Frequently Asked Questions

What is DirectBuy?
DirectBuy is a private members-only showroom and design center, where members can purchase goods directly from more than 500 brand-name manufacturers and their authorized suppliers without paying retail markup. Members shop in a comfortable setting, free from all the sales pressure found in a typical store. With the help of a DirectBuy product specialist, you can decorate, furnish or remodel your entire home. And because everything you need is in one location—including design, delivery and installation services—you can accomplish your home projects easily and affordably.

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How well established is DirectBuy?
Founded in 1971, DirectBuy is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana and currently has over 150 locations throughout Canada and the United States. DirectBuy of Toronto North, opened in 1997 by Steven and Kary Tratner, is just one of 5 locations here in the Toronto area. When you think about it, we've been around longer than most retail chains!

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How do I become a member?
Make an appointment to attend an Open House at DirectBuy of Toronto North. At the Open House, information about the savings, member services and extensive selection of brand-name merchandise is described in great detail, so you can make the most informed decision about whether DirectBuy is right for you.

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Can I visit the showroom anytime?
Our showrooms are open only to members. For a showroom tour, you will need to make a reservation and we will provide you with a Visitor's Pass. Once you are a member, you're welcome to stop in any time.

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How much is the membership?
Until you attend an Open House to discover all the benefits that DirectBuy has to offer, there is really no way for you to appreciate if a membership represents good value to you. So, we'll discuss the membership fee and the payment options during your Open House visit. Obviously, the savings and benefits far outweigh the membership dues, or we wouldn't have grown as big as we are today!

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When can I join DirectBuy?
Our manufacturers trust that we will not allow our showrooms to be used as public libraries where consumers can research a manufacturer's price and use that to try to negotiate with a retail store. This could potentially provoke some retailers to lobby with those manufacturers to discontinue doing business with DirectBuy, to the detriment of all our members. For that reason, please understand that becoming a DirectBuy member requires your choice at the Open House you attend. We promise that your visit to DirectBuy will be informative and enjoyable. We'll give you ample time to explore all the benefits of membership and get answers to any questions you may have.

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What brand names are available?
DirectBuy carries more than 500 brand-names at the manufacturer's direct prices. You will learn the names of these popular manufacturers at the Open House. We ask that current and prospective members not share our prices or information about our manufacturers out of respect for the retail community, which could be pressured by consumers to meet our prices.

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Is there anything else like DirectBuy?
As a membership-based consumer buying service, DirectBuy is beyond compare! Unlike traditional retail stores and warehouse clubs, we do not charge any markup, because we derive our income from membership dues. As a DirectBuy member, all the markup you would normally pay to stores just to cover their operating costs and to make them a profit, would now be yours to keep! Today DirectBuy is the #1 way in North America to purchase top quality, brand-name products for every room in your home at incredible manufacturer-direct prices.

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Click Here To Learn More About How You Can Benefit
From A DirectBuy Membership

Member Testimonials

Thousands of happy members have taken the time to write us about how DirectBuy has improved their lifestyle. Here are just a few testimonials from members in Toronto.

We are building a new home up north, and have purchased windows, gas fireplaces, fridge, stove, and kitchen cupboards, and still have more to buy. Your staff knows us by name which is very nice. They have helped in many ways from quotes, to finding the right catalogs when we look lost. We figure we’ve saved about $15000-$20,000 by shopping at DirectBuy. Your staff is great!
– Maureen Norwood

Our kitchen cabinets priced out retail at $45,000, we paid $21,000. Our appliances, fridge, cook top, dishwasher and built in oven gave us additional savings of $3700.00. Basically, on our kitchen alone we saved almost $28,000—well worth the initial investment.
– Zibute Janeliunas

We have been members since 2003, soon after we married and purchased a new home. As we began our new lives together in a new home, we had a need to purchase many items for our home. Our initial purchases comprised of mattresses, television set, refrigerator, oven and dishwasher. It goes without saving we saved significant money and quickly recovered the cost of the membership. As we slowly are furnishing our home, we will definitely make our purchases through DirectBuy. The service and assistance we always obtain from the service representatives makes our shopping experience a pleasure.
– Roberto & Franca Costantino

Becoming a member of DirectBuy was one of the best decisions our family has ever made. At the beginning, we were undecided about how really worth it was. After our initial purchase we were convinced how much one can save by buying direct. Not only have we furnished our house with gorgeous furniture but also we saved thousands at the same time. We would never have been able to purchase the pieces that we have chosen, if it wasn’t for DirectBuy’s prices.
– Fernando and Janette Camara

I have been a member of DirectBuy for over eight years. In that time, we remodeled our current home, finished the basement and we are about to move into a new home once again. Over the time we've been members, we have purchased everything from light fixtures, furniture, electronics, rugs and bedroom suites... the list goes on and on. I cannot imagine being able to furnish our new home the way I want without the savings that I'm receiving by shopping at DirectBuy. The added bonus is the friendly and helpful service that I receive everytime I visit the showroom, place my orders and pick up my merchandise. Even the smallest of details is attended to with a smile.
– Linda B.

We have been members for more than 2 years, and have had nothing but good experiences with DirectBuy. Being a little anal, what I did was create a worksheet and compared the prices that we paid to the prices either posted on the web (EBAY, or online shopping pages etc), sales fliers etc. and have NEVER paid anywhere near the same price that was listed/posted. For example just this week, we ordered a 46 " HD tv. It was on sale at a very large electronic store in our area. Yet we paid at direct buy more then 500$ less then the sales price. Now the important part here was that it was the current high end model and I was comparing apples to apples. We have renoed our kitchen (2 years ago), and saved over 15,000 (it was a complete make over). Our bathroom (last year) saved about 4,000 and now we are doing the living area with anticipated savings also in the thousands (we are not finished buying everything). Now I have read the various negative posts on the web about DirectBuy before I went to the open house 2 years ago, and while I did my due diligence, I found none of those negative posts were with merit. And finally, I do also want to mention that along with the savings we got, the service we receive every single time at the showroom goes beyond every experience I have ever had with a regular store. The people there REALLY care. In fact, if I did not receive the savings that I do, I would probably still buy there just with the knowledge on the outstanding serivce I would get at the showroom.
– Robert Galambos and Miriam Salzman

Click Here To Read A Few Thousand More Member Testimonials

Open House Confirmation Code DBTN-288

Imagine Your Life Without Markup ...

Without increasing your income, you'll have more dollars to spend, save or invest – the choice is yours!

You could buy more things on your wish list – maybe treat yourself to something special!

Quality pieces unaffordable at retail will now be within your budget – you won't have to settle for second best!

What's Next?

We'll be calling you soon to schedule an appointment to attend one of our upcoming Open House Tours.

Please write down your Open House confirmation code that appears above and keep it handy for when we call.