Who is direct buy

I think that at the end of the day a Direct Buy Membership could be worth the substantial fee if you are furnishing a house from scratch and prefer higher-end brand names. If you take the plunge be prepared for some weird sales techniques and having to wait a couple of months for your orders to come in. From what I can tell, it is best to check with someone you know is a member of a specific franchise to see what the practices are in that area.

Is it a little more than I could have got something for on Kijiji? I have been a Canadian Member for 20 years — I would not recommend it for anyone looking to join now! Back when I joined we had the showrooms and F2F contact options, today it is all done by email and phone. We joined as we always intended to build our own house, which is what we are doing now.

Although I cant fault that most of the furniture and house items are cheaper — you do have to do your research. What lets them down is the delivery, the times I ordered items and weeks would go by and I would think everything was on track only to find out when I contact them about said items they apologize and tell me the manufacturer no longer has that item do I want to cancel and pick something else or there is a huge delay in the original deliver date.

I had 2 fireplaces on order with them — both were discontinued after the order was placed. Even household furniture like dining tables, chairs etc,.

The one off item if you prepare yourself for delays is fine and everything we ordered was cheaper than we could buy off the shelf. Been a member for 25 years. There is zero sales pressure, there are few showrooms left. You just have to know your furniture and product brands. I have been a DirectBuy member for 2 years and live in Ottawa, Canada. I also share the sentiments of the other Ottawa resident who said they have had an excellent Direct Buy experience and the local Ottawa staff are friendly, well informed and very helpful.

I saved the cost of my membership fee with the first light fixture I purchased a dining room chandelier. All of my light fixtures, bathroom and kitchen faucets, door handles outdoor kitchen, quartz countertops, bar stools, sectional, coffee table, tvs, tiles… I can go on and on. The local vendor discounts provide exceptional savings. The brands carried by DB are varied at every price point.

So, a Concierge member will look it up for me and will email me the price. Anyone who wants to pay full price, go right ahead. Direct Buy is the definition of thrifty. Direct Buy is fantastic and it has saved me a fortune. My parents have been DB members in Ottawa since about when there was 1 location in the west-end Bells Corners and 1 in east-end. It may have been known as Total Home-Direct Buy at the time.

My wife and I have been members since and became such primarily due to renovations for a home purchase. Our first year membership fee with tax was less than 4 figures Cdn and included a 3 figure merchandise credit.

The initial membership fee is significantly less than the 4 figure amount from previous decades. The renewal fee is about a third the cost of the first year membership fee. The purchase of dishwasher alone saved us the cost of the first year membership. Its unfortunate that DB has received poor online reviews because our experience and that of my parents, the longtime neighbour that referred them, and other acquaintances has been nothing but great…even when a franchisee went bankrupt corporate took over almost immediately.

The staff have been just excellent….. Sharon, Tanya who really knows her products , Kevin kitchen design centre , and Rob in the warehouse despite being a Leafs fan. Our only knock on DB is that it can get busy on the weekend at the design centre and thus it can sometimes take awhile to ask a question or submit an order….

S…always top notch customer service. We have been member for 20 yrs, we have built 2 homes and used especially for appliances, I also use them in the US for blinds for 2 homes there it is a great saving and the service on the hunter Douglas blinds is great. We are moving to a new home that has yet to built moving 2 yrs and will use DB for appliances, furniture and blinds. I order almost everything online now, and the staff in Calgary are excellent. Best customer service a client could ever expect, right down to the warehouse staff.

Delivery is always said to be weeks its more like as for having to go to the showroom to order you should get your facts straight I do it on the computer all the time because Im not near a showroom. Hi, I am currently a Direct Buy member since and my membership did not cost me thousands of dollars.

However, it has saved me thousands. It is not a scam and they are still in business These tends to be a big questions with those unfamiliar with DB. They sell many different products at wholesale Furniture, lighting, plumbing fixtures, decor items, outdoor items, kitchen accessories, appliances, small appliances, jewelry, etc.

You can purchase items online through their website or via their concierge service. They have a merchants members lists with access to contractors and services for more detailed things like kitchen counter top fabricators and installers who understand the Direct Buy model. These merchant members will offer their services at a Discounted rate for Direct Buy members.

