Zannee’s Blog at BargainsLA.com

I have been asked my opinion on Direct Buy more than a few times now. I called them several months back to try to get the scoop. I got the brochure and a follow up call to set an appointment which was a total pushy sales ploy. I ended up declining.

I have since spoken to actual Direct Buy clients and read reviews and opinions on the web.

Direct Buy is a deceptive business. They won’t tell you about the contract or costs until after you’ve signed up for an in person presentation/ sales pitch meeting. They do seriously pressure you to join. There is no thinking it over, which you have the legal right to do. You have sign up while you’re there. They will not let the wife attend the meeting without the husband or visa versa. It costs $5900 to join and $200 a year for 10 years.

All of the above issues should make you think twice about Direct Buy. But the more info you have the better so here’s more:

Every Direct Buy location is a Franchise. At Direct Buy you are limited to their choices of vendors/ manufacturers. Though they have reasonable selection of vendors, if you have eclectic / artistic / designer tastes, you probably won’t find much through them and get your money’s worth from the membership.

The retail markup in home improvement and home furnishings varies widely from 15%-300%. The term “wholesale/ manufacturer direct” can be deceptive when you’re comparing pricing if you don’t know the companies actual cost. Direct Buy does some minimal marking up by charges additional handling fees and they also don’t guarantee the price quoted on a product, so you may end up paying more than the initial quote…and you’ll still have labor costs, delivery and taxes bringing the costs up so any actual savings disappear.

Southern California is home to 1000’s of importers, manufacturers, wholesalers, jobbers and discounters where you can buy directly and save a lot of money without joining a club.

But, because of their deceptive tactics, I don’t recommend them. Remember they are in business to make money and are running very expensive radio ad campaigns to generate income. If you Google Direct Buy you’ll find plenty of links to complaints.

Yes, smart shoppers can buy manufacturer direct without the middleman and without Direct Buy.