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I won't call it a scam, but I believe their ads are misleading. They make the claim to cutout the middleman (retailer) to save you money. I don't know just how they work, but my guess is they are nothing more than a membership discount buyers club similar to COSTCO & SAMS. They don't cut out the middleman, they ARE the middleman. I'm sure you can save money with them, I have been a member of other buyer's clubs in the past. I know I saved money, but I had to purchase enough products to save more than the expense of the membership. They rely upon volume sales to make their $$$.
I get a kick out of one of the "testimonials" where one couple states they saved over $60K on cabinets for their house. Must have been one hecker of a place! What isn't said is what it cost them to get these bargain cabinets installed by a independent contractor, and if that amount was factored into the savings.
Anyway, since I absolutely hate "infomercials", I would never join or buy from them.
I can't speak for Direct Buy, I see there ads around here also. But if I was going to make a large purchase I have found everything is negotiable. You'll never know unless you ask. The warehouse clubs are great for some items. Just look at this FTE club, its FREE and I've got some of the best deals on some things like my new truck and it cost me nothing to get it any less then asking as well as some after market accessories via pricematching web sites and purchasing locally.
I wouldn't buy into it unless you're buying a lot of stuff to fill an entire house. Then at that point you'll realize you're saving enough money to pay for all the trouble you're going to. I think you'd have to really accrue a lot of discounts through them as you continue to lump more items onto your ticket.
The more you spend, the more you save! (but you're still spending more!)
If you need anything made out of wood, I'm your man