Ucc Totalhome, Directbuy ripoff tricked and lied to us slow prossessing charging for simple things that are free in retail stores Hauppauge New York

I agree that DirectBuy is shilling. I've just started investigating them today, and on every single website I've come across where DirectBuy customers have complaints, I see the exact same rebuttals - in many cases a cut & paste, in some cases a sentence or two changes.

It's also funny that even if a single negative post is made there are suddenly five more posts saying the same thing about how "DirectBuy isn't for everyone" or "You don't understand the pricing", even if it isn't directly related to the complaint. Some of these forums I've visted are a little obscure, I find it hard to believe that there are that many satisfied DirectBuy customers just running across these sites within a few hours of a post being made.

Plus, it seems a lot of complaints are being filed with state AGs, and in those cases DirectBuy backs right down. If they were a reputable company they would have a defense.

"WITH REGARDS TO THE FACT, YOU PAY WHEN YOU ORDER YOU ITEMS WE DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF YOUR PUCHASES."

If this is true then why would DirectBuy care if you bought anything through them or if you went somewhere else?

I'm refering to a report filed here on ripoffreport where a person joined DirectBuy with the assurance that DirectBuy had contractors in his area, when in fact they did not. As part of trying to find a contractor this customer ended up going to a Home Depot and got a quote for less than what DirectBuy was charging for the same items. DirectBuy accused him of leveraging his membership to get Home Depot to offer a lower price - but if DirectBuy makes nothing off of their sales, why would they care? They wouldn't.

As a side note, you started your post out trying to sound like a consumer and halfway through admit you're an employee of DirectBuy. Not very convincing, try harder next time. Also try to get your caps key unstuck, it will make you seem more believable.

I went online to directbuy.com after hearing the Radio commercials and the endorsement by Pugs&Kelly of 105.3 Free-FM (DFW).

So of course I received a call from Directbuy. Since my spouse travels, I said I would be coming in alone. "Sorry. You cannot come alone to the open house" was the answer.

I refused and they canceled my appointment. Never heard back from them.

to this day I did not understand why they would not let me attend the open-house by myself.

My wife and I recently attended I guess and open house is what you would call it for DirectBuy. I saw an infomercial and naturally wanting to save money called and they set up an appointment for me and my wife. I understood the whole concept of buying direct from the manufacturer and all that. BUt then the price to join 3500$. I felt really apprehensive at that point. Of course they asked us if we had any questions.

But I was still reeling over the 3500$ and the fact I had to make this decision NOW!!! or it was not going to be open to me every again. The sales person showed us different catalogs of things we could save on and showed us the web site at a kiosk in the showroom. I didn't see much of a savings on the things I would most likely buy i.e. electronics and appliances. We talked about cabinets for our kitchen and they said they can usually save people 60% but were never told any actual figures.

My wife asked I think to be a normal question "What if I don't like what I bought". We were told that we probably would not be able to return the item unless the manufacturer would take it but most likely would only do that for a re-stocking fee. Plus I learned in the open house that there are a few other fees that would have to be paid which they could never tell me how much they would be.

Were were also told that we would have to pick up the items ourselves at Directbuy. I thought to myself if I have to pay shipping and handling why can't it be shipped to my house??

Never the less my wife and I could not decide on weather to do this or not. We were there about 30 minutes after they had closed anyway. So we did it and signed.

Later when we got home. I did feel buyers remorse and decided to look up some things on the internet. Well you know what I found. After that I read the contract. I was basically unimpressed by the wording of it. In no certain terms. The only thing I bought with my 3500$ was the right to look at the catalogs and order through them.

Lowest price is not guaranteed. As far as customer service after the sale or if I have a problem I am up the creek if they don't want to help me. Then I also read there are no refunds of your membership. Then I got a sinking feeling. My wife called and to the directbuys credit here in Grand Rapids MI. They did give us our 500 down payment back. They told us that they usually give people 3 days to do this. But they also mentioned that legally we could hold you to the contract but since we are nice people we won't. Okay that didn't seem legal to me but I won't argue since they gave me my money back.

I'm sure you can save money with these people. BUt like I said before if there is a problem. They don't have to help you at all. I've worked around the construction field for over ten years things always go wrong when buying things for your home. Be it wrong sizes wrong color or you just don't like the way it looks. To me DirectBuys is not worth a 3500 gamble

Carl reinforces my point about how DirectBuy uses deception on a regular basis to manipulate consumers. When an ex-member like myself uses factual references and common sense to refute and warn people not to simply trust DirectBuy, of course they will try to discredit us. The points I make are confirmed by attorney general's offices, media reports, public court records and the BBB. DirectBuy members have also posted their own experiences which are unique to each member. The employee statements made claiming that I personally am behind all these posts is equally ridiculous and any reader will have no problem seeing through yet another lie, sponsored by DirectBuy.

Dishonesty is not a ruputation a respectable company likes to spread and reinforce by having their employees blatently lie on their behalf, but DirectBuy is not like most reputable companies. The promises made during the sales pitch, the exaggerations used to sell memberships has been a tool the this company has relied on for years. Like many DirectBuy employees, Carl is merely retelling the lies that are part of the corporate environment. DirectBuy knows full well that when Carl represents their company on this board and elsewhere, he is lying on their behalf. They obviously condone this lying as it continues to persist. Consider that this company encourages and pays its employees to lie about something as easily disproven as my being one of their thieving franchisees, leads to the conclusion that DirectBuy would use deception to sell memberships.

