Has anybody used that direct buy service that's advertised on tv?Is it legit?What is the catch?

Yes, my husband and I are members. There isn't really a catch, except for the upfront cost. The membership fee varies depending on your location (we live in one of the cheapest markets). It just depends on what you're looking for. We purchased a foreclosure home, and were planning a 80-90% remodel. We made our membership fee back on the money we saved on high quality hardwood flooring, and on our carpeting. The savings we have earned on later purchases were just money in the bank. We were able to put higher quality than we could have afforded at typical home centers for less cost than the "average" stuff. We are I guess what you would call "upper middle class", so we don't have an excess of money or an expensive home.

There are a few drawbacks though. The average wait time for your items depends on who the supplier company is. Some companies have a wait time of 6-8 weeks, which isn't reasonable at times. Also, they have suppliers for nearly everything you can think of for the home, from kids toys, jewelry, flooring, and furniture to cabinets, window treatments, electronics and countertops. Some items have more markup than others for resale though.

For example I wanted to buy a camera for Christmas. For the particular model I had chosen to buy I researched the available prices and then went to Direct Buy. I was willing to pay the $20-30 more to buy from a normal retailer like circuit city, and not have to wait 6-8 weeks for it. There is not much markup on electronics and appliances, so sometimes you can get as good or better of a deal buy buying retail because they give clearance prices or receive discounts for buying bulk which they pass on to you. Furniture has a ridiculous markup somewhere around 46%, so you should enjoy good savings if buying furniture through Direct buy.

We have purchased items and received discounts on: hardwood, tile, carpet & padding, countertops, door knobs, sink and lavatory faucets, front door and a TV stand. So on these particular items there was a significant price difference for us to choose purchase through DB. We chose to buy things such as toilets, roman tub faucets, french doors, vanities(lower grade) and painting supplies from local home stores either because there was little to no savings, or because we couldn't wait the amount of time stated for the supplier.

Also, our DB center did allow us to compare prices on our inital tour before agreeing to join. The catch is that DB basically joins together hundreds of centers to have the buying power of, say, Lowes. The manufacturers they buy from request that only members have access to wholesale prices because they don't want people going to Lowes and saying "I know you only paid $400 for this range, so I'll give you $415 for it". If you choose not to become a member they won't allow you to come back because they don't want you comparing prices then leaving again. That would void (for lack of better word) the agreement they have with manufacturers.

We are very happy that we chose to become members, but it just depends on what you're looking at in the future. Our center has a fairly high initial price, but a VERY reasonable price for the next 9 years. So since we are remodeling a new house now, and plan to build within the next 9 years we will certainly make more than we spent. Hope this helps!

I'm not sure which buying service you are referring to, but I have had experience with two types. The first was in the Los Angeles area and was a cost-plus-10% arrangement. As long as you had the manufacturer's name and the exact model number, you could call and place your order. You then got the item at the wholesale price plus 10%. That sort of deal is the best. In the Chicago area, my husband and I joined a club that is probably more like the one you've seen advertised. It definitely is legit as long as the company has a resale license from the state. The catch, for us, was that we had to pay a rather large membership fee (approximately $2,000 with a lesser amount yearly) that we were assured we'd easily save from our purchases at wholesale price. Then, we had to scramble to buy stuff to make sure we even broke even! We moved up a planned remodel of the kitchen and did save on ceramic floor tiles and cabinets, but it seemed to be more of a hassle than my bargain-oriented soul wanted to deal with. The first question you should ask of such an outfit is whether or not they charge a membership fee and how much it is. Also, make sure you look through the catalogs of the merchandise they carry to see if they are things you know you will be buying in the coming year.

I'm not an actual member of the Direct Buy but about three years ago, my daughter was starting up a business and she asked me to visit DB with her. We did and it seems to be a legitimate company and depending on what all you need, may actually save some money. There is a catch though. A big catch. There is an initiation fee and possibly a large annual fee. I was talking to my daughter about that very thing last week and I mentioned that I thought the initiation fee was about $600. She said, "Dad, you're crazy! It was more like $4000!" I have a terrible memory so I'm sure she is closer to being right than me. We did not join because of the hefty fee and were told that we would be locked out from joining down the road for seven years. A little arm twisting technique there? Not sure how much needs to be spent to recoup $4000 but I certainly wasn't planning on buying a whole lot of stuff.

Hi there

Yes Direct Buy is legit..I went to there meeting and i signed up

the cost is a little under 3500.00 you make payments on it. At about 130.00 a month after this is paid (about 3 years) then

it will be about 300.00 a year to stay a member..You do not

need to own a home or need a credit card. In the 1 year i have

been a member I have bought a stove for the kitchen at Lowes

it was just under 1000.00. I got the same through D.B

at a cost of 325.00. I got a freezer for 180.00 Home Depot had it for over 500.00. There are some rules you need to go by but if you buy a lot of things not just big things but anything.

You will save a lot of money. The worst thing about D B is you have to wait for the stuff to get shipped to you 2 or 3 days

and almost everything has no extra shipping cost. You pick it

up at there showroom or most can be sent to your home.

And D B is not just in big citys we have one right here in little

ol' Bentonville Arkansas..I have saved at least 6 or 7 grand

this year alone.If you think of it to buy. you can buy at D B

I LOVE it !!! You can even buy the stuff the local Wal-mart

has. Pots & Pans, TVs , Tools , knifes,silverware, the more

I shop the more I like it. just rember you buy it its yours. The

stuff you get has the makers Warranty. So you Will not be left

out hanging if it brakes down

I saw the infomercial and realized there was no mention of the price of membership so I decided to check the website. Again there was no mention of the price on the site. So I filled out contact info and when they called back I was told that they wouldn't tell me the price unless I scheduled a visit. Any business that is so cagey about the amount that it cost to join will never get business from me ever!

The catch is that unless you really spend a lot, you don't save, because you have to cover the outrageous membership fee.

To their credit, they told me upfront on the phone that it was only worth joining if I seriously intended buying a lot of furniture/appliances etc soon. However they did NOT tell me just how much the membership fee was, I had to find that out on Google. It was a...........shock. Not surprised they keep that quiet.

you must own a home and have a credit card. all purchases go on the credit card. they only have stores in big cities and you have make an appointment to go. you have to pay to be a member (i forgot how much) and if you don't purchase anything you are out the membership fee........

it's great for people who have lots of money and like to redecorate often and have the size of house to accommodate the large furniture.

I used the club many years ago and it paid for itself in no time for me. It is under a new name now and it more costly to join than before (but what isn't). I remodeled my kitchen and that project alone paid for itself. Then when I wanted new furniture that is where I bought it from. It is legit and will save you money. You don't have to have a huge house to have it pay for itself, plus you can be a member for years.

A good friend of ours did and they love it. We toured the Direct Buy but they wouldn't let us see how prices compared before we joined, just what they had to offer. It costs between $3,000.00 and $5000.00 to join. If you have tons of stuff to buy maybe it's a good deal. It is definately "hard sell" and one of those "this is the only time you can join, you can never change your mind and come back". We passed.

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