DirectBuy of Greater Saskatoon

Several weeks after delivery, we were sent a bill that increased the price by $994 with no explanation. We continue to receive bills after calling.On October 31, 2013 we purchased cabinetry from Direct Buy. We signed a purchase order and sent a cheque. We did not hear back for several months, despite more than 25 phone calls and emails asking for service. We finally spoke to the owner [redacted] and the order proceeded. The PO showed free shipping as part of the order. The Direct Buy website advertised free shipping, we received a catalogue that advertised free shipping on cabinetry, and we submitted a coupon we received for becoming new members in August, 2013 that advertised free shipping. Several weeks after the cabinetry finally arrived (damaged), we received a bill in the mail for $994.53 with no explanation. We called to ask what the charge was for and were told it was for shipping charges. Again we spoke to the owner [redacted] who said the cabinet company sent a bill to Direct Buy after the cabinets were delivered to us. The cabinet company ended up charging Direct Buy for shipping, so Direct Buy was now passing that cost onto us without notification. I spoke to [redacted] to say that was not part of our written purchase agreement and if Direct Buy had a supply issue with the cabinet company that was unfortunate for them, but we could not be charged several weeks later. If we had known about the extra charges, we would have refused delivery of the cabinets and cancelled our purchase. [redacted] said we did not need to pay at this time and he would speak to the cabinetry rep to sort the matter out. Yet, on June 23rd we received another bill from Direct Buy saying our payment is past due. [redacted]. [redacted]. We were never advised of the bill for shipping costs and were never given an opportunity to reconsider our order if the price changed due to shipping. We were advised verbally and in writing by the cabinetry design consultant at Direct Buy who wrote our purchase order that there would be no shipping costs, and several sources of Direct Buy advertising mentioned above also said there would be no shipping charges. After speaking to the owner who told us not to pay the bill, we believed the matter was resolved. Now, again without explanation, we have received another bill with the added threat that our account is past due. [redacted]Desired SettlementWe want written notification from Direct Buy that the debit due to freight not charged on a purchase order (INV #[redacted]) should not have been charged and is not payable.Business Response [redacted]. The one and only appointment that Mr. [redacted] had for this kitchen was October 31, 2013 however due to a number of changes made by email the actual order date was very early in January, 2014 after we received his cheque in payment of the order. Note that the original cheque was for an incorrect amount due to the subsequent changes. I did agree with Mr. [redacted] to not pay the invoice for the shipping charges due to the vendors change in policy and would not have sent a second request had I been asked as we did not have resolution on the issue. Technically the kitchen was ordered after the no shipping offer closed but we are still attempting to have it reversed in its entirety due to the timeline, entry issues, etc. from the beginning to the end and, as I said, I am waiting to hear from the vendor on this matter. Mr. [redacted] will not hear from us until we have a final answer on this matter.I do apologize to Mr. [redacted] for the second notice being sent without my approval and we are trying to resolve this matter to his benefit but do not have this answer yet.Yours truly,[redacted]Franchise OwnerConsumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)My original complaint was not addressed in this response. Mr [redacted] has said "technically" the no shipping discount was not in place at the time of order. However we were not advised of this. Also, as I said in my complaint, we used a coupon showing no shipping, the company's website at the time showed no shipping, and their catalogue showed no shipping. We had no indication whatsoever that shipping would be charged, and in fact Mr [redacted] indicated to me on the phone weeks ago that Direct Buy was not even aware that the vendor was withdrawing that incentive. As well, Mr [redacted] has stated he is trying to work it out with the vendor for 'our' favour. However, as I stated to Mr [redacted] in our first phone call, if his company is having issues with his vendor, it is not acceptable for him to send a bill in a new amount to a client weeks later to make up for their error.I DO appreciate the fact Mr [redacted] has said a new invoice will not be sent.[redacted], because we live 3 hours away from the company, we were assured prior to considering our order that only one appointment was necessary and if any changes were required they could be done over the phone. At our first appointment the purchase order was completed and we wrote a cheque in the CORRECT AMOUNT. It was not an incorrect amount for the order at all. It is true that we emailed the company afterwards asking if ONE CHANGE (not several) could be made, but we never heard back from them for months despite several attempts by both email and phone, including requests to speak to a manager. Final Business Response Personally I feel that having the vendor agree to a 50% credit on the bill and then offering an additional 50% off the remainder was more than reaonable to settle this matter however it appears to be a mute point now. DirectBuy will eat the remaining balance of the shipping charge to end this matter and satisfy Mr.[redacted].I trust you will now be able to close out this issue.Yours truly,[redacted]