Once joined, the contract does not allow for refunds, so in a twisted sense, deceptiveness has worked for them. Yet their reputation has tarnished and name changes aren't enough. The internet provides access to actual experiences by actual members and courts are finding that DirectBuy has violated consumer protection laws by these very practices. Carl and other DirectBuy employees choose to ignore these facts and must now resort to unethical lying and personal attacks to try and keep selling those several thousand dollar non-refundable memberships.
Friend

Friend,

Wake up readers is more like it. You are lien to everyone that you come in contact with, including the people the know the truth (at least your stick to your lie). It's easy for you to deny such claims -- I don't blame you though, I wouldn't want to take credit for a dark past such as yours as well. As a good guy eh'? Pot calling the kettle black, don't you think? I won't post your name and location on the internet -- with a past such as yours, that may come back to haunt you bud. Plus there are other legal reasons (that I'm sure your trying to trap me in). There is no reason to warn consumers -- we got rid of you a long time ago. Your telling me to use common sense? You're the one who got caught stealing. My anger is directed at the person that spends most of his free time posting slander against the company I love -- that's you, correct? Misdirected, I think not. For every 10 people that post there complaints, 2 are actually different people, the rest are you. You say I will be held liable? For what? As far as I can see, you're the only one to held liable -- for slander. Complaints are one thing, everyone complains about something, it's human nature. Lies and twisting of the truth for mass production with the intent of depreciating the company is another -- and that my friend is actionable (or soon will be).

By the way, posting a little here and there is different from creating and maintaining your own detailed websites on twisted truth. Also you have links all over the web, reminds me of a conspiracy theory. You have spent quite some time in your futile efforts.

As far as a spam bot -- do you mean a spam robot? How can a robot send spam email to a website? Did you make that up too?

Friend, first of all it's not my place to justify Directbuy. The statements were made to make the point that it's up to them not us. You are unhappy with the service I get that but many people are unhappy with many things but they don't keep dwelling on it day after day.

It didn't help you sorry but that doesn't mean it's a scam it just didn't wk for you. You say the selection is limited well mabye to some people but, 750+ manufactuers is not bad.

Tell me one store with that wide of a selection. I personally don't think the selection is limited. As for the purchasing amount statement many clubs now use direct accounts with many manf. so the sales are reported on a local level not in the corporate report.

So reguardless you info is incomplete. Also use common sence if Directbuy were not for real what possible reason would any creditable manuf have for allowing them to sell there product.

My idea of a scam is going to the same store my parents did 2 days after them and being told I could buy the same thing they saw for 20% less and they were not given the same deal.

Is that fair? No, but it happens all the time. Reguardless of contract or owners or anything else it comes down to saving money.

If our price is lower than great if not well shop at the stores you have nothing to lose your not going to join anyway. But your posts don't even mention allowing someone else to be right only you and that's not fair. There are plenty of companies and places I would not pay someone to go to.

Again that's my opinion because others may loves those places or companies. You are talking to people like they do not have a mind of their own which is strange because you seem to be a intelligent person just very upset. I am curious though about how long it has been since you have been into a club?

Many things have changed over the past few years. I don't think you relize you may be costing people thousand of dollars by complaining about somthing you don't have the complete understanding of anymore.

Think about it if you were really right nobody would be joining insted a record number of people are joining and very happy with it. All I ask if possible is let it be.

Unless you think everyone should think like you in which case many will lose. Directbuy is not for everyone but it's their choice to make with an open mind not doubts because of multiple rants from anyone.

I would be glad to address any other concerns you may have as well as if you have apples to apples prices that show you beat Directbuy's prices.

That's what it's all about is savings so prove it and not will seconds or discontinued items or small little things get some furniture or flooring or somthing worth comparing.

I will be waiting. And by the way there are millions of products available at Directbuy and some you save alot on some not so much so don't just hunt for thing you think are dirt cheep.

You know our brands aleast find 1 good quality sofa to compare those are always fun!!!

Jeff,
I am responding to your rebuttal of my post. For the source see Jeff's post.

1. Has the contract changed? If so what is the language that backs up your statement about refunds. Unless there's been a major change of direction, the contracts specifically indicate that there are no refunds. This contract has been used to deny refunds even for those members who did not buy a thing from your company. Advice: Do not take Jeff's or anyone's word for it. Get it in writing and make sure it supercedes all other contracts or you will not be given a refund of the thousands of dollars you spent based on false promises. If indeed the contract has been changed to allow refunds for the members who discover that the selection is too limited and the prices are not lower, then I will cease my warning posts and I will take down the web site.

2.Re-read the paragraph you took the quote from.
The combined intrusion of telemarketing plus the recently added infommercial are the 30+ years I was referring to. Whatever spin you want to put on the name change doesn't hide the fact that UCC spent 30 years building a "brand". That brand had so much negative baggage that you needed to find a way to try and escape the reputation of that "brand".

3. Youe rebuttal on this point serves to show the doublespeak given when challenged on the false claims made to sell memberships. Nowhere near 30-40 locations were added, so that claim was plain false.

