Direct buy is bullshit

[Hopperbin]

Just went to their meeting a couple weeks backand what a dissapointment. worst ever shopping experience and for that you neeed to buy a membership like whtat the

[Hopperbin]

Basically I want to spend a hundred grand this year to up date my place as it needs it heh. they said the plan for me was 3500 today 5000 tomorrow. AND I can join their bullship band. Like what the **** if I spend money you can ****ing well service me. They let me go

[Hopperbin]

Reason being is the entire memebership goes to the guy tha sold you the memembership. after the sale the guy is off and dont give one rats ass. I googled direct and would want not one thing to do with them

[hobbyfrmr]

Hopper,
You should pay to go shopping for home improvements. All the cool kids are doing it!...note the sarcasm.

Its like a John Deere...anything, pay more to own it, and then feel good having it in the shed after the work is done. Then for 8 months you can tell someone you own John Deere.

When you are on vacation, or AV or anywhere but home, you can tell folks how you paid to buy stuff from Direct Buy to " improve" your home.

Experience suggests,you can goto any old big box home improvement place to be ignored and glean no answers to any questions you find valid.

There is no need to pay anything extra, to know, that if you are beyond 10 km from a city, you are on your own. Youtube has videos for what you want to do, then, buy materials at the most agreeable price you can.

[bucket]

I thought you liked membership fees?

[checking]

I received a call from someone with a similar invitation for a Saskatoon Direct Buy session a couple of weeks back. Funny how a telephone makes a "click" sound.

[MBgrower]

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/the_price_cut_promise/main.html

[ry0972]

We sat through the meeting back in Nov.
Had most of our house built and appliances, cabinets etc bought already but never told them .
Knew what we paid so went through the books comparing prices on the exact items we bought.
We paid 10% less average across the whole works.
Got most of our stuff through Menards in Minot.
The prices in the U.S. have gone up some in the last 4 months but I still will make a couple more trips down.
The cost of driving down and hotel room (if you stay over) is more than covered by savings on small items you pack into the trailer after you have your major stuff loaded.
Try to special order as much as you can that way it is sitting there for you to pick up.

[RD414]

We've been members for 6 years. Have done 3 sets kitchen cupboards, flooring,tires, appliances,furniture ect. Takes a while to get things, savings are 10% on cameras, same on tires and up to 60 to 70% on cupboards, blinds, flooring. King size serta mattress just lately was $300. Queen was $200. Takes time, but if you use it you will save lots.

[RD414]

ry0972, our price comparisons were done in Stoon. Did you buy lumber, rafters and insulation at Minot also, and at what savings from here if you did.

[bucket]

We checked into direct buy years ago.

When we ordered tires and found they were more expensive and then I had to pick them up and get someone to install them, we asked for our money back.

It didn't go any furthur than that.

I think costco does kitchens now as well. A friend did counter tops thru costco and was cheaper than the same firm doing it privately.

[bucket]

Sounds alot like FBC

[ry0972]

rafters, floor trusses and 16 to 20' 2x4's and tin for roof came from Prairie Truss/Wizer buildings. Rest of framing lumber and plywood sheeting/subfloor came from Zac's.
I was getting 5/8- 4x12 drywall for $8/sheet and best retail price here was $28(same brand as CO-OP, RONA and J&H)Win-Roc and Ken-Rock were $22 but no retail sales.
Cabinets (Shrock), countertops, electrical, composite decking and railings, insulation,paint, carpet and lino were 1/3 to 2/3 the price up here and usually could get it 2 weeks to a month quicker from Minot.
I add 20% to the U.S. prices to account for taxes, exchange and hassle and the U.S. price can still be 50 to 75% of up here.
Groceries, pet food, cold medicine and some clothing can add up to big savings and fill space in an enclosed trailer.
For most stuff I bought the best/upgrade stuff for same or less than minimum/standard stuff here.

[DogPatch]

so in the future if your local dealer quites handling most of the products that you need, then what?

[ry0972]

DogPatch ?? In the last 15 years how many times have you came out of a store/dealer with what you needed??
In the next 5 you will be lucky to see dealers stocking filters etc.
Most times if there is more than 1 piece/component to an assembly they will be 2 or 3 hours in opposite directions. Or you wait 1 or 2 days to have it shipped from a main warehouse.
As for building materials and such like the discusion is about if I can buy as good or better stuff and save $100-200K for the sake of a week or two total travel time(the family has fun swimming/shopping/siteseeing when they come along).
As linked in the marketplace item above if more people did the same the manufacturers would maybe charge canadian retailers a closer amount to keep them in buisness.
Our Tarkett lino is made in Canada. We paid $0.95 to 1.10/sqft at Menards.
The exact same product SKU, colour grade etc here was $3.45!!! Retailer here claimed it was freight diference!!
1200sqft/roll, about 60 rolls/53' van is 72,000sqft. at $2/sqft price dif, thats $144,000 frieght/load to get lino here from Ontario/Quebec!!!
I think i could make $$$ hauling lino!!!