I am in the midst of a rather large construction project - I know with the economy our timing wasn't the best - and have been bargain shopping like crazy. I heard about Direct Buy and have called to inquire but they give NO infomormation over the phone. I don't want to waste my time, husband's and babysitter's time going to this sales pitch if it is not worth it. I have a feeling it might be costly. Just wondering if anyone has been to this sales pitch and/or used this service. I "googled" reviews and they all seem good, almost too good.
I don't think it's worth it. My husband and I went for the sales pitch and had to say no. My husband is a contractor and finds amazing prices elsewhere. We have gutted out our home and transformed it for little money. If you need an affordable contractor he is available. I know that during these times we are all watching our $$ so he is very affordable and knows where to get the discounted items for homes.
Do not get involved in Direct Buy. Try googling again. I found tons of negative stuff. The positive did seem too good. Almost like advertising. Depending on how large your project it, you may indeed save on a few things. However, they are very expensive to join and do not give you prices until you chose to join. Furthermore, the sales pitch is overwhelming for most. The pressure to join is enormous, they will most likely tell you that if you do not join on the day you are there, you will never get a chance again. Um, not a place that I would like to do business with. My husband builds home and does rehabs. I can tell you this: you will save money by looking for sales and dealing with suppliers as directly as possible. If you like a product, go to their website and seek out distributors in your area. Then start comparing costs. Don't be afraid to go to places that don't have pretty store fronts or big showrooms. The best prices are from places that don't have those overheads and don't need to mark items up. Until reading the other responses on this board, I have never heard a positive thing about Direct Buy. Beware of a place that wont give you information on the phone.
Some references:
http://miniurl.com/5641
http://miniurl.com/5642
I haven't heard anything good about it. Especially in today's economy, you can do better on your own.
We tried it and found better bargins on our own. For us it was not worth the investment.
I was a member years back. The annual membership fee did pay for itself via the savings. My only problem was the shipping costs. If your getting heavy items like furniture which I did it was quite costly. So that was my biggest issue. With that respect it was NOT worth it for me.
T.
In doing major renovations it could very much be worth it. I did get info on it but never actually bought into it because it really was not worth it for me. I was told you have to go get the stuff and the closest location to me is in Tinley Park, way too far for anything at all. That is something to consider as well.
I have been a member for eight years. The buy in is costly, but is worth every penny. You will make back your money quickly. I have purchased furniture, appliances, tile, carpet, window treatments, windows, toilets, tubs, sinks, fireplace - you name it I've bought it through them. The down side, is you must do all your own research on the products and you have to go to showroom to do all your purchasing and you must pay in full at the time of purchase. They have a new place in Naperville that I haven't visited yet, but the old one did have an unsupervised kids room. Hope that answers any questions.
My husband and I just enrolled , we are in the middle of a addition and a redoe on the main floor . It is costly but from what I can see it's gonna be worth it . Just with the cabientry and furniture we will recoup our money$$$ If your not rehabing or gutting I personally think it wouldnt be worth it .
We have belonged to Direct Buy for about 5 years, and have utilized it to gut rehab our kitchen, bath, rental units, and purchased furniture for both our master bedroom & nursery. There is an initial investment, but if you will be doing a big project I do feel it is a great help especially in this economy. To purchase electronics, and other low markup items, it's not worth the hassle to pick up yourself.