4. You did not address the very low annual purchase amount. If the annual purchase amout(not savings, just purchases) is so low, most members never recoup there expensive membership fee through savings with your club, therefore a waste of money based on your misleading sales pitch.
Carl has posted, so I will address that issue now, in this section. Carl is a dupe. Carl believes his bosses when they lie to hom about me being a franchisee. It would be so easy to discredit me by including some facts like my name and the location of the franchise I supposedly ran. If there was only one franchisee who stole from the members etc., then it would be easy for Carl or you to post a name and location to where it occured, even if it were not me specifically. I conclude there is more than one franchisee who steals from members or you or Carl would have at least posted
some sort of facts to back up that claim. Feel free to expose these crooks. If it is true, then it is not libel.

5. No rebuttal.


The rest of your post is referring ot other unsatisfied members who post their experiences. There are many, many unhappy members who have regretted joining, so the posts are widely varied to content and personal experience.
As Jeff suggests, take pricing for comparison. Make sure that you compare "apples to apples" for the things you want and don't settle for the limited selection they have to offer. If they do not carry Miele or Sony, then do not settle for somethiong they may have at the time they want to compare it with. That is not allowed by DirectBuy when asking for refund and you should not allow it to blind you when deciding to join. After you compare prices, add on the shipping, handling and other fees it cost to get it to your home. That will add about 22% to the prices listed. That is the price to compare. Also consider that there is no guarantees of customer service. In fact DirectBuy claimed in court(while being sued) that they had no obligation to help customers once joined.

Carl,
Wake up man. Your bosses lie to you. I have never been a franchisee or anything other than a member.
You should know this by now as your bosses give you a song and dance about why they can't tell you the crooked franchisees name or names. As a good guy, you should be adamant about posting my name and location to challenge me and my reasons for warning consumers. Stick to your guns, but use you common sense. Your anger is misdirected. You should be angry at your bosses for using you as their dupe. They won't be the ones held responsible for libel, you would be! And Carl, a productive person can post a few lines here and there to warn others without spending a lot of time. You must know that after all, you wrote a spam bot to hit my website. That didn't take too long did it?

Yes Jeff, you are correct.

He had his center license revoked because he was skimming the money made off new members. I feel UCC corporate took the appropriate actions and removed the rotten apple from the tree. Mr. friend doesn't think the same way though, but can you really expect him to -- he is a thief and a liar. He got mad that he was caught and ever since then has been running around spreading false slander. His form of revenge?

Sad soul this Friend guy is. He must be either retired or has no life because he spends a good portion of his day posting on the internet.

Would like to thank you Jeff, and everyone else8 out there, for giving detailed rebuttals to the slander facing the company I'm proud to work for.

First of all I am a member at Directbuy & Employee so I completely understand if any of my comments are disreguarded. Friend I don't know who you are but if you are or were a member you either haven't been in or don't know how Directbuy works now. So for you and everyone else I will give you as many facts as possible in response to your statements.

1.Maybe the members are on the books because there are no refunds given?

False: If a person is not satisified with their membership for a legitiment reason and the problem cannot be solved Directbuy has no reason to keep their money. There are exception to this also to protect the company. (example) you purchase thousands of dollars of furniture and save a bundle then ask for a refund you will not get it. common business sense....

2.Now they had to change their name again to DirectBuy they are polluting the airwaves with a misleading infomercial. With all that exposure for 30+ years all they can get was 500,000 members?

False: You must not be in business. UCC stands for United Consumers Club. UCC was only used to shorten the name so there has been only one name change in 34 years. The name was changed for the sole reason of making a name to better describe where the company is headed and what we do. I hope you agree if you heard UCC you wouldn't know what that means but, Directbuy makes more sense. It's called building a brand. Also the infomercial you spoke of has only been on for about 2 years now not 30+

3.If it were as good as claimed, how would the traditional retail model survive? Where are the other businesses who recognized this "superior" business model? Where are the 30-40 new locations you claim last year?

Answer: Because Directbuy never claims to replace the stores. A well staffed club can only meet with around 300-400 familys a month and not everyone joins. In most big cities there are anywhere from 250,000 to over a million people and many others move in and out of the area every year. So best case we can only talk to 1% or 2% of those people per year.That leaves 98% to go the traditional route.Many others have tried to copy our business model but fail because of either bad preperation or lack of experience.(just my opinion)Finally the new locations most of them will be opening this year due to certain laws in California that have just changed over 20 in the next year or two and other cities as well.

4.The savings are small or fictitious for most members, thus the extrordinary amount of complaints and media reports and court cases against this company. Combine that with Carl Gregory's insider report of franchisees who steal from the members, it looks like a horrible situation. DirectBuy needs more employees like Carl Gregory to come forward and tell it like it is! Kudos to the bravery of Mr. Gregory for his alerting the public to the sinister personell of DirectBuy.

False: I am so glad that all of our members have you to speak for them (enough said).I have seen all the negative post on all the different sites and a large portion are from you. So you say we have around 600,000 members and I will say around 600 different complaints (different people which are in most or atleast half not members)is around 1% of the total which I personally think is very good. You can't make everyone happy all the time you know we never claimed to be perfect.Next I have seen this Carl's posts and it looked like he was calling you the thief or ex-owner that was fired and he never posted anything about multiple owners having that issue anyway or atlest that I saw.Plus if the corporate office fired him isn't that a good thing. When you are a big company you can't watch everyone all the time you can only do what is right when you find out somethnig is wrong which they did.

