Is DirectBuy Hacking Wikipedia?
by tdaxp ~ October 10th, 2007
I don’t know, but Wikipedia’s Revision history for “DirectBuy” now discusses “possible user of sleeper accounts. The text that keeps getting removed reads:
Complaints
Many customers have complained that they have been deceived by DirectBuy into signing expensive contracts for the privilege of purchasing goods supplied by the company. A three-year membership usually costs about $5,000, with yearly fees in the hundreds layered on top of that. Furthermore, potential members are told at the information sessions that unless they commit to it right then and there, they will be ineligible for membership for another seven years. While DirectBuy prices have been proven to be lower than some of their competitors’ prices, all purchased items incur a processing and shipping fee, which is not included in the original price quote. In many cases, these additional costs usually bring the total price to that above what can usually be found at many traditional retailers.[citation needed]
Critics of DirectBuy
The section has been removed repeated by users “Wiseard” and 206.228.159.59.”
While it is clear that DirectBuy intimidates those who complain and floods the web with spam, the question of whether they violate Wikipedia’s conflict of interest policy is an open question. Certainly I’ve run against over-zealous wikipedians in the past (who deleted the entry for “5GW” and wished to destroy information on “Unrestricted Warfare“), so nothing is certain at this time.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:00 am
http://edumacation.com/DirectBuy
is a good resource for information about Directbuy.
February 22nd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I have an appointment to go to a Direct Buy open house this coming weekend- Feb. 28th. I have been trying to find information as to whether or not this company is truly going to save me money.