I was a member of DirectBuy/UCC or whatever they call themselves now for 20 years. We saw a lot of changes in our 20 years. In the early 90's we looking into purchasing a franchise and went to the headquarters and met the executives. We are both engineers and didn't think that the long term income at UCC would come close to our corporate income potential. We were right!
We were able to recoup all of our membership fees and come out ahead by thousands of dollars. We purchased our sun porch set for $7K through Direct Buy and it was $10K at our local stores. We were able to purchase wallpaper and custom Waverly bedding really cheaply. All of our nursery furniture and decorations were purchased at UCC very cheaply. Most of this was in the 90's.
But it wasn't without drama. Towards the end, all of the items that came in were broken, scratched or somehow damaged. They always reordered but it was just the hassle of it all. When there were no manufacturers that we were interested in, it was time to let our membership lapse. Oh, and you have to be content with looking at pictures of the stuff in a catalog because they don't have any merchandise on hand.
At the time we left, it was 8% fee to the club for expenses plus the cost of shipping the item to the club. At that point, you need to get the item home. That is up to you. Take it yourself or hire someone to pick it up and bring it to your home. Many items that I priced out were about the same price locally once you pay the fees and shipping.
You can come out ahead with their membership if there is something specific that you are looking to purchase and they carry that supplier. But they only carry high end suppliers, many you might not have heard of previously.
It may work for you, but for most people it won't!
