The horror. Buying a $1500 sofa online, paying with your credit to a company you never heard before and not really sure how it will be delivered. I hope you don’t think that but I know it is on many people’s minds.
Is This Safe?
An Investment You Live With
It’s not like buying a DVD or a cell phone charger. Buying a piece of furniture is an investment you make with your hard earned money and something you have to live with, literally, in your home. Almost daily you’ll be sleeping on your bed, lounging on your couch in the living room or eating at the dinner table. You don’t want it to be a constant reminder of a mistake or a horrible experience. And I don’t either.
It’s not that scary anymore.
Online furniture companies have come a long way since the dot com boom (and bust). Companies like mine, at Visiondecor.com, have been around for more than 5 years. We had our fair share of mistakes but we’ve learned from them. After trial and error, we finally got to the point where we choose the right shipping providers, have a parts and replacement process, and built in checks to avoid fraud to save our customers money.
Shop in Your PJs
Of course, we are unable to offer the in store experience and the value of a service like an interior designer. So I do acknowledge that buying home furnishings online is not for everyone. But for those that are looking for a good deal and convenient way to get furniture into their homes by shopping on the internet in their PJs, then buying furniture online is a safe thing to do.
Nothing to Worry
And credit card banks these days do what they can to protect you. We have less than a 1% dispute rate with our customers and we try our best to keep any of our customers from becoming that 1%. However, you are always protected because when push comes to shove your credit card company is on your side. So there is nothing to worry about when shopping online for furniture. I may be biased because of my position, but I need to say that we’ve come a long way and hope to continue to grow with our customers in the future to come!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
We designers have lots of competition these days. HGTV where everyone now has a degree in design, shopping on-line and the lousy economy. Professional designers will have to rethink and reevaluate our markets to stay in business in the next couple of years. People will definitely be spending less and looking for the best deal for their hard earned money.
I’m personally all about the bargain. Who doesn’t love a sale? It’s my job to help my clients create the perfect home. I can make recommendations but in the end it’s their choice. Designers don’t make any money when clients buy on-line or at the local discount store.
There has to be a balance somewhere. On-line businesses need to partner with designers so everyone wins.
I agree, with people making less money there will be less $$ out there for profits and margins. I actually do think there is a partnership available between online retailers and interior designers. Our clients need the service. You actually gave me a great idea about how interior designers, clients, and Visiondecor can work together.
If you (or anyone else) are interested in further dialogue, please email me ericL (at) visiondecor.com. Or better yet, follow me on http://twitter.com/visiondecor_evl and @me to get the conversation going!