During the COVID-19 outbreak, online furniture sales have skyrocketed. Online purchases of home products and furnishings have nearly doubled, and the online sales of outdoor furniture has increased more than 400%. This increase likely reflects the home improvements many homeowners are making, parents shopping for desks for home school learning, and employees who have permanently switched to a work-from-home situation.
Convenience aside, making large purchases online should always be approached with care.
The following tips will help select quality furniture at a reasonable price as well as avoid a few common online shopping pitfalls:
Only shop with reputable retailers. Research a retailer’s page before deciding to do business with them. Reputable sellers provide information about their company and always have valid contact information. Read several reviews.
Understand the store’s return and refund policy, especially during the current pandemic.
Get to know the delivery options. Typically, there are three kinds of shipping offered by furniture retailers and each one may have a different cost. Front door delivery: the packaged product will be shipped to your front door and no further. Inside delivery: the delivery person will take the packaged furniture into your home, sometimes into the room of your choice. White glove delivery: the delivery person will take the packaged box to the room of your choice, unbox it and assemble it if necessary. They will also clean up any mess from the packaging and take it with them. Ask before placing the order if these types of delivery options are available, as some retailers have changed to curbside or simply front door delivery service to avoid contact.
Do a price comparison. For store financing, rent-to-own, and layaway plans, carefully read the fine print.
Inspect furniture upon delivery.