Also, a smart consumer will need to read between the lines. There are handling fees associated with their products so you will need to factor that into costs. DB is totally worth it. Reno a kitchen with cabinets alone and you will save more than 10G. The Bosch dishwashers for example. I was a member a few years ago when we built our dream home.

We bought all our windows 45 , kitchen cabinetry, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures. We saved our membership fee in cabinetry alone. They also do have an online platform, where I ordered all of my stuff except cabinets as the closest showroom we got our membership from was 5 hours away. Once we were done building our home and our renewal came around we declined to renew.

Means we are banned for 2? Years from getting a membership again. But its been 6 years and i plan on renewing as we are building a new home on some land we purchased to sell later. I can get the high end finishes that will bring me top dollar while only spending as much as builder spec. Win win for me really. My 4 appliances were only I noticed a scratch on my glass stovetop.

Reported to direct buy in 26 hours. I have not plugged in my stove….. Direct buy is very quick to take your order and your money…..

All very friendly staff via phone….. I have all emails….. Im not impressed. Was a DB member for 10 years. Any thing like furniture and windows strangely enough were very good. Every small ish appliance we got was total junk.

My Whirlpool all fridge lasted just 18months. The big lie is that manufacturers would offer anything they make to DB members. Also the DB format is a great place for manufacturers to unload older models. The Mrs. Hamilton niagara must have closed for a reason. My wife and I are both teachers. We actually did recover our membership fee but we had to work like dogs to do so. Our biggest complaint however was the way we were treated by the people there.

We had a kitchen designed and the woman we dealt with had us extremely low on her priority list. It was an example of a system where once they get your money, there is no longer any need to impress you.

We are so embarrassed that we were suckered into this! Thought I would get my 2 cents worth after reading many of the comments. Our approach was to shop retail and get serial numbers from products or as great amount of detail as possible. We have done that with our own and family member purchases also. The greatest savings were with appliances and hardwood flooring.

Two examples here. Both come before the ridiculous taxes that we then have to pay. Over the years we have saved thousands. Enough said about that. So I have some concerns. Thanks for chiming in Ray. I appreciate everyone coming forward so we can get a broad cross sample of experiences. We have been DirectBuy members for 5 years now and yes the savings is there especially if you are renovating or building a new home.

Sure not all brands are available, but those that are, are more than sufficient. For those of you doubters, I am a member. Obviously every person commenting isnt. Or you would know the savings. I have compared over and over again. There has been in the last 15 years 1 item that is about They have some issues, but the pros defiantly outweigh the cons.

And it takes less time than the 2 months someone said in the comment columns. I have gotten things in less than 2 weeks. It would amaze people at the kind of things you can buy. It cost us 1, for our membership in Direct Buy Hmmm The wife and I went in for their sales pitch and she was convinced with in the first 30 min to get a membership.

Myself, I believe everybody is full of BS and guilty until proven otherwise. I know this was going to be an expensive lesson but I was going to do it! Well, now ten years with Direct buy and no regret We restored the family farm house bought all new appliances, tankless water heater, water softener, washer, dryer, granite counters and windowsills, new custom made kitchen cabinets , tiled the kitchen and washrooms, glass enclosed shower, taps, bikes, stereo equipment, pool solar blanket, cleaner, and the list goes on.

We did all the work our selves except installing the cabinets This membership is not for the shy or Squamish, you have to do a lot of work from the time you walk in the door at the club. Looking at different books, measurements and what the code is in your area, calculating the savings, shipping and or exchange. Sure we had our issues but I can look at it all and say YEA! We saved a ton of cash including all the tax rebates, hydro rebates, government reno kickbacks. Our membership was paid for with-in the first year with the money we saved at Direct buy NOW last I checked memberships have changed with different entre fees at different costs allowing different access to certain items.

Reading the multiple reviews I felt I had to comment. I joined Direct Buy in while I was building a new house. I did my research prior going in, talking to friend who were members, and reading reviews. I went in, joined without listening to the sale pitch presentation. My experience has been excellent. Why would retail sometimes have bigger discounts? Retailers buy in bulk and get a discount price, often to bring people in their store for sales and how they can beat DB prices.

Like others mentioned, DB will beat that price if you bring it up to their attention. You have to shop and spend time… By the time I was done, I new more about the products than actual employees. Finished products like appliances, fossets, sinks, tubs, toilets, fireplaces, california shutters are the big savers.