5.$3500-$5500 membership fee

True: Finally, depending on the location or country of the club.

Last Thing...

I have seen a few other things in your other posts and you site that are not true as well.

BEWARE:
There are no merchandise returns. (False- depends on the Manuf.)
There are no refunds if not satisfied.(False-covered that eariler)
Merchandise is sold without warranty.(False- why the manuf. gives the warranty not the store you buy in from.)
There is no after sale support or service.(False- Then why do all clubs have a service staff to place orders and answer question and help find things. They are not paid for show.)

On one of you post a few wekks back you told people the can't see anything before they join (the catalogs) False again- We encourage everyone to bring in pricing with them on the items they are looking for so they can compare. And by the way if someone else brings in the pricing and we are lower in price then how do we lie? It's their price we don't change the price list.

I'm done now. The only point I wanted to make is don't listen to me or Friend look for yourself take pricing with you and prove one of us wrong. It's your choice not a couple of guys typing on a computer. Check it out for yourself and be prepared with pricing and any other questions you need answered.Worse case your no worse off but, on the other hand you could save alot of money.

"Although obviously the savings are much greater in comparison or else we would have no members let alone yes over half a million and currently enrolling 15,000 monthly as well as opening an additional 30-40 locations by 2004's end"

My experience as a member gave me first hand knowledge of the deceptive tactics of this company! The person who posted that is not being honest!

Maybe the members are on the books because there are no refunds given? When DirectBuy was United Consumers Club and when they had to change their name to UCC Total Home they saturated the annoying telemarketing industry enough to get sanctioned by the attorney generals of several states with an extreme amount of unwanted calls. Now they had to change their name again to DirectBuy they are polluting the airwaves with a misleading infomercial. With all that exposure for 30+ years all they can get was 500,000 members?

If it were as good as claimed, how would the traditional retail model survive? Where are the other businesses who recognized this "superior" business model? Where are the 30-40 new locations you claim last year? Where are the franchisees who steal from the members as stated by Carl Gregory, an employee of DirectBuy in Texas?

If DirectBuy is such a good deal why don't members buy enough to pay for their membership fees? You say half a million members, with 15,000 new members every month. So by now there would be over 600,000 members.
If the TOTAL AMOUNT of merchandise you sell is less than $125 million, and your membership is less than 600,000-- Do the math, $125 million divided by 600,000 is less than $210 per member.

All those members and all that arrogance over less than $210 measly dollars in sales per year? If the average sales per member were only $210, then the $3500-$5500 membership fee would never, ever pay off for most members. But there's more bad news...that does not indicate savings, but the total average sales per member. The savings are small or fictitious for most members, thus the extrordinary amount of complaints and media reports and court cases against this company. Combine that with Carl Gregory's insider report of franchisees who steal from the members, it looks like a horrible situation. DirectBuy needs more employees like Carl Gregory to come forward and tell it like it is! Kudos to the bravery of Mr. Gregory for his alerting the public to the sinister personell of DirectBuy.

As a member in West Palm Beach, Florida, I previously wrote in with "tips" you should do BEFORE going to a DirectBuy open house..hopefully some took my advice and are reaping the incredible benefits of savings! Yet when I read some of the rebuttals, it is so clear to me (as a member) that those people either:

A) Didn't ask enough questions BEFORE they signed; nobody makes anybody do something they don't want to do!
B) Didn't understand the contract
C) Didn't speak to other members present in the showroom
D) Didn't see general price comparisons

Nothing's "perfect" in life and I'd like to hear comments from all these disgruntled people on how they get along with retail stores???? Why are they NOT mad knowing they are giving retails extra money??? When I saw what the TRUE prices were that these retail stores pay and then charge us.....THAT was what I was mad at.....being ripped off for YEARS by retail! We threw away so much money for nothing! I only wish I found DirectBuy YEARS ago!

Since DirectBuy....there is no way I would EVER pay retail pricing again! We have found that DirectBuy was a very black and white decision---either we buy direct from the manufacturers or we're stuck going to a retail store and paying that store their "profit" on that same item. Who in their right mind would WANT to give a retailer those extra dollars?

So as a very happy member....here's my advise.....

1) Keep an open mind and judge for yourself. I went on some of these posted websites before we went for our Open House and no one was in MY area and some of the information was just openly vendictive and inaccurate. What one person's negative comment here may say, may not even apply to you or whether you could be enjoying the benfits. Are you willing to give up the POSSABILITY that one of these commentators, who you don't know from a hole-in-the-wall, just deprived you from saving $1,000's of dollars??? You decide, but get the information to make your decision.

2) Do your homework of pricing a few name brand manufacturer items....KNOWING that the day you go to the Open House...you WILL be expected to make a decision THAT day! So go when you're ready to decide one way or the other.The center in West Palm Beach (where I belong) tells you this all UP FRONT so you don't waste your time or theirs. WE never felt one moment of being "pressured". They explained all of this the minute we sat down and gave us the option to leave if we were NOT prepared to decide that day. My husband was very sceptical, but they answered every question my husband threw at them and he agreed that if they could PROVE they could save us money over the next few years....then we would join.


