Direct Buy - UCC Total Home, Next Level Marketing Owner Karuna Talwar Et Al Misrepresentation of Services.. No cheaper than retail, save your FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR MEMBERSHIP FEE. Gurnee Illinois
On 11/21/2007 my fiance' and I had the unfortunate "pleasure" of attending an open house at Direct Buy of Gurnee IL. High pressure sales tactic revealed at the end of a bogus video presentation stating that you had to join that day or never! Cost to join this club is 5600$ and the purported benefit is that you'll never pay retail again.
The following day being Thanksgiving, my fiance' and I could not shop at the wonderland that is Direct Buy until 11/23/. We shopped for some digital camera equipment and golf clubs/accessories. Direct Buy Gurnee was the same price if not higher ( due to handling / shipping fees & taxes ) than the retailers surrounding their showroom. THIS IS A TOTAL SCAM!!!! They lure you in telling you everything verbally, showing you advertisements from local retailers ( like a best buy ad. ) and what the price you would pay from Direct Buy vs. the ad would be. Horrible ethics and morals at play here folks.
I am attempting to get my $1400 refunded and contract terminated so that Im not paying a montly installment loan to them for the remainder. I stated my intentions in writing to the owners ( Karuna Talwar & Suku Talwar ) on Sunday 11/25 but have not seen or heard a response. I contacted the corporate offices in Merrilville IN but got little help. They hide behind the " well sir, these are independent franchises and we have nothing to do with them " song and dance.
Save yourselves, they have nothing to offer you. Retail big box stores are no longer operating on 40-60% margins, its a thing of the past. Don't believe me, check them out, most are public companies. You can probably beat the Direct Buy Price at any walmart, sams, home depot, circuit city, best buy, etc. without even haggling.
Bugsy
kenosha, Wisconsin
U.S.A.
10 Updates & Rebuttals
Jon
Ft Lauderdale,Florida,
U.S.A.
Their selection of products is really great
#11Consumer Comment
Thu, July 30, 2009
We spent hours just poring through the catalog in the showroom
Jon
Ft Lauderdale,Florida,
U.S.A.
Their selection of products is really great
#11Consumer Comment
Thu, July 30, 2009
We spent hours just poring through the catalog in the showroom
Jon
Ft Lauderdale,Florida,
U.S.A.
Their selection of products is really great
#11Consumer Comment
Thu, July 30, 2009
We spent hours just poring through the catalog in the showroom
Jon
Ft Lauderdale,Florida,
U.S.A.
Their selection of products is really great
#11Consumer Comment
Thu, July 30, 2009
We spent hours just poring through the catalog in the showroom
Agent J
Gurnee,Illinois,
U.S.A.
What does that matter??
#11Consumer Comment
Mon, September 01, 2008
What does it matter how many homes the owners of this company own or where they are located? That sounds a little spiteful, or maybe just envious. Invest your money well enough, and someday maybe you can own a nice home for yourself, as well.
Brian
Gurnee,Illinois,
U.S.A.
I completely Agree...
#11Consumer Comment
Mon, July 07, 2008
In addition to the high membership fee and prices near retail at most other stores selling the same products... This company hires people to sit in at the open house to make it look like more people are interested in purchasing a membership. These people also eavesdrop on consumers conversations and even signs up for a membership in hopes to lure other people into purchasing one. I know this because I have been to a couple open houses at the Gurnee, IL location and I have seen the same lady there at both open houses. I even asked a friend to go to an open house in which I gave him a description of the lady and he also confirmed she was there as well.
That's way too much of a coincidence. Plus, why would the lady sign up for a membership at every open house? How many memberships do they allow a person to have?
The owners of this company have shady business practices and are profiting from the misfortunes of it's members. The Talwar's (owners) have multiple homes in Gurnee, one of which is in Hunt Club Farms (A sub-division with homes ranging from $800k to millions of dollars each) and they do not need to be taking advantage of people like this. If the membership is worth it, than people will sign up. They should not be allowed to pressure people into buying a membership in which they cannot come back to get a membership for 7 years if not purchased that day.
Bugsy
kenosha,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
Fee Refunded- still a scam!
#11Author of original report
Tue, November 27, 2007
After faxing another letter today I was contacted by the mgr ( Pam ) who indicated that she would terminate my contract and send me a refund check as soon as they received back the welcome packet that I left with along with the original contract signed on the cancellation block on back of the form. I'll assume everything will transpire smoothly at this point.
Bottom line, after shopping through a multitude of their "catalogs", there is nothing they have to offer that you cannot buy for the same price or less at any retailer on planet earth. The pricing that is shown to you is MSRP ( like anyone on Gods green earth sells at msrp ) and then your direct buy price which is same as retail big box. Also, do not let them swoon you into believing that you are going to be able to buy high end items such as rolex, coach, louie, etc... THEY DONT HAVE IT... not to mention those companies would never participate in such nonsense, they don't need to. In case you haven't noticed, high end retailers are actually showing HUGE profits... they don't need any help.
