Is Direct Buy a Scam?
Question:I keep seeing all these great advertisements but the only way you can get into the showroom is to make an appointment with an annoying sales employ and you have to pay a monthly fee. So I just want to know the truth...Is it worth it?
Answers:
I actually work for the direct buy in the Michigan area. Let me tell you this we are a complete waste of time unless you make over 40k and are doing at least over 15k in projects for your home otherwise we wont save you much at all. Im a Telemarketer, (something our company hates to say and prefers the term marketing rep) We are charged with the task of getting 40 ppl a week (per person… there are 6 “marketing reps” calling anyone that comes into our database from 3pm-9pm mon-fri) to come into our center by way of cold calling them and telling them they are semi-finalists in our 50k dollar home makeover. In fact one person wins this prize once every 6 months in the whole michigan area. We tell you that you’ll be sent a key and if it fits the lock in the showroom you’ll win the make over or the cash if you prefer. And to sweeten the pot we will give you 2 of the 5 bonus gifts (you will always get the $20 gift certificate and vacation package although I never found out where that is to, im assuming a local motel 6) just for trying your key. Afterwords we will ask if you are married (If so you and spouse must come in together theres really no way around it and if your single you must have 5k worth of home projects to be sent a pass) and then you’ll be asked if your between the ages of 25-60 (if you are older or younger you will not be sent a pass because they feel you dont make enough for the membership fee which i’ll get to later) then the final question do you make over or under 40k (only 40k or over will let you through) then my job ends but its hardly over for you. By the way you MUST simply MUST when we call you tell us to put you on the no call list if you dont want to be bothered. If you yell, slam the phone, ignore the phone, pretend to be someone else and say they are not interested, (which alot of ppl do) say they (you) arent home, etc etc then we will call again for the next 10-12 days until our computer filters you out and even then in 3 months later we will call you again and the cycle continues and direct buy gets the last laugh. From there you will be called by a booker who will confirm a date for you to come in (they will lure you with fake testimonials and tell you about the direct buy advantage) and will continue to call until they can do so. After you come in you will be treated to a video (yawn) and will be thrown sales pitches and will be given a tour of the sales room as well (this process will take about 90mins. After it is all over you will have to make a choice to either join or decline a membership. The cost for ours is $4,500 for 4 years and im not sure about any recurring fees for we are not told much ourselves. All our showrooms are privately owned so member fees and the like will vary from each center. You can also opt to pay $400 a month for 4 years at a 17.25% interest rate as well. If you do decline you will be banned from all centers for the next 7 years (a psychological sales approach) and we do keep your records because we all share the same operating system that keeps track of all our calls along with names numbers and addresses. Thats the fat of it and please allow me to beg please dont scream and curse at us who call you. Matter of fact 80% of us hate the place. I loath it and how they operate their center but the owners and the ppl who profit (our owners just bought a hummer) do not take the brunt of your anger we the peons over the phone do. So why do we stay…because dear reader this is Michigan and unemployment is our only other option and at only $9 per hr for 30hrs its better than nothing. Most of us are just out of college or working 2 jobs and none of us can even dream to afford to even member at our “respective” centers. If you are frustrated and want to see where the money goes ask for the owners. As for savings just Google the manufactures websites and buy directly from them (one of the things that direct buy prides itself in is that we can have you buy directly from the manufacturers and will show you a website that just basically takes you to their website which you can do yourself just by googling say "kenmore") believe me it’ll save you alot of time and misery.
yes
Recently there have been a number of people on the news who have had problems with this company. One woman paid $5,000 for a membership but then didn't find what she wanted. She has to take them to court to get her money back.
I know of two other people who went there and were not impressed so the general consensus is its not such a great place.
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