3) Don't bother to go if you're spending less than $5-6,000 in "stuff" over the next 2 years. Otherwise it won't be worth it to you and YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED! The reality is you won't be spending enought to justify their "fee" and unfortunately you will have to stay with retail and PAY those regular markups. We had to remodel our kitchen, replace flooring, ceiling fans, patio furniture, my husband wanted a specific Sony TV and my daughter just found out she was pregnant (and they have all the major lines of baby manufacturers) so we really lucked out and have saved a ton! And now I just ordered a new sofa that I saw in a local store for $2600.00 and I paid $649. for the SAME sofa from DirectBuy.

4) I can't say what any other DirectBuy showroom allows, but since my husband was so sceptical,....they actually SUGGESTED that we walk around their showroom and randomly talk to members. This was great. Ask your location if you can do that. Not only do you hear the stories of savings....but it was good to hear about the "problems" and how DirectBuy handled it.
When do you ever get to do this in ANY retail store?

My big sceptic husband is now a regular at DirectBuy and we have referred many friends (some that did not join just because of the fee--too bad--one just overpaid for the same Omega Dynasty kitchen I got... that they purchased at EXPO for $4700. MORE than what I paid for mine! AND they still are having installation problems and arguing with the store!)

Both my husband and I have found that certain things we still can find closeouts on that are cheaper than DirectBuy, but the reality is that DirectBuy doesn't HAVE closeouts anyway. I use them for the regular items and gifts throughout the year and the little stuff I still go to Target or WalMart.

My husband retired last year from the lighting business and he was amazed at the number of lighting vendors and the discounted pricing DirectBuy offers. That helped in us making our decision. We are so happy with DirectBuy because we can now buy so much more with our dollars by only paying the "cost" price ...we don't have to compromise on better quality and he just gets a big kick out of every time he buys something for less.

Hope this helped!!! And to the man in Hauppauge who keeps complaining about not getting his memberships cards....OPEN YOUR MOUTH! Call corporate! Why would you even wait this long over something so trivial! You have options---use them!

P.S. Though I have never bought any jewlery from them yet....I will share a story I witnessed last week in our West Palm Beach DirectBuy...another member was placing an order for a holiday gift for his wife....a diamond bracelet retailing for $3600.---his cost from DirectBuy was $800.!!!! WOW! Now I just nee MY husband to do that! LOL

I have saved $15,000 remodeling 2 rooms in my home- good luck to all of you who chose to pay inflated retail prices. I am happy, and have purchased fine products I might not have been able to afford at retail.

I can certainly understand the many concerns in regards to the DirectBuy concept. You can save enormous amounts of money which obviously comes with catches. I've served this fine company for three years and have helped a significant number of families improve thier lives.

Ask any of them and they'll tell you. They certainly feel compelled to remind me of this with each return to our showroom. Most the people I've seen become members we're,more often than not,the most educated of consumers who recognize the awful bind the retail stores have themselves in and understand that we are and will probably always be thier ONLY escape.

The people I speak of generally knew what they wanted and what the best prices were on the items they wanted. We strongly recommend the club for those folks who see themselves making significant purchases only. I also suggest to all those I work with that before the explanation of how our service works we clarify a few key points.

Take note all fellow DirectBuy employees: DirectBuy has three catches; 1-Everything must be ordered and paid for in full before the merchandise is received;2-There is a membership fee which varies by location in regards to the costs of living in that area and will be covered shortly.

Although obviously the savings are much greater in comparison or else we would have no members let alone yes over half a million and currently enrolling 15,000 monthly as well as opening an additional 30-40 locations by 2004's end;3-And most importantly we deal with manufacturers at strictly cost prices,confidential information.

This fact limits guests to a one time oppurtunity to view these prices. After which manufacturers request you make a choice of whether this is for you or not. if yes great if not we cannot offer you the oppurtunity again. You must make the choice before leaving with the facts fresh in your mind. Another key point before I end this manufacturers warrant merchandise not the stores.

Our contract claerly states WE do not warrant this merchandise however we will gladly assist our members in locating the factory authorized service peron who will service any item under warranty at no charge. Consider this as well the a large portion of our member base came from members who referred them because they were pleased with our service.

One more thing all those researching us before visiting please take note of which location all complaints are referred to. Example we offer complimentary interior design and cabinet design by certified designers. Thanks to everyone who stand up for this concept.

To all those who are a part of this and are satisfied please consider the fact that all those who are stating claims they know nothing about are jeopardizing your relationship with these manufacturers as well. All satisfied members speak up. Thanks again to all who have.

I can certainly understand the many concerns in regards to the DirectBuy concept. You can save enormous amounts of money which obviously comes with catches. I've served this fine company for three years and have helped a significant number of families improve thier lives.

Ask any of them and they'll tell you. They certainly feel compelled to remind me of this with each return to our showroom. Most the people I've seen become members we're,more often than not,the most educated of consumers who recognize the awful bind the retail stores have themselves in and understand that we are and will probably always be thier ONLY escape.

The people I speak of generally knew what they wanted and what the best prices were on the items they wanted. We strongly recommend the club for those folks who see themselves making significant purchases only. I also suggest to all those I work with that before the explanation of how our service works we clarify a few key points.

