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How does Direct Buy get people to sign up?

kranky

kranky

Elite Member
They promise huge savings but no actual details.
If you go to check it out, they won't show you any prices. They will show you something that says "Top manufacturer flooring suggested retail $8/sq ft, Direct Buy price $4/sq ft." You might be able to find it yourself for $3/sq ft, but since no names or model numbers are shown you can't find out.
If you don't sign up the same day you visit, you are banned for life.
It costs over $5000 for a 2 year membership (financing available, only 17%!)
If the location near you closes, no refunds. Go find another one or shop online, because who wouldn't feel comfortable buying floors, appliances, etc. using pictures?
They don't tell you up front that you have to pay 6% on every order for "processing", plus you pay for shipping to the store. No returns or cancellations allowed.
You pay in full when ordering, and have no control over when it will arrive.


Now really, does that not sound like a ludicrous business model? How do they get people to sign up for something that costs $5000 just to be able to order items at prices you can't see until you cough up the money? Who commits to that kind of arrangement.

All I can figure is the lure of potential, unspecified savings and the high-pressure tactics is more effective on the average person than I ever imagined.
 
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This is one of those companies that I hope will die out as more and more people become internet savvy.
 
high pressure tactics. IF you don't buy in NOW they won't allow you to join latter.

heard they even pretty much lock you and badger you.



I think people are crazy for using them. Stuff i read online about them is the prices are NOT cheaper. but people will say it is to justify the 5k fee
 
It's the high pressure thing. I was curious about it years ago and right off the bat, the pressure was high. They didn't want to meet with just me and wouldn't give me any detail about anything over the phone - they'd only meet with my wife present. I thought that was weird, but set up the appointment anyway. Got there, they wouldn't give me any details on anything and we left less than 15 minutes in.

I can imagine the high pressure tactics work great on a lot of people.
 
kranky said:
They promise huge savings but no actual details.

If you don't sign up the same day you visit, you are banned for life.
It costs over $5000 for a 2 year membership (financing available, only 17%!)
Click to expand...

lol WHAT??! just for the ability to buy overpriced home stuff at their store?😕

think of how many morons they get to sign up and then never buy anything, or only buy one piece of furniture or something. they could potentially be making tons of cash on those idiots
 
No, not a lot of people. The business model only requires a few to keep going.
The target is the Sucker Born Every Minute (SBEM). This rare mythical creature is often talked about over beers amongst salesmen, much like fishermen and that big one that almost got away.
The SBEM HAS to believe; they believe a salesman would NEVER lie to them.
Of all the people I know, I only know 2 true SBEMs.
The other thing SBEMs have in common is never wanting to admit they got taken. This works well with outfits like Direct Buy. Out of 20 who join, maybe 2 got a good value. The rest are never going to admit otherwise, so the 2 testimonials go uncontested, even out on the net. Oh no, can't admit I got taken, no.
 
its the stupid infomercial that used to run all the time (have not seen it in a while) that helps seal the deal, i guess its true when if you tell a lie enough times people believe it. i have never understood why anybody would join such a scam 15 min on google reading all the threads made by former customers spilling the beans on how much of a scam it is should be enough to close that business down. I believe a thread had been made about this before and several people defended direct Buy.
 
It's the same group of people that hand over thousands of dollars when they get conned into timeshares during those 2 hour *ONE TIME ONLY CHANCE OF LIFETIME DEAL DEAL DEAL!!!!!" presentations.
 
My mother in law mentioned that she wanted to check this place out about a month ago. I warned her that they will charge you a lot for a membership, don't give any actual prices or details, use high pressure sales tactics, and that the only way you can possibly save money is if you have a major home construction or remodel project coming up and will be buying a lot of building materials.

I did my best to scare her away and tell her it's a borderline scam, but with some people there's no way to warn them enough. Too bad I wasn't aware of the "banned for life if you don't immediately sign up" thing - that probably would have kept her away. Not sure if she ever ended up going. They are very much NOT in the market for it - she seemed interested because they supposedly have deals on electronics, but if it costs $5000 to join then who cares if you save a few hundred bucks on a TV?
 
That place only works if you're furnishing your entire house. It's actually a great deal for new home owners because their furniture and fixtures are heavily discounted. If you're just doing one room or want to use the place like Costco, don't bother.
 
vi edit said:
It's the same group of people that hand over thousands of dollars when they get conned into timeshares during those 2 hour *ONE TIME ONLY CHANCE OF LIFETIME DEAL DEAL DEAL!!!!!" presentations.
Click to expand...

Hey, it's better than handing over thousands to church (many do that as well).
 
Vdubchaos said:
More power to them!!!
Click to expand...

But where the hell else am I going to get average deals on commonly available furniture and building supplies imported from the third world? I'm fucked if I don't sign up!

Seriously the commercial always made it sound like it was sort of like a rent to own furniture place but I had no idea it was as bad as the OP said. It sounds worse than timeshare sales.
 
Fritzo said:
That place only works if you're furnishing your entire house. It's actually a great deal for new home owners because their furniture and fixtures are heavily discounted. If you're just doing one room or want to use the place like Costco, don't bother.
Click to expand...

Not really if you're a savvy shopper though. If you're furnishing your entire house, and are buying a significant amount from one place, you can easily get them to give you a better bargain than you'd ever get from Direct Buy. And, for other materials, say for flooring, you're not going to get prices at DB that are significantly less than places like Lumber Liquidators - certainly never enough to make up for that $5000 up front.
 
Apparently no one here has tried to furnish their home with furniture purchased from locations other than Ikea.

While I am not a member I know people who are and yes, when furnishing a house with real furniture you can save money.

Let me put it this way, if you want a real dining table for a dining room, its going to run you over $10k. Like I said, real furniture. So yes, you are going to save money.
 
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