Direct Buy

[jeepmor]

Anyone a member?

How much are the club fees? Are they annual fees or one time?

How much money do I need to spend to justify joining?

My intentions are to put in new kitchen cabinets, countertops, and appliances within a year or so, a some hardiplank siding on the house, a sprinkler system and some furniture.  Will this be enough money spent that I should join or not?

[Brad Johnson]

I have an inherent distrust of anyone who advertises "insider savings" on a national scale.  Ain't nuthin' "inside" about it if everyone knows.  We had a flooring club come through a year or so back that was advertising the same thing.  Turns out their "savings" was based on the mfg suggested retails prices and their actual prices were no different than what you could get at the local DIY mega-centers (without paying a membership fee).

My guess is that you could do about the same price-wise with a little internet and phone time.

Brad

[jeepmor]

My guess is that you could do about the same price-wise with a little internet and phone time.

I agree.  Guns for example, I've never paid full MSRP, not even close.  I just mention guns because it is my most recent purchase over a a couple hundred bucks.

[Bogie]

The "assemble them yourself" cabinets that Home Depot sells can be rather nice... FWIW, they are in my sister's McMansion, with a little extra trimout... I put some extras in my kitchen, and they were pretty easy to mess with - Hanging them really requires two people tho... At least.

[Manedwolf]

Just do not EVER EVER EVER EVER use Home Despot's home contractor service.

I could go into my parents' nightmare with unlicensed contractors they said were licensed, and improperly installed granite countertops that also included a bad piece of granite, and the hassle they had to go through to get it made right. It involved the State's Attorney, eventually, and a lawsuit.

Just...don't.

[Paddy]

Just do not EVER EVER EVER EVER use Home Despot's home contractor service.

I could go into my parents' nightmare with unlicensed contractors they said were licensed, and improperly installed granite countertops that also included a bad piece of granite, and the hassle they had to go through to get it made right. It involved the State's Attorney, eventually, and a lawsuit.

Just...don't.

Home Depot won't stand behind it?  How do they avoid the liability?

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

SWMBO and I attended Direct Buy's "intro session" once.

That was enough. They have a pretty hard-sell tactic that unless you want to pony up (iirc) 5k up front then it's all over for you. Once they sense the initial reluctance to whip out your checkbook and throw your money at them they'll offer to let you 'pay it out over 2 years'.

Not the least of my hesitation was based in their catalogue selections. Most of those companies I'd never heard of, but were purported to be 'first quality, famous household names'. I dunno, I'm not really in the market for Ed Earl's Fine Cabinets to come redo my kitchen, and Sparky Mills just isn't going to be my first choice in fine floor coverings.

The whole thing is geared toward playing to your emotions trying to hook you into signing up and paying so the Little Woman won't cry because now she'll never get her rare faux Chinese Jewish Rococo Antique bedroom suite she's always wanted at prices well below what you'll find at any retail outlet.

It's not too dissimilar from timeshare sales if you ask me. The chance of a lifetime any you're passing it by? What can I do to help you make the right decision?



Regards,
Rabbit.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

Savage shills for Direct Buy on his show.

[Bogie]

Yeah, well, Savage is probably the worst thing that ever happened to conservative or libertarian talk radio... He's rude, obnoxious, and turns people, not just off, but away.
 
After 15 minutes of listening to him, I felt like hitting ebay just so I could have my very own copy of Mao's little red book...
 

[jeepmor]

About what I expected.  Kinda had that "buy a condo while on vacation in Mexico" feel to it anyway. 

As a former cabinetmaker for a year or two after college, I think I'll do just fine with the Home Depot cabinets or the like.  I just don't have the space to build a kitchen in my garage and don't want to take that much time for a set of cabinets.  I do have a nice tile saw now, so tile will be somewhere in the mix.  Probably on the kitchen floor and maybe granite tile on the counters. 

As for Home Destruction contractors, I've already heard and seen a few horror stories via my sister in law and a carpet installation.  So I understand that point also fully.  Worst installation I've ever seen.  And after having a BIL delve into the meth abyss as a contractor for a while, that's pretty bad.  And they paid top dollar for the work and it only goes to remind me why I insist on doing so much of it myself.

[Leatherneck]

Another vote for Home depot top-of-the-line cabinets. I redid our kitchen eight years ago, and the cabinets look and operate like new today. There is some time involved in assembling them, though.

TC

[roo_ster]

Why go for the MDF un-assembled variety?  Why not their pre-assembled jobbies made out of more wood-like materials?

The reason I ask, is that cabinets made from wood & plywood can be installed by one man.  Those MDF suckers are HEAVY and really need two folks to do it right.

[atomd]

I don't know about you guys but I don't really want to pay someone for the "privilege" of buying something from them later. Just sell it to me in the first place! I had a membership to BJ's wholesale club (it was a free year as part of some business plan) and Sam's Club. These discount clubs usually sell things made by someone who you have never heard of or some "extreme value size" of a product that you see everywhere. Some things you save a few pennies on and some things they rake you over the coals for. Direct Buy seriously smells like a scam to me.