Take note all fellow DirectBuy employees: DirectBuy has three catches; 1-Everything must be ordered and paid for in full before the merchandise is received;2-There is a membership fee which varies by location in regards to the costs of living in that area and will be covered shortly.

Although obviously the savings are much greater in comparison or else we would have no members let alone yes over half a million and currently enrolling 15,000 monthly as well as opening an additional 30-40 locations by 2004's end;3-And most importantly we deal with manufacturers at strictly cost prices,confidential information.

This fact limits guests to a one time oppurtunity to view these prices. After which manufacturers request you make a choice of whether this is for you or not. if yes great if not we cannot offer you the oppurtunity again. You must make the choice before leaving with the facts fresh in your mind. Another key point before I end this manufacturers warrant merchandise not the stores.

Our contract claerly states WE do not warrant this merchandise however we will gladly assist our members in locating the factory authorized service peron who will service any item under warranty at no charge. Consider this as well the a large portion of our member base came from members who referred them because they were pleased with our service.

One more thing all those researching us before visiting please take note of which location all complaints are referred to. Example we offer complimentary interior design and cabinet design by certified designers. Thanks to everyone who stand up for this concept.

To all those who are a part of this and are satisfied please consider the fact that all those who are stating claims they know nothing about are jeopardizing your relationship with these manufacturers as well. All satisfied members speak up. Thanks again to all who have.

I can certainly understand the many concerns in regards to the DirectBuy concept. You can save enormous amounts of money which obviously comes with catches. I've served this fine company for three years and have helped a significant number of families improve thier lives.

Ask any of them and they'll tell you. They certainly feel compelled to remind me of this with each return to our showroom. Most the people I've seen become members we're,more often than not,the most educated of consumers who recognize the awful bind the retail stores have themselves in and understand that we are and will probably always be thier ONLY escape.

The people I speak of generally knew what they wanted and what the best prices were on the items they wanted. We strongly recommend the club for those folks who see themselves making significant purchases only. I also suggest to all those I work with that before the explanation of how our service works we clarify a few key points.

Take note all fellow DirectBuy employees: DirectBuy has three catches; 1-Everything must be ordered and paid for in full before the merchandise is received;2-There is a membership fee which varies by location in regards to the costs of living in that area and will be covered shortly.

Although obviously the savings are much greater in comparison or else we would have no members let alone yes over half a million and currently enrolling 15,000 monthly as well as opening an additional 30-40 locations by 2004's end;3-And most importantly we deal with manufacturers at strictly cost prices,confidential information.

This fact limits guests to a one time oppurtunity to view these prices. After which manufacturers request you make a choice of whether this is for you or not. if yes great if not we cannot offer you the oppurtunity again. You must make the choice before leaving with the facts fresh in your mind. Another key point before I end this manufacturers warrant merchandise not the stores.

Our contract claerly states WE do not warrant this merchandise however we will gladly assist our members in locating the factory authorized service peron who will service any item under warranty at no charge. Consider this as well the a large portion of our member base came from members who referred them because they were pleased with our service.

One more thing all those researching us before visiting please take note of which location all complaints are referred to. Example we offer complimentary interior design and cabinet design by certified designers. Thanks to everyone who stand up for this concept.

To all those who are a part of this and are satisfied please consider the fact that all those who are stating claims they know nothing about are jeopardizing your relationship with these manufacturers as well. All satisfied members speak up. Thanks again to all who have.

Warning! They are trying to get you to buy a non-refundable, non-cancellable "membership" contract costing $3000 or more, payable in advance. You are led into this trap by thinking that by paying $3000 (or more) membership fee (in advance) that you will get better prices - that you will be able to buy at "cost." Beware that there are no guarantees that you will be buying at "cost" and that there are no guarantees of savings whatsoever. Since the "membership" fee is non-refundable and non-cancellable, should you not realize any savings, oh well, too bad - no refunds! Buyer beware this scam! Here are some links to more information about them-

http://www.nationalpost.com/financialpost/story.html?id=19E244B1-7DD0-45A2-B66D-7883F94E1DB4

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/services/ucc/

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/video/programs%5f2001%5f02/ucc%5fqt%5f020306.html


http://www.newsnet5.com/news/335540/detail.html

http://www.wbz4.com/lyons/local%5fstory%5f063165203.html

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1229/4780642.html


http://formeraboutguides.com/investingcanada/library/weekly/1999a/aa062399.htm

http://formeraboutguides.com/investingcanada/library/weekly/1999b/aa110499.htm

http://formeraboutguides.com/investingcanada/library/weekly/2000b/aa122100a.htm


http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/frames.cgi?1594

http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/frames.cgi?0511

http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/frames.cgi?2148

http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/u/unitedconsumersclub%5ftoc.htm

http://forums.moneysense.ca/thread.jsp?forum=3&thread=1229

http://plex.us/outbursts/marx%5fmotivation.html

http://martinsquest.com/personal/UCC%5fTotalhome%5fDirectbuy.htm

http://forums.delphiforums.com/ucctotalhome/start


A NY court found the membership contract "grossly unconscionable" and that "Club membership is nothing more than a cleverly disguised method of selling nothing but hopes and dreams."

http://www.mlmlaw.com/library/cases/mlm/state/nyniemiec.htm


Paragraph 8 is where they said they aren't required to give any service after the sale. Yes, see for yourself they used it in court to try to save themselves.

