Replies

1. 
   calvin | Oct 04, 2010 07:45pm | #1

   If you google Direct Buy..........

   you will quickly come upon the groups of horror stories-many many groups.

   As a remodeling contractor who thrives on relationships with my subs and my suppliers, I would go no further than my own vendor list.

   I don't buy online.

   I don't belong to Costco.

   I don't shop at WalMart.

   ever.

   When you get sucked into claims of mucho savings off of list price you might not realize that anymore, there is no such thing as list.....................except maybe when you buy from a catalogue using your CC points or airmiles.

   Just recently, customer called from the Cleveland Clinic.  His wife would be coming home from heart surgery and he wanted me to install some grab bars in their shower b/4 her arrival.  I told him I would call my plumbing supplier..................he suggested strongly I go to HD where he had seen some, probably a better price he says.  Sure, be happy to.  I bought 3 white bars-from 18 to 36".  Price 114.00.  Since I had to go to another HD to get one that wasn't scraped up by the display, I called my supplier on the way-how much I ask-94.00 they say.  Are they all scratched up?..................nope, packaged real nice they say.

   Admittedly I get a better price from my supplier than a one time walk in I suppose.  But when it comes to kitchen cabs, appliances, things like that-homeowners get the same deal I do.

1. 
   MarkH | Oct 04, 2010 08:22pm | #2

   Any place that charges you to get a better price, usually doesn't.

   List price is a joke anymore.

   I've learned a lot recently.

1. 
   Tim | Oct 08, 2010 11:16am | #4

   Care to share

   about the "learned a lot recently"? What do you mean?

   My gut feeling was that is was BS. When I visited the closest one to me, sat down to find actual cost on some items I know well. The owner of the joint was badgering me the whole time. Eventually, I handed him the catalog and told him there were no real savings, hava nice day, bye. Pissed him and DW off. Oh, well...

2. 
   DanH | Oct 08, 2010 06:36pm | #5

   Yeah, we get a free pass to Sam's Club every now and then, but we never find anything we really want/need.  Poor selection, prices not that good, quantities too huge.  It seems to cater more to impulse buyers who can't resist a bargain of a lifetime supply of (generic) Q-tips.

1. 
   MarkH | Oct 08, 2010 07:37pm | #6

   Yep, everything there costs over 5 bucks, or you have to buy a package of them.  They have a few good deals, but I used to buy stuff that went bad because it was too much quantity.  Selection generally is poor, and if you like something and go back, they wont necessarily have it anymore.

   Another thing is that the same stuff would go on sale at retail stores and beat Sams prices, since they never really have sales.

   Direct buy quotes savings off retail, but really no one pays retail on furniture. 

   All this reminds me of lifetime health club memberships.  It would be a great price if you actually used a health club for a lifetime, but most people won't, and the clubs don't stay in business for the lifetime of blowfly anyway.

1. 
   DanH | Oct 08, 2010 09:27pm | #7

   Actually, the health club where I go has been going for about 15 years and is still growing.  And unlike others, they don't sell memberships and then hope you don't show up -- they really work to get members to come.  They've got a kids' "Neighborhood" which is really popular.

   (Of course they don't really make any money off of me -- I go there 6 days a week and shower there, so I pretty much get my money out of it in hot water and towels alone.)

2. 
   Tim | Oct 08, 2010 11:11am | #3

   In other words

   you have no experience with DirectBuy and have no intention of changing that. Fair enough.

   I prefer dealing with non-retail suppiers as much as possible, too. However, my business hours do not correspond with theirs frequently, so you do what you have to do. I do buy online, but primarily for my personal use, not my business. Never been in a Costco, Wallyworld rarely.

   My question was posed more to the homeowners that actually joined the club, not so much the professionals like you. For those that do not have "suppliers".

   Seemed like an inflated over-pitched deal. I didn't bite and don't plan to. Just curious if my "gut" was right.

2. 
   k1c | Oct 11, 2010 05:20pm | #8

   direct buy

   I went there about 8 years ago looking for kitchen cabinets.  First, the sample displays showed that the cabinet doors were poor quality, didn't even compare to Homedepot.  Then they started sitting everybody down for a seminar. 

   Selling quality items, or even standard or substand items on the cheap, should not include a pressure salesmen with a captured audience.  I think everybody else sat down for the seminar because they were all too polite to walk out then, or hoped for a deal as the commercials advertised.  Since I saw the quality of their cabinets I walked out before the seminar began.