I think it's better to just avoid these places entirely unless you REALLY need a 5lb jar of peanut butter or a couch made by an "exclusive Italian company" you have never heard of. I suggest taking a walk through for free and do the math before buying in. I found it was cheaper to buy multiple smaller containers of a product at a regular box store than the giant size container at the wholesale club most of the time. Of course there's a deal or 2 here and there. You can save a little bit if you know EXACTLY what you're buying and ONLY buy those products...but on a normal shopping trip It usually doesn't ad up in your favor though.

[Brad Johnson]

I have a Sam's membership.  It does save me money, but only because I have the space to store durable goods.  I buy anything non-perishable (paper products, canned goods, toiletries, etc.) and store them for when I need them.  I figure it saves me about $250 per year, not including any non-household items they carry that I can buy on an as-needed basis.

Brad

[atomd]

not including any non-household items they carry that I can buy on an as-needed basis.

And that is USUALLY where they make their money up. Pay close attention. Buyer beware.

[Brad Johnson]

And that is USUALLY where they make their money up.

Only if you let it happen.  A few seconds on the net or a few minutes on the phone are all it takes to check a couple of competitors for prices.

Brad

[Bogie]

I pretty much make my Sam's fee back on half'n'half... The local one is about a quarter less than the closest wally world stuporsore, and I probably go through two quarts a week. That's about $25/year... And I like the Hawaiian coffee they've been carrying.
 
Oh, and they're cheaper on butter and usually on eggs.
 

[Brad Johnson]

...half'n'half...
...butter...
...eggs...

I hate you.

Brad

[Declaration Day]

I've had a Sam's business membership for years and I save plenty of $$.

 I have a family, so it makes sense for me to buy 48 rolls of TP or a gallon of peanut butter at a time.  I have compared prices on many products, and the savings is often substantial. My local Sam's is closer than any other grocery store, plus I can go to their cafe during lunch and eat for about $2.70, when I would spend at least $8 at any fast food joint.

The key to saving there is to avoid all of the stuff they shove in your face as you walk through the store; don't go in to buy groceries and walk out with a new cell phone plan, LCD TV, and boxes of all of the overpriced processed foods that they so generously ( ) gave you a sample of.

Is it worthwhile for everybody?  No.  But for me it is.

Back to the original topic, I smelled a rat the first time I heard a Direct Buy commercial on the radio.  You'd have to be very naive to fall for that scam.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

We've had a Sam's business card for well over 10 years. I haven't been to Sam's to actually BUY anything in a couple of years so I haven't paid the 30$ member fee for awhile.

They do have better prices on gasoline than most stop-n-robs around here, and since they've been upscaling around DFW you can score a better price on that smoked salmon tray or foo-foo imported wine. I did get a sweet deal on a big screen tv about 10 years ago, too- about half of retail, but that's another story.  We did occasionally buy some consumables there from time to time for the business and as far as bulk cleaning supplies they were tough to beat.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[jeepmor]

My wife does all the food shopping and she is a darn good bargain shopper.  She can just smell a sale, but the home improvement/maintenance stuff is all me.  I only asked about this outfit becuase I might have been up for doing a fell swoop on the rest of my home improvements with new cabinets, appliances and countertops, and carpet in the front living room. 

I'm confident I can find what I need elsewhere, but with a baby coming, the one stop shopping for an admittedly large, large purchase, I thought an outfit like this might actually put me on the savings side.  As the cliche goes, if it looks to good to be true, it is.  I suspected as much, but I've come to value the opinions on APS and thought if it was for real, some of you would know. 

This week, paint and flooring in the nursery.  BTW, is Sam's club a WalMart thing?  We don't have one here, we have Costco.

[Bogie]

Tell ya what... For what you'd spend on Direct Buy, you could fly me into town, put me in a good hotel, with room service and Japanese schoolgirl uniform hookers, and I could do the job better... While hung over and with a slipped disk...
 
Seriously - the "hang it your own self" stuff works fine. Installation will probably cost a case of beer, if you know the right gullible guy to help you.


 

[jeepmor]

I know the drill, I was a cabinet maker.  Everything we did was custom and wood, I know what people are saying when it comes to hanging that damn particle board stuff on the walls....argh, that stuff is heavy.


I know the right gullible people, I had two fellas help me extract WAY too much dirt out of my backyard for the patio I had poured and stamped this week.  I put 9 yards of gravel back under that darn thing.  Had I done my excavation with a bit less zeal, I would have only needed 3-4 yards of gravel total.  My issue was that I planned for quite a bit more slope on the patio than I actually required, so I had to fill it back in.  Patio and walk were about 550sqft total.  The excavation help thanks entailed a bottle fo 15 year old Balvenie scotch for one, and Single Barrel Jack Daniels for the other.