The funny thing was when I asked about getting quoted out granite counter tops one of the girls in the office dropped the ball and told me that they received the quotes from a merchant in my home town ( initials are LPI )... this is a factory direct company and I can buy at the same or better directly from them walking in off the STREET!!
The whole thing is a scam, I challenge ANY direct buy on the planet to get me a quote that I can't beat.... that is from anything that isn't exclusive to them from their ultracheap low end crap vendors... OHHH, did I let another secret out of the bag there? Sorry!
Good Luck america, don't get taken
Bugsy
Bugsy
kenosha,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
Fee Refunded- still a scam!
#11Author of original report
Tue, November 27, 2007
After faxing another letter today I was contacted by the mgr ( Pam ) who indicated that she would terminate my contract and send me a refund check as soon as they received back the welcome packet that I left with along with the original contract signed on the cancellation block on back of the form. I'll assume everything will transpire smoothly at this point.
Bottom line, after shopping through a multitude of their "catalogs", there is nothing they have to offer that you cannot buy for the same price or less at any retailer on planet earth. The pricing that is shown to you is MSRP ( like anyone on Gods green earth sells at msrp ) and then your direct buy price which is same as retail big box. Also, do not let them swoon you into believing that you are going to be able to buy high end items such as rolex, coach, louie, etc... THEY DONT HAVE IT... not to mention those companies would never participate in such nonsense, they don't need to. In case you haven't noticed, high end retailers are actually showing HUGE profits... they don't need any help.
The funny thing was when I asked about getting quoted out granite counter tops one of the girls in the office dropped the ball and told me that they received the quotes from a merchant in my home town ( initials are LPI )... this is a factory direct company and I can buy at the same or better directly from them walking in off the STREET!!
The whole thing is a scam, I challenge ANY direct buy on the planet to get me a quote that I can't beat.... that is from anything that isn't exclusive to them from their ultracheap low end crap vendors... OHHH, did I let another secret out of the bag there? Sorry!
Good Luck america, don't get taken
Bugsy
Bugsy
kenosha,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
Fee Refunded- still a scam!
#11Author of original report
Tue, November 27, 2007
After faxing another letter today I was contacted by the mgr ( Pam ) who indicated that she would terminate my contract and send me a refund check as soon as they received back the welcome packet that I left with along with the original contract signed on the cancellation block on back of the form. I'll assume everything will transpire smoothly at this point.
Bottom line, after shopping through a multitude of their "catalogs", there is nothing they have to offer that you cannot buy for the same price or less at any retailer on planet earth. The pricing that is shown to you is MSRP ( like anyone on Gods green earth sells at msrp ) and then your direct buy price which is same as retail big box. Also, do not let them swoon you into believing that you are going to be able to buy high end items such as rolex, coach, louie, etc... THEY DONT HAVE IT... not to mention those companies would never participate in such nonsense, they don't need to. In case you haven't noticed, high end retailers are actually showing HUGE profits... they don't need any help.
The funny thing was when I asked about getting quoted out granite counter tops one of the girls in the office dropped the ball and told me that they received the quotes from a merchant in my home town ( initials are LPI )... this is a factory direct company and I can buy at the same or better directly from them walking in off the STREET!!
The whole thing is a scam, I challenge ANY direct buy on the planet to get me a quote that I can't beat.... that is from anything that isn't exclusive to them from their ultracheap low end crap vendors... OHHH, did I let another secret out of the bag there? Sorry!
Good Luck america, don't get taken
Bugsy
Bugsy
kenosha,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
Fee Refunded- still a scam!
#11Author of original report
Tue, November 27, 2007
After faxing another letter today I was contacted by the mgr ( Pam ) who indicated that she would terminate my contract and send me a refund check as soon as they received back the welcome packet that I left with along with the original contract signed on the cancellation block on back of the form. I'll assume everything will transpire smoothly at this point.
Bottom line, after shopping through a multitude of their "catalogs", there is nothing they have to offer that you cannot buy for the same price or less at any retailer on planet earth. The pricing that is shown to you is MSRP ( like anyone on Gods green earth sells at msrp ) and then your direct buy price which is same as retail big box. Also, do not let them swoon you into believing that you are going to be able to buy high end items such as rolex, coach, louie, etc... THEY DONT HAVE IT... not to mention those companies would never participate in such nonsense, they don't need to. In case you haven't noticed, high end retailers are actually showing HUGE profits... they don't need any help.
The funny thing was when I asked about getting quoted out granite counter tops one of the girls in the office dropped the ball and told me that they received the quotes from a merchant in my home town ( initials are LPI )... this is a factory direct company and I can buy at the same or better directly from them walking in off the STREET!!
The whole thing is a scam, I challenge ANY direct buy on the planet to get me a quote that I can't beat.... that is from anything that isn't exclusive to them from their ultracheap low end crap vendors... OHHH, did I let another secret out of the bag there? Sorry!
Good Luck america, don't get taken
Bugsy