If you’re remodeling your home, you might be tempted by ads for DirectBuy. The nationwide buying club promises to let you buy directly from some 700 manufacturers and save on retail markups. DirectBuy’s commercial is full of testimonials from people who say they’ve been able to save a bundle.

Consumer Reports visited two franchises near Consumer Reports’ New York headquarters and says the sales pitch is intense. After you sit through an hour and a half pitch, you find out at the end that you have to sign up for a three-year contract, which costs $5,000. And if you don’t sign up immediately, you can never come back.

Rob Dotson joined DirectBuy three years ago, paying $4,000 to the franchise in his area. He was building his dream home in Utah at the time. He says he thought it would give him a chance to save lots of money.

But as it turned out, everything Dotson checked out at DirectBuy, he says he found cheaper elsewhere. He says he found kitchen cabinets that were $3,000 to $4,000 less. And all the appliances he researched, as well as the lighting and flooring, where cheaper from other places. In the end, he says he bought nothing from DirectBuy.

While Consumer Reports did find some people who say they’ve saved with DirectBuy, you can’t compare prices before you pay the membership. So it’s impossible to tell if it would be a good deal for you.

Consumer Reports says there are other downsides with DirectBuy. Its contract says you cannot terminate your membership. And you may not be able to cancel orders or return items. Also be aware that goods are typically shipped to a DirectBuy center, where you have to pick them up or you could face extra charges for delivery.