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us./rod/documents/2/2002/2002-ohio-3806.doc



UCC blames the member for the delay in receiving merchandise for over 4 months! Read it for yourself at paragraph number 33!

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/documents/2/2004/2004-ohio-2426.doc



Lawsuit shows strong moral and ethical conduct by UCC/TH/DB franchisee

http://www.lawlibrary.state.mn.us/archive/ctapun/0405/opa031376-0511.htm


BEWARE:
There are no merchandise returns.
There are no refunds if not satisfied.
Merchandise is sold without warranty.
There is no after sale support or service.

http://free.hostdepartment.com/d/directbuyinfo/

MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT - READ IT BEFORE YOU GO IN FOR THE PRESENTATION:

http://free.hostdepartment.com/d/directbuyinfo/MembershipAgreement.htm

I thought my rebuttal might be helpful to those that are just looking for honest information about DirectBuy. We DID join but I would have appreciated someone giving me the same few suggestions I'm going to give you, so for those who want to consider it:

1.) Definitely have a retail spending buget in mind. How much would you plan to spend out in retail stores if you never heard of DirectBuy? Then you'll begin to see if there is savings or not when you get to DirectBuy.
2.) Do your homework! Get ads with pricing, get bids on cabinetry, price furniture within your price range and things you'd normally put on a "wish list". We actuall purchased a leather sofa that would have been well outside our price range when I saw it in Robb & Stuckey, buy DirectBuy had that same manufacturer and the difference in price was unbelieveable! I was able to buy the better couch afterall.
3.) Only go for the appointment if you plan to do these things within 12 months. And be prepared to make a decision that day. We were put off by this rule, but had someone told us ahead of time--we would have felt better about it.
4.) Go to the presentation with an "open-mind". You already know that retail rips you off...listen to other information.
5.) If you don't like the person doing the presentation (my husband hated him!) get past the BS and focus on the items you came to save on. We were shown enough price comparisons to see definite savings.
6.)The fee is high and we were given the option of a payment plan or paid in full. We ended up paying on our credit card since we already had a 12 mo. zero balance transfer and we wouldn't pay any interest that way, but the finance plan was an OK option too. It might be nice to talk about how you would pay for the membership before you go.
7.) Don't be afraid to ask questions! My husband and I were there 2 hours after the presentation but it was worth it. We joined in West Palm Beach, FL and they were extremely helful and we never felt pressured. Once we got our questions answered, we decided it would be worth our while.
8.) This is a great concept for your immediate needs and things you plan to do later, so you may want to jot down some things you will consider in the future and ask if they carry those items.
9.)And it sounds like alot of DirectBuy's are different in how they present & service you so I would certainly see if you can speak to members before you decide. West Palm Beach had a packed showroom the day we went and my husband must have talked to 5 or 6 couples who were members and shopping that day and they we all pretty honest with us and made us feel extremely comfortable based on their own experiences.

I hope this was helpful. If you're prepared before you go to DirectBuy, it will be much easier to understand whether it's good for you. We have saved quite a bit on our kitchen (which looks beautiful!) and many furniture items. They have so many manufacturers and the location we shop at has local suppliers we can go to and get discounts too.
There are some things that it appears they just have as an accommodation, like small appliances and tools, where the savings are minimal and I can get it close to the same price at Target---but who said just because you join DirectBuy that you have to buy everything there?
After being a member for almost a year, I'm MORE appalled at how ripped off I've been by my local retailers for so long.

I live in Idaho and have been a member of Direct Buy for the last six months. DirectBuy is the best thing that has ever happened to me and my family. I am a single mother of three, and DB has enabled me to purchase quality furnishings for my family. I have purchased furnishings for my living room and bedroom, plus many household items such as rugs, pictures, and a vacuum cleaner. In addition, my sixteen year old son, was able to buy his first set of speakers from his money he earns from his job! How excited for him. In the small amount if time I have been a member my savings from buying through my membership has exceeded $7,000. The staff at the Boise Center is always willing to help and they are all very friendly and professional. Thank You DirectBuy, for coming to Idaho and helping my children and I have a better quality of living!

Sincerely,

UCCTotalHome WAS GREAT for me and WILL BE great for anyone planning to spend $1,000s on purchases for new homes, remodeling and home improvements.

If you aren't planning to spend $3-50,000, go to WALMART or HOME DEPOT.

I purchased a new home and needed over $10,000 in furnishings such as wood blinds, furniture and tool shed. I knew this before I went. I saved $2,000 over best pricing (which I had done BEFORE meeting with them) and that's after adding in the membership fees.

ALWAYS know what you want before shopping and you'll do fine with contracts.

Ron G

The "Third Party" lender that the UCC employee mentions is Beta Finance,a wholly owned UCC/DirectBuy Company. They act like it is a separate entitiy, but the fact is UCC/ DirectBuyuses its finance tool to gouge even more money out of unsuspecting members. Once the new member realizes that there may be no savings on merchandise, they may stop paying the finance charges, then UCC/DirectBuy uses Beta Financing to
squeeze out membership payments for services that were never rendered.

The employee implies that consumers will save "50-60% OFF OF PRETTY MUCH ALL RETAIL TRANSACTIONS". That is an empty sales ploy and nothing more. There is no guarantee that any member will ever save any money on anything that UCC/DirectBuy sells.

