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Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 352
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:10 pm: | 
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A friend gave me a brochure for the company "Direct Buy". The company claims that if you are a member, you can save thousands of dollars on appliances, carpeting and the like. There are a few Direct Buys in NJ -- I think there's one in Edison. Has anyone tried this? Comments? |
Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 2684
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 3:55 pm: |
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We joined when they were called UCC.
Basically they are a franchise operation whose owners make money on the front end when you sign the contract. Once the contract is signed the customer service is very limited because they don't make any money on the products you buy through them. I believe the contract is a mandatory 3 years and you can't cancel in the middle.
It works like this. You pay a membership fee and can then buy any of products from specific vendors (mainly furniture and appliance, but also some kids stuff like strollers and bigger toys, carpeting, lighting and other home stuffs) at wholesale prices. Sounds great, huh!
You CAN save some money on furniture and other stuff. Appliances not so much as the markup from wholesale to bargained down/sale retail is not as great. HOWEVER you have to pay for shipping and handling, which is a bundle. And for most items (including furniture and appliances) they deliver to the "showroom". So you have to get it from the showroom to your house.
The "showroom" is really just a room full of catalogs, so if you want to see anything IRL you have to find a store that carries the merchandise. It is a PIA to see a product in a catalog at Direct Buy, find out where the product's supplier has showrooms, go to those showrooms to see if you can find the specific product you want.
In addition a lot of furniture manufacturers are not included on their list of vendors. So for example if you see a sofa at Ethan Allen you LOVE, you won't be able to get it through Direct Buy because they don't carry Ethan Allen.
All that being said we probably more than covered the cost of membership because we bought 2+ bedroom sets, most of our living room furniture, a stroller, a crib, yada yada. But I'm doubting we saved more than a grand or so in total over 8 years, and we probably spent between $15-20k on furniture. And it was such a pain to deal with them.
I don't think it is a scam persay, but I don't think you save as much as they want you to believe.
Be warned, if you go to one of their "seminars" you will be asked to make the decision right then to sign up. If you don't sign up you don't have the option of signing up for another year or something like that. Very high pressure.
FYI...we used the Direct Buy in Bergan County, but I believe there is one in Fairfield and as you said Edison. They probably all have different owners. |
kathy
Citizen
Username: Kathy
Post Number: 1252
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 6:01 pm: |
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We joined something similar years ago in Illinois, on the recommendation of friends. (For all I know, they got a finders' fee.) We probably managed to break even on the deal. But it was, as Wendyn says, a pain in the neck. Their "showroom" was not conveniently located for us. We really had to go out of our way to buy enough from them to get our membership fee back.
A bigger concern for me became something that someone brought up in relation to wallpaper: Anyplace that tells you to go elsewhere to choose what you want and then come and buy from them is a parasite. They are saving money by not carrying any inventory themselves, so of course that lets them offer lower prices, but their business is not one that could exist on its own. I prefer to spend a little more, or wait for a sale, to buy from the people who actually carry the items I want. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 1158
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 6:26 pm: |
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With the internet you can find UNBELIEVABLY cheap prices on EVERYTHING. With that knowledge you can walk into most chain stores and show them the print out and ask them to match the price. That is what we did for our appliances at Circuit City.
Worked out VERY well for us. I suspect that the method we used got us a price that is darn close to or better than anything that Direct Buy could get you. And certainly MUCH less hassles.
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -Benjamin Franklin
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Heather
Citizen
Username: Heater33
Post Number: 12
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 8:10 pm: |
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I am also a Direct Buy member - I would say it's great for someone who's just starting out to furnish a home or doing construction on their house. I don't think for the average person it makes a lot of sense. It's $3000 to join up front. My husband and I did a huge addition on our home and started out from scratch with everything. We saved so much $$ on our kitchen cabinets, bathroom fictures & new furniture. Now that we are finished we only use direct buy for odds and ends, but I don't know if we are still saving because we order so little now and they really charge a lot for shipping. |
millie amoresano
Citizen
Username: Millieamoresano
Post Number: 257
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 9:19 pm: |
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When we got engaged (12 years ago). We were invited to one of their demonstrations, we were both so turned off by it because of their desperate sales pitch. |
josophbella
Citizen
Username: Josophbella
Post Number: 19
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - 11:11 pm: |
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I agree with what Wendyn said. I'm a member as well and the big problem I have with it is that it is so time consuming (unless you know exactly what you want). But I do think for someone trying to furnish a house you can save money.
Of course, once you have kids it's a completely different story, because it takes a long time to do the research and my kids do not want to sit there while I'm looking through catalogs. We tried bringing them a few times but now I just go by myself.
My advice would be to consider it if you have a lot of furniture, rugs, lighting, etc. to buy. I believe you will save money over the long run, but the shipping and handling charges do add up. I think the handling charge is 6%, then shipping is based on weight, then you have to pay tax on that. So, really you save some, but spend a lot of time to get those savings.
Good luck.
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