The perils of online furniture shopping - beware!
Unveiling Potential Scams
In today's digital age, online furniture shopping has become an immensely popular way to acquire furniture. The convenience of browsing through a vast array of options, coupled with doorstep delivery, is undoubtedly alluring. However, amidst this seemingly smooth experience lurk potential risks and scams that every furniture shopper must be wary of.
One of the most significant risks of buying furniture online is falling victim to fraudulent sellers. Scammers create enticing websites offering unbeatable deals on high-quality furniture, often using other renowned furniture retailers images, only to disappear once payment is made, leaving unsuspecting customers empty-handed and out of pocket.
It's essential to verify the legitimacy of a website before making a furniture purchase by checking customer reviews (sometimes fake), security certificates, and contact information.
Another peril lies in misleading product descriptions and images. The actual furniture delivered may differ significantly from what was advertised, with inferior materials, shoddy workmanship, or incorrect dimensions. To safeguard against this, thorough research on the product, including customer reviews and ratings, is essential. But these too can also be fake!
To conclude, while online furniture shopping is undeniably convenient, it's crucial to remain cautious and vigilant against potential scams.
By doing adequate research, choosing reputable sellers, preferably retailers who also have a bricks & mortar store and prioritising secure transactions, shoppers can enjoy the benefits of buying furniture online without falling prey to deceptive schemes.
A few safety tips and checks:
Do they provide contact phone number/s with a contact persons name/s? if so, have you tried calling and have you spoken to someone who understands the business or is it a 3rd party call centre who handles incoming calls?
How long has the furniture business been around, when was it established?
Do they have a real furniture showroom? If so, how big is it and how much stock do they display?
If they have a showroom, request images of the product that actually appears on the showroom floor, this should provide a feel about quality and the business.
Do they respond reasonably quickly to emails and do you feel a personal touch? Do you feel you are dealing with an owner operator?
Do they sound like professionals? Do they understand and use furniture terminology?
Check Google reviews, but sadly these can also be fakes.
Do they have an instagram account? How many followers? Sadly these could be fake too!