Comments on: To DirectBuy or Not to DirectBuy? http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:55:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Corey http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-43482 Corey Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:07:25 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-43482 To go along with what Cindy said, they gave me the option to cancel the membership within seven days, but they don't give back the $700 you pay upfront before leaving. I also did a bit of haggling with them and they took off the interest you pay by financing the membership which cut my membership down from 5000 to about $3500. I am still waiting to use my membership, but am planning to remodel my kitchen soon.. Hmmmm.. we'll see where it goes I guess. To go along with what Cindy said, they gave me the option to cancel the membership within seven days, but they don’t give back the $700 you pay upfront before leaving. I also did a bit of haggling with them and they took off the interest you pay by financing the membership which cut my membership down from 5000 to about $3500. I am still waiting to use my membership, but am planning to remodel my kitchen soon.. Hmmmm.. we’ll see where it goes I guess.

]]> By: Festival of Frugality #98 - The Happy Halloween Edition | beingfrugal.net http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-14053 Festival of Frugality #98 - The Happy Halloween Edition | beingfrugal.net Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:44:25 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-14053 [...] To DirectBuy or Not to DirectBuy? That is the question Mrs. Micah asks (and answers). [...] [...] To DirectBuy or Not to DirectBuy? That is the question Mrs. Micah asks (and answers). [...]

]]> By: Comparing Costco and DirectBuy | Mrs. Micah: Finance for a Freelance Life http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-2425 Comparing Costco and DirectBuy | Mrs. Micah: Finance for a Freelance Life Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:31:42 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-2425 [...] One post which keeps appearing on my visitor logs–as a search term and a visited post is my piece on whether to DirectBuy or not to DirectBuy. [...] [...] One post which keeps appearing on my visitor logs–as a search term and a visited post is my piece on whether to DirectBuy or not to DirectBuy. [...]

]]> By: Cindy B. http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-619 Cindy B. Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:06:02 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-619 We joined Direct Buy at the cusp of completing our whole-house remodel. I would have spent $18,000 for Kraftmaid cabinets from Home Depot or another cabinetmaker. We spent under $13,000 including tax and shipping. We saved on plumbing fixtures, paint, window covering, flooring, furniture, countertops, lights. We spent over $75,000 on finishing the house. However, you still need to compare prices at retail stores; with the shipping time and 8% handling fee - it may be break even. CR is right and it may be more at DB. Electronics and appliances have the lowest savings; furniture and window covering are the greatest. The biggest trade off for me is that all DB is purchased from catalogs and shipped to their store or your home. Shipping is anywhere from 2-12 weeks, usually 6 weeks. You can walk into a retail store and see it and take it home that day if you need to. Since the remodel, we have used it seldom. Maybe a few gifts during the year. By the way when I joined, my husband was not with me and I couldn't get his ok over the phone. They suggested that I sign up and would have three days to cancel. You can use that time to reconsider if its right for you. We joined Direct Buy at the cusp of completing our whole-house remodel. I would have spent $18,000 for Kraftmaid cabinets from Home Depot or another cabinetmaker. We spent under $13,000 including tax and shipping. We saved on plumbing fixtures, paint, window covering, flooring, furniture, countertops, lights. We spent over $75,000 on finishing the house.
However, you still need to compare prices at retail stores; with the shipping time and 8% handling fee – it may be break even. CR is right and it may be more at DB.
Electronics and appliances have the lowest savings; furniture and window covering are the greatest.
The biggest trade off for me is that all DB is purchased from catalogs and shipped to their store or your home. Shipping is anywhere from 2-12 weeks, usually 6 weeks. You can walk into a retail store and see it and take it home that day if you need to.
Since the remodel, we have used it seldom. Maybe a few gifts during the year.
By the way when I joined, my husband was not with me and I couldn’t get his ok over the phone. They suggested that I sign up and would have three days to cancel. You can use that time to reconsider if its right for you.

]]> By: Best Frugality Posts from the Festival of Frugality #98 at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-518 Best Frugality Posts from the Festival of Frugality #98 at Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:22:33 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-518 [...] Micah discusses Direct Buy. Honestly, I’ve been sucked into watching their infomercials more than once, but luckily I [...] [...] Micah discusses Direct Buy. Honestly, I’ve been sucked into watching their infomercials more than once, but luckily I [...]

]]> By: Mrs. Micah http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-515 Mrs. Micah Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:41:38 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-515 Interesting. I hadn't considered that they might limit their stock to more expensive items in the first place. Shadier and shadier. Interesting. I hadn’t considered that they might limit their stock to more expensive items in the first place. Shadier and shadier.

]]> By: ValleyGirl http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-517 ValleyGirl Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:43:24 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-517 (found you through "A Penny Closer") We have friends who bought into DirectBuy and they've kicked themselves ever since. The only item they ever bought was a couch, so it ended up being an almost $4000 place to sit. The items they could choose from were very expensive, so even though they got their couch for half-price, it was still more than they'd have had to pay if they'd selected a different model at a furniture store. Not to mention their 'membership fee.' (found you through “A Penny Closer”) We have friends who bought into DirectBuy and they’ve kicked themselves ever since. The only item they ever bought was a couch, so it ended up being an almost $4000 place to sit. The items they could choose from were very expensive, so even though they got their couch for half-price, it was still more than they’d have had to pay if they’d selected a different model at a furniture store. Not to mention their ‘membership fee.’

]]> By: The Carnival Review #9 : A Penny Closer http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-516 The Carnival Review #9 : A Penny Closer Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:37:16 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-516 [...] To DirectBuy or Not To DirectBuy @ Mrs. Micah -DirectBuy sales tactics are scammy and that is all there is to it.   ”Sign up now and pay thousands of dollars or never come back” is guaranteed to make me run far, far away.  And it should for you, too. [...] [...] To DirectBuy or Not To DirectBuy @ Mrs. Micah -DirectBuy sales tactics are scammy and that is all there is to it.   ”Sign up now and pay thousands of dollars or never come back” is guaranteed to make me run far, far away.  And it should for you, too. [...]

]]> By: Chief Family Officer http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-514 Chief Family Officer Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:10:45 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-514 Interesting info about DirectBuy. I've only heard of it through the occasional commercial, which always seemed pretty scammy (can I make up that word?). BTW, I don't know much about Amway's business practices, but I did grow up using their products, which really are high-quality. Interesting info about DirectBuy. I’ve only heard of it through the occasional commercial, which always seemed pretty scammy (can I make up that word?).

BTW, I don’t know much about Amway’s business practices, but I did grow up using their products, which really are high-quality.

]]> By: GreenPanda http://financefreelancelife.com/2007/10/27/to-directbuy-or-not-to-directbuy/#comment-513 GreenPanda Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:49:39 +0000 http://financefreelancelife.com/?p=140#comment-513 If someone doesn't allow you to compare with other competitors, run away. They're taking away your right to making an informed decision. If someone doesn’t allow you to compare with other competitors, run away. They’re taking away your right to making an informed decision.

]]>