Uniway

I have to laugh . These are brokers for merchandise manufacturer's and distributors .

The distributors are used for smaller priced items. a lawn mower is an example A distributor must meet a minimum order perhaps 1000 units. A broker goes to the source that can sell at cost but if there is a minimum order, they use a distributor that will sell smaller orders to be sold in retail that don't have wearhouse space for large orders. So when a person uses a broker and there is a long delay.

It usually because a distributor is out of stock. They must buy a larger order . it is usually done quarterly unless they won't reorder . this is not retail..

lowering shipping cost is a practice of retail. They have returns, shipping costs , profits , etc.. built into the selling price. patience is the key to buying through a broker service and not getting emotional about a purchase.

. Customer service through a broker should be seen differently. To treat you good and keep you informed and up to date on status.. that's all you should expect.

they are dealing with companies that sell truckloads of merchandise.. not piece by piece. A broker buying from a distributor still has a minimum order , either by quantity or dollars spent quarterly to get the best price . Go to a dollar tree.

Look at their shipments. A store may reorder 1 box if they still have stock. It may come or not depending on main wearhouse availability.

They won't buy 1000 new boxes to fill a request for 1. The store must wait until a larger order is done again

I am a member of Uniway in Columbia. While I did not care for the sales person, I tried to look at the program from an analytical perspective, not an emotional perspective. I saw great value savings depending upon how I would shop for the future. For example, if I planned on buying a lot of high quality furniture or upgrading my house to higher quality, I could save a bundle and see a return on my investment pretty quickly. I did not compare it to Walmart or stores like that because they don't have the quality that I was looking at. Rather, I looked at furniture stores that would sell the same products, e.g. Ashley Furniture Stores. I got the same pricing as contractors. What I love to do is pop in their showroom and see what's in their inventory that people ordered and then decided they did not want. Uniway discounts that even further. I have gotten some great deals that way. Finally, the customer service at the Uniway store in Columbia has been very, very pleasant and friendly. They even call me by name.

Admittedly, they will tell you that not everything you want is a saving through them. Further, they will tell you that sometimes the retail stores have as good of sales and perhaps better than what you can get through them. But if you are the kind of consumer who likes quality and selection, and wants the better prices anytime, than Uniway is the way to go.

Direct Buy is similar although their initial investment is much higher.

It's easy to react when you feel wrong, but sometimes you miss the best opportunitiess too.

Hope this post helps others if you are thinking of joining.

TO: Anonymous (1-13-12)...

Direct buy may be a national chain, but they have the same relationships with the manufacturers. I assure you Direct Buy doesn't get any preferential treatment considering the main customers for most of these manufacturers are organizations like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Costco, etc.

I am a contractor for my local Uniway. I don't work for them directly, but it gives me a unique perspective as a customer and as a person who see what goes on in the background. The people in Macon are not in the business of screwing customers. I can't speak for any of the other locations.

Anyway, don't expect Direct Buy to give any better service. In the end, it's the manufacturer, not the buying club that you are going through.

I have been a member at Uniway in Macon, GA for way over 10 years. I have saved thousands upon thousands of dollars (appliances, cabinets, furniture, furniture, and more furniture, even a pickup truck) and if you understand the entire world can't function like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, then you will be OK. Most delays on items are due to the manufacturer. Uniway is only the link directly to these manufacturers, not the manufacturers themselves. They are probably pushy during the sales process (it's sales - what do you expect?). But if you own your own house or have a growing family with small kids, or see upgrading your home ANY TIME in the future - sign up! It will save you a bundle.

BTW, don't expect to get deals on already low-end electronics. There is no markup at the big box retailers, but if you are looking at the higher end of things (electronics or appliances) you can save bundles of cash!

Hope this is helpful to someone else...

My item was ordered Nov 5, 2011 and I was told that it would take 3-4 weeks. It is now Jan 13 2012 and I am still waiting on my order. We called last week to check to see if it had been shipped yet and we were told no. We then asked for a refund and we were told that we couldn't get one because the order had been loaded on the truck (even though the truck was still there). Therefore, we asked for a reduction in freight charges for our inconvenience, when it arrives. Yesterday, we called for the status again and got nothing but attitude and was told that we will just have to wait and we cannot get a discount and no refund and "our money does not make or break there company".

Beware buyers!!!! Customer service is terrible. They do not value you as a member and will lie to get your money for orders. I will never spend another penny with them.

I would like all potential members to know what they are getting into.

Take your chances with Direct buy. They are national and you are more likely to get your items and quality products.

my husban and i went to the store in macon georgia. The man told us that we could pay 399 now or half later, then the told us that he would leave us alone for a minute to our choice.

He told us that once we made our choice so sign on top if we wanted the membership and at the bottom if we declined the offer, after we declined he came back and said that we could have payed $5 today and that we could have payed the rest whenver we got it or even $20 dollars a month. If that was the case he should have told us that from the from the start instead of tring to make us pay alot of mony and once. He tried to make us feel stupied and his attitude a little nasty, he better be glad that my temper is not as bad as it use to be, cause if felt like telling him off and flipping the desk over on his head. If a company can not respect your choice, than you don't need them you can't force anyone to do something and get mad when the don't.

It like my granny says if ya mad scrach you *** and get glad cause i don't care! :(

Completely agree! My husband and I were plucked out of a list of names submitted by a wedding show we attended months before getting married and we were invited in for 'a one-time offer' and decided to see what they were selling.

After the ridiculous sales pitch (which was fairly convincing), we decided to say no. The salesman then proceeded to tell us that "He hopes that our tire doesn't blow out on our way home, because we would have to pay full price for it rather than the one time fee of $3495 to get tires at wholesale price."