Anyone buy children's furniture from DirectBuy?

[ExcitedMamma]

I am looking for a big boy bed and furniture set for DS and my parents are members of DirectBuy so I was checking out their options because of the price savings but I am so overwhelmed by the amount of brands! Anyone buy from them and have brands to recommend?

Thanks!

[codex57]

http://consumerist.com/2011/05/judge-denies-directbuy-settlement-for-being-too-paltry.html

[ExcitedMamma]

Thanks but like I wrote my parents are members so they can buy for me so I'll get the savings without any of the crazy membership fees. In comparing their prices so far everything is about $200 less than retail, so adding up a bed, nightstand and dresser we will save a lot. I'm just unsure of the brands and there aren't showrooms for them near me. I know I can get a bedroom set from DirectBuy a lot cheaper than going retail though.

[codex57]

That's the thing. Retail prices are one thing. However, unless it's Pottery Barn or something like that, a "regular" furniture store will have a "retail" price but everyone always pays far less than that.

If your parents are members, that's great. You save the membership fee. But, I've never read anything that said the stuff from DirectBuy is cheaper or better than what you'd find at any old furniture store, ignoring the membership fees. The stuff isn't especially good quality or anything like that. That's why they got sued. They weren't any cheaper than normal and add in the membership fees and it's one giant ripoff/scam. Without the membership fees, then you've just got your average furniture place but with some extra restrictions.

So, when you say it's $200 less than retail, does that mean you've already priced out stuff at your local furniture store and negotiated with the sales people already? Checked out Ikea? Or just went in and looked at price tags?

I dunno where you live, but if you're in an isolated area, maybe DirectBuy is one of the few choices you have. Or, if you live in a more populated area, have you started doing some negotiations with local furniture stores? You know, the ones perpetually "liquidating"?

[dcmom2b3]

I don't know whether Direct Buy carries it, but Stanley youth furniture has been spoken highly of in at least one BBB thread that I can recall. Maybe search the "around the house" forum if it doesn't show up in a search of the Lounge?

If you were on the east coast, I'd recommend comparison shopping with any of the North Carolina furniture outlets (Furnitureland is one that comes to mind immediately). IDK whether the shipping to the west coast would eat up your savings, though.

[7pages]

We are no longer members...after ten years they insisted we pay the new membership fee AGAIN. :( So we left. We bought lots of furniture through Direct Buy and always price compared against local furniture stores. It was always cheaper and worth it. Furniture brands we bought from were Stanley, Hooker, Peters Revington, Sam Moore, Butler Specialty, Kincaid.
We bought two bedroom sets from Stanley Young America for kids' rooms. The boys line we purchased was called Harbor Town, and for the girls we had Madison. I am not sure if they have been discontinued, but we have bunk beds and dressers, etc and the quality has been great!
Start with Stanley and see if you find something you like. Write the model numbers of everything and then your parents can get the prices at the show room. I believe one guest can come into the showroom with the member. You can look at the books, but your parents would have to place the order.
Good luck!