A friend recently sent this to me:

Subject: UCC Totalhome/Directbuy beware of local scam

I'm writing to you in order to get the word out about a local
business called UCC Totalhome/Directbuy. They are a scam and I
was recently caught up in it, but was able to get out of it
thanks to being quick on my feet.

How the scam works is as follows :

A telemarketer will call you--they target people who are newly
married or have just moved into a new home (I don't know how
they come about this information, but they do)--their staff is
very friendly and they will tell you about their club which is a
way to order home furnishings, electronics and other apparel
directly from the manufacturer thus allow you to save
considerable amounts of money on mark-up. The telemarketer will
ask you if you are interested in getting an invitation to visit
their showroom.

When you visit the showroom you are assigned to a "members
advisor" (i.e. salesperson) who sits down with you and chats
with you for a while giving you information on the showroom and
simply building a relationship of trust with you. After all the
invitees are at the showroom, you are all invited to attend a
presentation in another room.

The presentation lasts 45 minutes and is entirely scripted to
increase the effect on potential victims of this scam. They
bedazzle you with savings in the area of 40% to 60%... However,
there is a catch it costs $ 3000.00 to join for two years and
then $ 186.00 for the following 8 years after that. At this
point, I thought--this is the catch--and was ready to walk away,
but this sinister scam won't let you leave.

Slightly before the end of the movie the Owner comes in and
tells you to join him in the showroom so that you can sign the
contract. I sat down with my salesperson and was asked to take a
survey which concluded that I would be a great member for their
club and asked to sign a contract. The contract is the tool of
this scam. Essentially, it is entirely one sided in favor of UCC
Totalhome/Directbuy in the contract they disclaim all warranties
on the stuff you might purchase, tell you that they give no
refunds, and that they will not be bound my any oral promises
not contained in the contract (in other words they can lie to
you to get you to sign). So you ask why would I sign something
like this?

Well, for one thing you're not given the opportunity to think
about it. I asked at several occasions if I could have the
opportunity to go home and read the contract fully before
signing it, but was told that if I did not sign now I would
never be invited again... Furthermore, while you are reading it
you are constantly distracted by the other people in the
showroom who are talking and shopping and the owner constantly
interrupting you whilst you are reading. Therefore, you read the
contract, but can't really understand it and sign it not fully
realizing what you are doing.

Anyway, even while I was signing it and picking a payment option
(with an initial deposit of close to $700.00) I realized that it
was a scam, but I was too trusting, too inattentive to fully
realize it. Before I left I check out a few of the catalogs and
did some comparison shopping when I got home. I realized that
after all the surcharges their was very little savings to be had
(example below), and when I got and fully read the contract I
realized it was a scam.

So I consulted the Consumer Protection Act of Ontario to see
what my options where. There was no ten-day cooling-off period
for this type of contract. However, I did have a recourse. I had
to write a letter stating that I was rescinding the contract due
to the business engaging in "unfair practices" and
"unconscionable acts". I asked a lawyer friend of mine to draft
the letter and sent it through registered mail a few business
days later. Anyway, I didn't receive a word from the owner for
eight days and so decided to submit my claim in small claims
court. I present him with my claim on Nov. 28 and he told me
that he was more then willing to refund my money and cancel the
contract if I was to write him a personal letter and return my
membership package.

I did so a few days later and he refunded my money. I am
therefore home free for the time being... I will be withdrawing
my claim tomorrow from court. However, this has been a very
wonderful life lesson for me and I am writing to you all because
I think it's important to get the word out about these
hucksters... If you ever happen to get a phone call from them
tell them about my experience and how you don't feel you should
pay $ 3000.00 for a membership in a club that does not guarantee
savings I am sure they won't call you again. If you happen to be
invited to the club for the presentation don't go... When it
doubt don't go, don't commit and don't sign anything! The worst
they can do is kick you out of the showroom...

Example of non-existent savings:

UCC Totalhome
IJ8000 (washer) sells for 322.00 in their catalog, but you have
to add 7% s&h, a freight charge and pay the GST and PST. The
final price for the washer is therefore $ 453.77, and you have
to pick it up at their warehouse in Gloucester!

Sears.ca
The same washer sells for 399.00 at Sears with free delivery to
my house. The final cost only includes GST and PST : 458.85.

So for $ 3000.00 your saving $ 5 on what UCC considers a major
item. All their products seem to follow a similar pattern.
Furthermore, if you purchase something chances are you'll wait
between 2 to 4 months before it is delivered.

Stay clear of this scam!

Caveat Emptor!

David
 

Note: MartinsQuest.com, for legal reasons, cannot substantiate any
of the claims and allegations made here. They should be regarded
simply as the opinion of the author and not be taken as statements
of truth or authority. Purchasing anything requires due diligence and
careful research. Below are a few links about UCC Total Home: