Hi,
We're finishing our basement and I was wondering if anyone had any information about "Direct Buy" the place on infomercials etc. I wondered what the "membership" cost is, what types of things are a great discount etc. On the commercials people talk about saving $100,000 and I'm wondering if that's what they saved, what did they spend??? I'm looking for some glass tiles, bathroom fixtures, maybe some furniture etc. Any info would be great! Thanks!
I've been to their presentation and their sales pitch does not make me feel comfortable. What I end up asking myself is, if it's so great, why isn't EVERYONE part of this club? A lot of what they sell are slightly less popular colors, models, etc and I'd feel like I was always settling for something a little less than I wanted. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
We went to the presentation, and decided not to join mostly because immediately after the presentation they told us we had to join right then and there or we could NEVER join (ever, for the rest of our lives). Now, I don't know about you, but when I think about things that are a really great deal, why would they not want you to think it over first? Could you imagine if you went to a car dealership and they told you that either you pony up the cash then and there, or you could NEVER buy a car from them? I mean, it's just crazy and reeks of a bad deal. We didn't join and haven't regretted it.
If you're building an entire house and are a "do it yourselfer" then you might get the $$ worth. Just for a few things, definitely NOT. We joined, and it's a pain. We're building, but in order to get things from there, you have to order 6 weeks ahead. Our contractor will say, "you need a front door next week." Well, that's too late to order from there. They sell everything from floors to light fixtures, tubs, showers, sinks, furniture, bedding, fabric, decking material, pretty much whatever you can think of, but it is a pain. You have to go to the showroom, look through all the books, etc. I would not join again. Like someone else said, you go to the presentation, and can't think about it, you must decide then and there...no second chances. Wouldn't recommend it.
I had a membership. We bought one when we first got married. It's NOT cheap- $5000 when we did it in 2004. To be honest, we NEVER used it, so it was a total waste for us. If you will use it A LOT, it might be worth it for you, but I wish I would have just used the money to buy the things we needed. Your first 3 years are covered when you buy the membership, then it is $100/ year for the next 7 years, then you have to start all over again and pay for your membership. Go on the intro tour, just understand that they will give you a very hard sell, and tell you that that is your ONLY chance to sign up with them. If you are weak to strong sales techniques, it might not be for you.
Good luck,
T.
Just to add to what has already been said and something that you eluded to in your question...what we found is that the items they were selling were all WAY above the price range of anything we would have purchased. Sure you would save $2,000 on a dining room table/chair set that would cost you $10,000. Who spends that much on that item?? They let us peruse a little through their catalogs to try to get us to sign up even though we were not members and that totally turned us away. Do not do it.
We had a membership and found that it wasn't worth it. For example, with furniture, they have fabric samples there but no actual sofas to sit on, and with everything you're basically ordering from a catalog. Also, for some things, they have to wait to even place your order until they can meet the manufacturer's minimum and that can take ages. Plus, with most stuff, unless it's damaged or somehow defective, you can't return it once you've claimed it from the warehouse. I guess maybe if you were doing an entire house, or if you're really good at ordering from catalogs, it might be worth the membership fee, but otherwise I'd skip it.
I've never been but I have friends who are members and say it's great. They were updating their house and purchased windows, window covering, and furniture. I don't know the figures, not even how much they paid to join, but they say they saved lots of money. They did much of the work themselves over a year or so. They were their own contractor. This may make a difference.
Kiera,
we went to a presentation. It is very expensive to join and your choices are limited. I think it is a bad deal.
Victoria
It costs about $2500 or more to join. Why not put that money towrd the cost of your remodel? This place is a scam. You're better off going to Home Depot or Lowe's.