   At the time, the membership was $400 for a year.  I have heard also, since then, that furniture makers may make cheaper furniture to be sold at these places and slap a same brand tags on them.  Direct buy, at least for me, was not worth that kind of money nor my time.

3. 
   junkhound | Oct 11, 2010 09:08pm | #9

   'bout anything I buy needs to be 10 cents on the $$ or less compared to list.  

   So, goodwill for clothes, ebay for lots of stuff, and garage sales all summer. 

   'course everything I buy is for family, dont have to buy stuff to please any customers exept at work - there, stuff (aerospace, space, naval, etc quality) costs about 10X to 100X what I'd pay myself.

   Thus, it is all realtive, eh??

4. 
   aimless | Oct 15, 2010 10:54am | #10

   One of my coworkers is sold

   She's been a member for more than 10 years and said that it paid for itself on the first big ticket item.  They recently just bought kitchen cabs and shopped around first. According to her the quality was better at DirectBuy than home depot and the independent cabinet company they talked to, and the cost was $1,000's less than the cheapest made in china that they found elsewhere.  This is all hearsay, however, as I'm not a member and didn't see what she was looking at.

   For me, I wouldn't join because then I would feel compelled to buy stuff there, even if I didn't like it, to justify the expense.

   I do like Costco though. Back in Utah their produce was higher quality and cheaper than any of our local grocery stores. And it rarely went bad because it tasted good and got eaten. They had meats, such as lamb, that were usually impossible to find at the other stores as well. Also the gas was cheaper. Here in NY the produce isn't as good, but none of the area stores seem to have very good produce.  For meats we have more choices as well, so Costco isn't quite as necessary, but we do still buy a lot of staples there, such as enormous bags of frozen veggies.

5. 
   RippySkippy | Oct 19, 2010 09:10am | #11

   Here's a copy of a post on a DIY forum...I'm not their poster child, BUT I will use my membership....read on...

   <discussion context omitted>

   This is interesting...and has been kicked around a lot of forums. I get intrigued buy the responses. Generally they're the same, posts with nothing more than links to those that feel they've been wronged. Or, everyone screaming "Don't do it!" I've never seen anyone one laying it out there with real numbers, so here it goes. Below are samples of items we have bought via our membership over the past 2 years.

    

   • Kitchen Aid architect II kitchen appliances (DW, Slide in range, MW, Fridge). Net savings $1200

   • Whirlpool W/D with bases net savings $400

   • Hickory Hardware cabinet pulls best prices on pulls $4.46 ea., I paid $2.05 net savings $200 in the house.

   • Anderson Pacific white oak hardwood flooring 3/4" x2.25" prefinished $4.35 per sqft. 1300 SqFt. If I figure conservatively $2 per sqft savings, that's $2600

   • Hunter Douglas blinds, net savings $1850 on 2" wood blinds.

   • Kohler fixtures over $1000 (bubble tub, stools, faucets, towel rods etc.

   • Blanco Kitchen sink - net savings $180

   • Full suite of Million Dollar baby furniture, over $600 savings. (The prices we paid for the top of the line baby items were like what you'd pay for rack items @ any discount store.)

   It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that with the above items, we have a a net savings over $7,000. By the way, this isn't taking DB pricing compared to full list, who really pays that anyway? This is comparing the best price I could find locally or in the case of the pulls, via the internet.

   The DB membership isn't for everyone. I'm guessing there are a lot out there that have never put the pencil to their savings and expected expenditures. Many think DB is like Sams Club and spend the membership fee to purchase a ping pong table, then complain that they got ripped off. If they were feeling SO pressured into the membership...why didn't they exercise their 3 day right of refusal? I went to the open house with 8 items that I price shopped EXTENSIVELY before going, compared the EXACT items @ our open house and immediately had half of the membership fee covered.

   Again, the membership is not for everyone. A quick internet search turning up naysayers feeling cheated, isn't the best way to make your decision. When we purchased the items from DB, we had a budget of "X", DB allowed us to stay within "X" but we were able to purchase higher quality items for the budgeted amount. If we were not building a new house by ourselves, I don't think I would of bit, we have no regrets whatsoever. I will fully enjoy the quality of items we have put into the house as long as I'm alive.

   <post from discussion end>

   I reall dislike memberships....but there are a few things that I just couldn't walk away from.  Just as you didn't feel comfortable with the pitch...my wife wanted to run as well.  In hind sight...she's glad we did it.  It's not for everyone...and that's where you have to look at this with your eyes wide open.

   Good luck...

   Rippy