I have been a member for more than 23 years. I joined in Rhode Island when I was fresh out of college and I have lived in Las Vegas for the last 20yrs. There have been instances where it was a hassle to deal with waiting for an item to arrive or a damaged item, but for the savings that was realized, the savings far out weighed the hassle. Any time you are hard core shopping for a sale or a bargain there is always an amount of time investment to do that research and always an amount of hassle that is endured.
What I have valued with Direct Buy is that I purchase home furnishings like bedroom furnituure, family room furniture (gigantic savings), window blinds, lighting, flooring, area rugs etc., and sometimes choose to spend what I would spend retail, however I end up with far better quality. I have home furnishings that I could never afford if I bought it retail. Therefore, I have heirlooms that will last forever and I will pass down. I am not buying low quality items that need constant replacement. Over the years I have furnished my entire home, have custom area rugs etc. Direct Buy has been my library and resource to find & coordinate things and compare in the stores so that I knew whether or not something was a good deal outside of Direct Buy if I was comparing apples to apples. And if I found something that was on a blow out sale and compared it to the Direct Buy Manufacturer's cost pricing, and it was still lower outside of DB, then I was thrilled to know it was an awesome deal and I bought it.
The other thing I love is I can buy at these prices everyday. I don't have to wait for seasonal pricing, I don't have to buy a floor model to get a discount. I can select custom fabric, have it made to order and not pay top retail pricing. Most items you wait for anyway. Upsacale furniture you typically see a floor model and then they show you the catalogue and fabric swatches from which you can choose from. Then they order for you and you wait for it. I don't have to run all around town comparing prices. I use the internet. Direct Buy has become easier and easier to use through the years. 99% of the stuff is online. You can compare pricing on line very easily.
Today in fact, we were looking for BBQ Grills. Now, grills are less expensive right now since we are not in peak grilling season, so there are some better deals out there. So, we researched and found that for $1,800 bbq grill (builtin) that same grill, best price I could find was $3,200. Yes, I have to wait for it, but willing to do that for the savings. Not to mention, I am getting a $3,000 grill. I would never spend $3k for a grill, but for $1,800 I'm getting a grill that I will not have to replace for probably 20 years. Now, if we physically shop some neighborhood grill resalers and they are trying to blow out a grill, we know what a "good deal" really is, weighed by the benefit of instant gratifiication. If my savings is only a few hundred bucks, then, I'll go ahead and buy it and have the peace of mind that I didn't get rippped off.
If you are looking for a return on your investment the same month you get your membership, you probably will feel like the membership isn't worth it. If you are buying in for the long term, your confidence in your investment will grow over time. I agree, they do not have EVERY single manufacturer, but I find the manufacturers they carry are high quality and represent a low medium & high price range.
So, I am happy. I don't use Direct Buy only to Buy from, but also as a pricing and product resource. I have made great educated buying decisions and have gorgeous high quality products throughhout my home to show for it.
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