Remember that Trudy is not on staff, nor is she being paid to help you. She does all of this out of the goodness in her heart. She wants to help victims and we both hope that everyone will help stamp DB out. THIS SITE is the one of the ONLY legitimate complaint sites left. DirectBuy has purchased and altered (or hacked)two other complaint sites and made themselves out to be a great company.
Let's all continue to work together to put DB out of business and have them return our money!!