I ordered expensive Omega Dynasty cabinets from Direct Buy of Dupage County with the promise that they would be delivered to my condo on the 4th floor. When the delivery occurred the Omega driver refused to do more than deposit the boxes on the street next to the curb. I immediately called Mike Benton of Direct Buy of Dupage County and he said there was nothing he could.
The driver also insisted that cherry cabinets ordered by the Dunbar family (whoever they were) were mine and that he would not give me my maple cabinets until I took the cherry ones. My maple cabinets were located behind the cherry cabinets.
I called Direct Buy again. Mike Benton was busy and would not take the phone call. The woman with whom I spoke said she would look into it. Meanwhile I had to take all the large, heavy boxes of cherry cabinets off the truck because the deliveryman was in his 70s.
Eventually we got to my maple cabinets. I pointed out that my name was on these boxes while the cherry cabinets had the name of Dunbar and insisted that I did not order cherry cabinets. I called Direct Buy again. Mike Benton was still unavailable. I spoke with a woman and told her this was a huge problem, that Direct Buy needed to fix this problem immediately and that the Dunbar family was going to be very upset when they didn't get their cabinets. I have the telephone records to prove all these calls. The woman said she would look into it and get back to me. She never did.
Meanwhile, I signed for my cabinets. The driver told me he needed my signature on all the pages. I said I didn't want the cherry cabinets and that not all of them were delivered in any case. The driver told me he was running behind schedule and begged me to sign the papers, assuring me that Omega Cabinetry would fix everything. I stupidly acceded to his request and initialed the sheets. The driver left.
Direct Buy took over a week to get back to me.By that time, my contractor had taken the cabinets to store for me because my condo association threatened to fine me for storing the boxes in my parking space. When I found one cherry box a few weeks later, I had to call three separate times on three consecutive days before Direct Buy would pick up the cherry cabinet.
I don't have the cabinets; apparently my contractor told the woman from Direct Buy of Dupage that he sold them. I don't know the exact details because he abandoned my remodel job after refusing to return the cabinets to me when I asked for them a few days after he said he would store them. Altogether he got away with over $5,000 and a set of cherry cabinets, but that is another problem.
On top of charging me for the cherry cabinets Direct Buy of Dupage wanted to charge me extra for my maple cabinets. They mailed me an altered bill charging me $115.36 extra. I immediately called and talked with Zola, who told me I needed to talk with Mike, who was not available. That was in April. I finally got Mike's email address in June or July and wrote him that I needed paper documentation explaining why Direct Buy of Dupage was charging me an additional $115.36. He never provided the paperwork.
Direct Buy of Dupage has now suspended my membership, which cost almost $5,000.
In addition, the quality of the maple cabinets was so poor that I cried. Screws protruded from drawer fronts. Cabinet doors were poorly painted and had holes. Trim was broken. Hinges didn't fit and replacement parts took months to receive. The problems still haven't been resolved. Mike Benton and Direct Buy of Dupage do nothing to resolve these problems. It appears that once Direct Buy has your money, they forget all about you—until they want more money from you. Then they suspend your membership.
I wouldn't care that Direct Buy of Dupage County suspended my membership except that my second contractor destroyed a toe kick that I need for my kitchen. I will buy elsewhere. It seems to me that Direct Buy should be shut down across the country for fraud and that membership fees should be returned.
LisaForest Park, Illinois
U.S.A.
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