Hardwood floors, tiles, etc, you can get same deals from local shops. Note: speakers, accessories usually have a higher markup and you will save on those. Online shopping: I do it all the time. They will contact the manufacturer and get you a price on it. Transfer: yes these are individual franchises and all run in their own way. Moving from one city to another was easy, but I have noticed the difference in rules and policies. If you want to walk in, grab something and walk out, this is not for you.

It requires work and you will save tons. Do your research. I just moved to a new city and will be renovating a new house and will need transfer my membership again. The only thing I have noticed about that is the yearly fee went from , to , or something like that , will probably vary again at this new club.

I then asked DB who they were talking and emailing to and what numbers they were using. Obsolete and disconnected. What a bold lie, figuring no one would actually check up on them. Crystal helped me out with an issue with an incorrect item.

She always followed up with me and did not give up until the issue was resolved. Amazing customer service Crystal. Thank you:. I've been a DirectBuy customer for a few years. Watched them close their local catalogue centers. I have saved money on purchases through including office furniture, appliances and a couch. Some items I purchased needed warranty work. DirectBuy sent me instructions on how to ship my items directly to the manufacturer.

When the repairs were complete, DirectBuy sent the items to the wrong address. So my repaired item has been sitting in a warehouse for two months. DirectBuy states they are working on getting it to me.

The delivery company is saying they have no change orders from DirectBuy and cannot ship the item till DirectBuy pays for it. In the meantime, DirectBuy does not answer emails and phone calls get nowhere. I requested to speak to anyone in a supervisor or management role.

Amazingly, no one can put any of those people on the phone. I was just asked to renew my membership with DirectBuy. I can't renew with such terrible customer service. I don't know if people are overworked, just don't care, or a combination of the two. Bottom line is that is if this is the way things are going with DirectBuy I would not recommend anyone take a membership. It will just be money you are going to lose. Selection: Shop hundreds of brands for accent, bedroom, home entertainment, home office, infant and living room furniture.

Additionally, you can browse multiple brands of appliances, electronics, flooring and more. Prices: Factory-direct discount prices. Initial membership fee can be put toward the first purchase. Guarantee: day money-back guarantee on memberships. The ConsumerAffairs Research Team believes everyone deserves to make smart decisions. We aim to provide readers with the most up-to-date information available about today's consumer products and services.

Sign up to receive our free weekly newsletter. We value your privacy. Unsubscribe easily. Are you this business? Save Saved. Live agent Are you this business? About DirectBuy. Overall Satisfaction Rating 5 stars.

Sort: Recent. Most helpful. Filter by: Any. How do I know I can trust these reviews about DirectBuy? Page 1 Reviews 0 - Original review: Oct. Original review: July 7, I would like to thank Crystal, in the Escalations department. Not sure how to choose? Original review: May 25, I have been with DirectBuy for over 10 years. Original review: April 28, I have been a member since and for the first few years I was an avid supporter of DB.

Original review: April 1, In January we ordered 4 tables, a sectional sofa, 2 chairs and 6 barstools. Original review: March 15, At one time, we referred customers to Direct Buy monthly. Original review: Nov. When a person buys something [at DirectBuy], they are absolutely guaranteed the lowest prices in the marketplace. When you walk in to the local DirectBuy showroom located at Westfield Blvd.

You are welcome to stop by the showroom to see the vast selection and confidential pricing available through DirectBuy. Genta and her staff will be happy to provide any help you may need to find the products you are looking for.

In addition to the showroom, DirectBuy also makes shopping incredibly convenient online. The My DirectBuy website allows you to shop how you want, where you want and whenever you want. If you are shopping online and a question arises, you can call the Concierge Shopping experts 7 days a week to help answer any questions or plan a project.

DirectBuy even offers a custom in-home designer service where someone will come to your home to help with your project. It includes the products of over name brand manufacturers, which translates into over 1,, SKUs. A partial list of the products offered includes home improvement categories like carpeting, hardwood flooring, windows, plumbing fixtures, furniture and major appliances along with lifestyle products like sunglasses, golf clubs, exercise equipment, televisions, jewelry and apparel.

At DirectBuy you will find a full complement of suppliers that represent quality products from entry level to high end.