Yesterday, we shared the news that DirectBuy, a company often featured on this very site for its anti-consumer practices, had filed for bankruptcy protection. However, the company wants to make sure that you know something: it has been making changes to become less terrible, including monthly fees instead of multi-year contracts. [More]
directbuy
DirectBuy Files For Bankruptcy, Lenders Will Take Over Company
By 11.3.16
You may remember DirectBuy, a store selling furniture and other items to spiff up your home that promises deep discounts to people who sign up for a pricey membership. This business model is apparently not working out for them, since the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week. [More]
DirectBuy Closed Members’ Local Showroom: Now What?
By 1.22.14
Longtime Consumerist readers might remember that we aren’t huge fans of the advertising or sales tactics that shopping club DirectBuy uses. But if someone does spend thousands of dollars to join, then they should be treated fairly by the company, right? Not when the nearest showroom closes down, and the company doesn’t understand why their new members can’t make an easy two-hour trip to the nearest one that remains open. [More]
SeaWorld Considers Legal Action Against DirectBuy Over “Free Vacation” Promotion
By 12.17.13
People have been receiving mailers advertising a free three-day vacation to San Diego, including hotel room and SeaWorld tickets. In fact, the letter included what appeared to be a check from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. What these notices don’t mention is that you need to attend a 90-minute sales pitch, and more importantly that SeaWorld has nothing to do with the promotion. [More]
DirectBuy Refunds Membership After Customer Obtains Levy, Plans To Sell Store Contents
By 6.29.12 — Updated: 11.3.16
A customer has gone to battle against pushy members-only shopping club DirectBuy, and won. How did they do it? The Pennsylvania couple enlisted the help of the legal system, a local consumer reporter, and the police. When the company wouldn’t pay the judgment filed against it in court, they showed up with cops and a levy against the company, so they could start hauling off office furniture and anything else in the store if they so desired. Instead, they found that the local DirectBuy outpost had moved, and a new store opened with different management. A coincidence, surely. [More]
DirectBuy Solicitation Disguised As Important Letter From Microsoft
By 12.1.11
Yuriy received an exciting letter in the mail: the return address had the Microsoft logo, and the letter informed him that he had won either a netbook or an Android tablet — all he had to do was call a toll-free number to claim his prize. But if you look at the fine print, a few things stick out: first, he’d have to pay a small fee to claim his prize. And the giveaway wasn’t sponsored by Microsoft at all: his local DirectBuy warehouse had sent out the letters. [More]
Judge Denies DirectBuy Settlement For Being Too Paltry
By 5.23.11
A judge has given the thumbs down to a proposed settlement in the class-action lawsuit against DirectBuy over its pricing practices. The settlement would have been free memberships to DirectBuy, worth $3,000, to around 800,000 class members. In other words, they were getting sued for being a bad deal and having a problem with their prices, and their make-good is a free pass so you can come in and keep paying those same prices. [More]
DirectBuy Pressured Me Into Membership But Won't Let Me Buy Anything I Want
By 4.11.11
It’s kind of like DirectBuy is just refusing to be cool, ever, even once: Adding to the long list of complaints we’ve received and read about, a woman who says she was pressured into buying a $5,000 membership to the home club says she hasn’t been able to buy anything she actually wants from them. Wait a darn tootin’ second, DirectBuy is being difficult? Go figure! [More]
DirectBuy Extends Their 'Not Without Your Spouse' Policy To Lesbians
By 9.17.10
While it’s refreshing to learn that DirectBuy — which apparently won’t let women into their showroom without their husband present — recognizes same-sex couples, it’s disappointing to discover the company is equally a-holish to them as it is to everyone else. [More]
