What used to be fashionable, for example, making purchases via the Internet, has recently become an everyday thing. And there is no doubt that online shopping is the future, which is almost here. Every minute all over the world purchases are made in the online store of children’s toys, jewelry, various accessories, as well as much larger things: household appliances and furniture.
Benefits of buying furniture from an online store
Before buying furniture on the Internet, you should study the prices and assortment in offline stores. This is done in order to make sure that prices on the Internet are comparable to or less than the cost of furniture in specialized stores.
On furniture sites, the cost of products does not include the cost of salaries for managers, rent of retail space, and other things, due to this, the cost of the goods will be acceptable. Also, the electronic catalog of an online furniture store contains a much more visible assortment than a shopping center hall.
In the filter search, the parameters of interest are selected, and the system will sort out unnecessary options, presenting furniture according to the selected criteria with a description of the sizes, textiles, accessories used, filler for upholstered furniture, etc. Of course, all this data should be in a reputable online furniture store.
Another positive point when buying online, selling companies offer their customers discounts, participation in promotions, notifications which are sent by e-mail.
Additional benefits of buying furniture from an online store:
- purchase without leaving home;
- saving time and effort;
- payment method to choose from;
- the ability to order at any time of the day;
- the opportunity to purchase an exclusive model;
Also, online furniture stores seldom provide a guarantee for its goods and additional services for delivery, assembly of new furniture, etc.
Disadvantages of online shopping
Everything has its drawbacks and purchasing goods on sites is no exception. It is possible to buy furniture over the Internet, bypassing all the dangers of shopping online, but you need to be aware of the possible risks. These risks include:
- When buying online, there is no way to see the product and touch it with your hands. In the photo, any furniture may look beautiful and presentable, but in reality, the color of the upholstery, the texture, and color of the wood, or the general condition may differ.
- Potential delivery problems. Delivery times, even if agreed, may change. In the absence of goods in the warehouse, the terms will shift. Also, an error might occur and can arrive completely different item. You will have to return the goods and wait again.
- Buying furniture through an online store, you can run into scammers. In the best case, sellers sell low-quality furniture in this way, in the worst case they simply take payment without supplying the goods. Therefore, it is important to check the site where the purchase is planned.
Many people are afraid to buy furniture through an online store because they do not want to lose money or receive low-quality goods, so you need to make a purchase on a service that inspires confidence.
Choosing an online furniture store
There are often cases of fraud on such services, and you should be especially careful before buying. The website of a furniture store, however, like any online store, is independently verified for authenticity.
The first step is to look at the address of the resource, ideally, it should be the name of the store, followed by “.com”. nyfurnitureoutlets.com is a good example of a respectable online furniture shop, that has the same name as the site address. Belonging to a domain of the third or fourth level already speaks of the doubtfulness of this site.
The service should have a “Contacts” tab, indicating the required data of the seller company: full name, TIN, PSRN, the actual address of the company, and the number of the current account in the bank. But there are fraudulent sellers who fake this information too. To verify its authenticity, you need to visit the website of the Federal Tax Service and enter the company’s data (TIN) through the “Check yourself and the counterparty” tab.
There are also cases when fraudsters use real data of someone else’s company and inspire confidence among consumers, so you need to further carefully study the site. The contact details must include a landline phone number, and the call must be accepted.
Further, you can find reviews of the site on the Internet, if they are enthusiastic, this should alert you. If there are negative reviews on a site with company responses, then this is undoubtedly a good sign of a bona fide seller.
How to make an order
When buying furniture, many pursue the goal of creating the interior of their dreams. And this is quite real with the proper ratio price/quality. There are online stores of cheap furniture, but how can you be sure that this sofa or an armchair will please the eye and will last a long time, giving comfort to your home. Reputable selling companies periodically carry out sales of products, you just need to monitor this and make a purchase on time.
Also, the owners of online furniture stores can either be official representatives of furniture manufacturers or be directly a manufacturer. That is, a furniture factory that manufactures its products creates an online store of inexpensive furniture, where it offers goods without raising prices.
Ordering furniture via the Internet on the manufacturer’s website is a profitable purchase because from the manufacturer you can purchase furniture with individual preferences by choosing the desired color, fabric, material of manufacture at an affordable price in a single copy.
Buyer’s rights
Many consumers are worried about the following question: what to do if, when buying furniture on the Internet, the goods were brought with defects.
Actions to be taken upon delivery of the order:
- Unpacking and careful checking for visible defects, you should also immediately pay attention to the quality of the product.
- If a defect is found, then it is impossible to sign an invoice for the acceptance of goods, it is necessary to indicate in special columns which defects were found.
- Furniture may be returned under warranty without proving that the defects were received prior to receipt of the furniture. The seller must order such an examination himself. If the warranty period expires, the buyer pays for the expertise.
- The buyer can decide what to do with the defective furniture, replace it with another one, demand a refund, or agree to repair it at the seller’s expense.
By purchasing a product in a positively reputable online store, all annoying troubles can be avoided, such as defective products or delayed delivery, but still, every buyer has rights that he should know when buying furniture online:
- return of goods can take place within 7 days after purchase for any reason;
- without notice of the first point, the buyer can return the furniture within 3 months;
- when returned, the purchased products must not have any traces of exploitation;
- after the return of the goods, the funds must be returned to the buyer within 10 working days; for each day of delay, you can demand a penalty.
But what to do in a situation if the seller company is obliged by law to exchange defective furniture or return the money, but does not contact the buyer and is simply inactive? In this case, you need to make a claim to the name of the director or the main person in the company, where you must specify all the details regarding the order, number, date of purchase, remind you of the reason for the return, or exchange of furniture. If even then there is no reaction, then you need to go to court.
Unfortunately, such cases occur, but with the right choice of a store where the seller is interested in constant sales, the furniture will be made with guaranteed quality and you will not have to make a return, but on the contrary, the selected service will become a constant assistant when buying any furniture accessories.
