DIRECTBUY OF METRO WASHINGTON NORTH

Direct Buy theoretically provides access at reduced prices for goods and services from quality vendors. The sales pitch details the extensive lists of contractors and goods that will be available. Based on our experience this entire process is very misleading. We joined Direct Buy in September of 2007 and paid $5000 to join. Since that time I have tried, without success, to make five purchases. Four of those attempts resulted in the items not being available and the fifth required a commitment to purchase replacement windows prior to receiving a quote. We attempted to buy the following: carpeting - style not available, food mixer - item not available, furniture - only mirrors available not furniture, bathroom fan - available less expensively through an internet source. When we attempted to get pricing for replacement windows we were told that we needed to commit to purchase the windows BEFORE we received a quote.

They saved us a lot of money, about half! They only sell the products, they do not do installation. If you are buying a lot of stuff, then it is a hell of a deal. The staff is really helpful.

We purchased a Direct Buy membership for $4900.00 so that we could purchase items to remodel our home. We paid $300.00 for a kitchen design by Ms. Wilkerson and $150.00 for Direct Buy's measurement man to come out and review our kitchen design, meet with our architect and verify the measurements on the plans. All that was done and when the cabinets arrived they were the wrong type (pass-throughs with glass, cabinets that were supposed to be 30 inches were 39 inches, cabinets that are too tall to stand up and install in our home and a pantry that can not be installed because it does not meet the county building code and does not have adequate clearance to stand in front of it and open). We paid for exact measurements and now we cannot have our kitchen put together because the cabinets do not fit and we get no response from Direct Buy's measurement man, Terri Donahue.