Top Furniture Tips

One great benefit the Internet has brought us is the ability to buy items anywhere in the world without leaving our own house. With the use of a computer and a credit card anyone can surf and shop online and have the product he chooses delivered at his doorstep.

But nothing is perfect, every system has its flaws somehow that some unscrupulous people will take advantage of to cheat other people.

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The furniture industry is not without its own share of scams especially when buying furniture online, whether to decorate your living room or replenish the dining room.

One story on buying furniture  online scams is about a customer who ordered  a love seat from a popular furniture store and paid via his credit card. He was told that the item will be delivered  after 4 to 6 weeks. The said date had passed and still no delivery. The customer decided to have a refund because of the non delivery. What the store said was  that there would be a restocking fee of 30% for the refund. How can that be when there was no item delivered?

 Do Some Research

Online shopping may be fast and convenient but you  must not be so fast to avoid being victim of a scam. You must first  do some research on the piece you are targeting, as well as the store where you plan to buy the furniture.

The website pissed consumer.com is dedicated to  publishing consumer complaints and product reviews. There you can  also read the experiences of unsatisfied and pissed off people who fell to scams while buying furniture online.

You can also visit Better Business Bureau  to check if the store has a BBB accreditation and how it is ranked.” The BBB collects information on business reliability, alerts the public to frauds against consumers and businesses, provides information on ethical business practices, and acts as mutually trusted intermediaries between consumers and businesses to resolve disputes”- Wikipedia.

Get Contact Information

Do not deal with furniture store that has no e-mail address or phone number. You must also know their physical address. These contact information are vital especially when you want to report a defective  furniture that was shipped to you, or you  may want to inquire about their policies about buying furniture online.

Most legitimate furniture dealers and manufacturers have a program or application on their website in which you can chat live with one of their representatives. Use this tool  to learn about their pricing,  warranties, return policies and any other things that you should know before you buy from them.

Seek Recommendations

A wise thing to do before buying furniture online is to ask friends and relatives that have purchased their furniture on the web, learn from  their experience and  ask which store they thought they can recommend for you.

Make the suggestions and information you  get from people you trust as  additional basis in choosing the right online store to buy furniture. Tips coming from the horse’s mouth is vital to avoiding scams.

If you are interested in wood furniture you might like to read the post 3 Saving Tips Before Buying Wood Furniture. It does not mention about how to avoid scams but it lets you know some facts on the type of wood that is best for furniture and how to look for quality.

Below is a video from Inside Edition TV program where it shows how a furniture company misleads the consumers: