Let’s face it, furniture shopping can be costly and time-consuming. Perusing different shops to find the best deals for what you want can take days, if not weeks. Fortunately, there are many places online where you can buy furniture and have it shipped directly to you. The power of the internet allows you to view multiple stores at once, and pick the best options.
There are some things to keep in mind when shopping for furniture online, however. While it’s definitely convenient, you won’t be able to see the product in person. Here are some tips for buying furniture online so that you don’t end up with a lemon.
Search For Your Style
You may go into your furniture search knowing exactly what style you want. A great tip is to search online using that keyword. Classic, Chic, French Country and Modern are all great keywords to get you started. This will help you find stores that focus on a specific niche or style. While sites like Amazon can be great for finding what you want, sometimes they offer too much selection. Sitting through pages and pages of couches that you don’t want can also be time-consuming and leave you feeling frustrated.
Check Reviews
Always check reviews before you do business with a website online. While one or two negative reviews might be just a couple of bad experiences, consistent negative reviews will alert you if something is wrong with the company. For example, Joybird furniture reviews consistently show more positive reviews than negative ones, so that would probably influence your buying decision. If you can’t find a lot of information about the company, or if you are finding a lot of one and two-star reviews, you might want to steer clear of that particular shop. Most stores will go out of their way to make sure they get great reviews, so be leery of ones that don’t reply to negative reviews.
Look at the Return Policy
As it goes with online shopping, sometimes you may end up with something that just isn’t a good fit. Make sure to check the return policy before you buy something. There’s nothing worse than realizing after the fact that you’re stuck with an item that you don’t like. Using our previous example, go beyond just finding Joybird reviews. Make sure to visit their website and check out their return policy. You probably won’t want to buy from a company unless they have a great return policy.
Account for Shipping Costs
Most stores will list their shipping costs somewhere on their website. This could be on an FAQ page, or even on their About page. Different stores will use different shipping companies and will have different rates for shipping and handling. Some stores may have a great deal on the perfect piece of furniture, but the shipping may be so expensive that it’s not worth it. Different fees may also be associated with shipping to different states. Do not buy furniture without thoroughly reviewing their shipping costs first.
Check Website Security
With all the data hacking that’s been going on, you want to make sure that your personal information is safe. Before you make a purchase, check the website’s security. You can do this by taking a look at the URL in your web browser. A secure site will show Https instead of Http at the beginning of the URL. You might also see a locked icon. That means the site is secure. Only enter your credit card information if you’re sure that the site is safe.
Shopping for furniture online can save you a ton of time. Be sure to follow these tips for a great buying experience instead of one that you regret.