There is not even a membership refund if UCC/DirectBuy fails to save money, or does not sell anything that themember wishes to buy.

Research for yourself the many, many unhappy members who have complained about UCC/DirectBuy.

Read the growing list media reports, the court cases and the sanctions by the Better Business Bureau and various attorney generals.

Remember, enticements of savings that are used to
lure consumers to DirectBuy are not necessarily
accurate.

Here is a disclaimer from their own website;
""*Comparison to the manufacturer's suggested retail price is not intended to reflect actual savings compared to retailers in your trade area, since actual retail prices may vary. Prices do not reflect local sales taxes DirectBuy price does not include freight or handling."
What that means is that their claims of such extraordinary savings are just claims, not reality.

Their contract is one big loophole.
Here is the contract;
http://www.geocities.com/directbuyinfo/MEMBERSHIPAGREEMENT.html

The "Third Party" lender that the UCC employee mentions is Beta Finance,a wholly owned UCC/DirectBuy Company. They act like it is a separate entitiy, but the fact is UCC/ DirectBuyuses its finance tool to gouge even more money out of unsuspecting members. Once the new member realizes that there may be no savings on merchandise, they may stop paying the finance charges, then UCC/DirectBuy uses Beta Financing to
squeeze out membership payments for services that were never rendered.

The employee implies that consumers will save "50-60% OFF OF PRETTY MUCH ALL RETAIL TRANSACTIONS". That is an empty sales ploy and nothing more. There is no guarantee that any member will ever save any money on anything that UCC/DirectBuy sells.

There is not even a membership refund if UCC/DirectBuy fails to save money, or does not sell anything that themember wishes to buy.

Research for yourself the many, many unhappy members who have complained about UCC/DirectBuy.

Read the growing list media reports, the court cases and the sanctions by the Better Business Bureau and various attorney generals.

Remember, enticements of savings that are used to
lure consumers to DirectBuy are not necessarily
accurate.

Here is a disclaimer from their own website;
""*Comparison to the manufacturer's suggested retail price is not intended to reflect actual savings compared to retailers in your trade area, since actual retail prices may vary. Prices do not reflect local sales taxes DirectBuy price does not include freight or handling."
What that means is that their claims of such extraordinary savings are just claims, not reality.

Their contract is one big loophole.
Here is the contract;
http://www.geocities.com/directbuyinfo/MEMBERSHIPAGREEMENT.html

over 7 months still no cards, no card no service,
can't use online service, email for support no help no responce. RIP OFF ON GOING AND GOING AND GOING...

AFTER READING THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT DIRECTBUY I RELIZE THAT NONE OF THESE PEOPLE DECIDED TO BECOME MEMBERS. FIRST OF ALL YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE $2'900 IN FULL BEFORE YOU SHOP. SECOND OF ALL THE PAPER WORK IS DONE WITH UCC OR DIRECTBUY UNLESS YOU DECIED TO MAKE MONTHLY PAYMENTS THEN YOU DO PAPERWORK FOR THE LENDERS COMPANY.THIRD, THE RIGHT TO CANCEL A MEMBERSHIP IS THERE IF YOU READ YOU CONTRACT. WITH REGARDS TO THE FACT, YOU PAY WHEN YOU ORDER YOU ITEMS WE DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF YOUR PUCHASES. WE ARE HELPING PEOPLE BUY DIRECTLY FROM NAME BRAND COMPANIES. I AM PERSONALLY A MEMBER AND EMPLOYEE ON DIRECTBUY. I SAVE $10,000 DOLLARS ALONE ON MY CABINETS FOR MY NEW HOME. HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD YOU PAY TO SAVE 50-60% OFF OF PRETTY MUCH ALL RETAIL TRANSACTIONS.

Went to the DirectBuy open house. What a scam. Whats wrong with the following points?

Sign non-cancellable contract for $2900 up front. That is just for the "membership dues"

Need to sign up and give them the $2900 up front ON THE SPOT or you can never join again.(High pressure)

The Contract is in the name of some fly-by night franchise, NOT UCC or DirectBuy.

They make reference to being in business since 1971, but that is UCC and DirectBuy, NOT the fly-by night franchise you are contracting with.

To Order, you have to "pre-pay" for the merchandise in advance (to the fly by night franchise) and wait 6-12 weeks for the stuff.

The verbal pitch is the stuff is at their cost, and includes shipping and handling fees, but the contract says just the opposite.

May the buyer beware.

Direct Buy is a wonderful opportunity for consumers to learn about products and pricing. I have saved many thousands of dollars. I have a home full of carefully selected items of known quality. Some consumers don't take the time to understand the services provided by Direct Buy. They do a disservice to others who will benefit by becoming a part of Direct Buy.

Direct Buy is a wonderful opportunity for consumers to learn about products and pricing. I have saved many thousands of dollars. I have a home full of carefully selected items of known quality. Some consumers don't take the time to understand the services provided by Direct Buy. They do a disservice to others who will benefit by becoming a part of Direct Buy.

Direct Buy is a wonderful opportunity for consumers to learn about products and pricing. I have saved many thousands of dollars. I have a home full of carefully selected items of known quality. Some consumers don't take the time to understand the services provided by Direct Buy. They do a disservice to others who will benefit by becoming a part of Direct Buy.