| Unlike water filters, air conditioner filters or a pair of | | | | Bonded delivery personnel who know how to handle |
| socks, furniture for your home or office can be very | | | | large, potentially fragile items like furniture are a |
| heavy. If you're not careful, you could end up with | | | | better choice than UPS or FedEx, except for smaller |
| poor quality furniture that costs you a fortune to get | | | | items or those you'll have to assemble. Some big box |
| delivered. Here are some tips you can use to get the | | | | retailers only guarantee delivery to the curb or |
| most out of your online furniture shopping | | | | driveway, some may offer "threshold delivery" to |
| experience. | | | | get your furniture through the door, and some |
| | | | furniture outlets offer "tailgate" delivery, meaning |
| 1. Consider smaller online furniture companies that | | | | they'll back the truck in, open the door and it will be |
| only sell furniture online. You can save hundreds, | | | | up to you and whomever you can enlist for help to |
| sometimes thousands of dollars and get personalized | | | | find a way to get the furniture in your house and up |
| service you just won't get from the mega furniture | | | | or down the stairs. While it's a fact of life that for |
| stores. | | | | some items, limited delivery options are available, |
| 2. Look for the ability to track your order online. See | | | | they should be the exception and not the rule. |
| if the furniture retailer offers a tool on its website so | | | | 8. Look for free, white glove furniture delivery. While |
| you can check the status of your order anytime you | | | | it's hard to find, free, white-glove furniture delivery is |
| want to - 24/7. | | | | your best bet. Some online furniture stores offer |
| 3. Find out if you can cancel your order if it takes too | | | | various white glove delivery options, but they're |
| long to ship. You don't want to have to wait forever | | | | extra. White glove furniture delivery means your |
| for your furniture to arrive. Instead, the online | | | | furniture will be brought inside your home or office, |
| furniture retailer should let you back out if your order | | | | unpacked, put in place, and the packaging will be |
| is taking more than eight weeks to be on its way to | | | | carted away. If you can get that free, you're way |
| you. | | | | ahead of the game. |
| 4. Make sure you understand what happens if you | | | | 9. Find out what happens if your furniture is damaged |
| need to return an item. Will you end up paying for | | | | on arrival. Read the store's damage policy carefully.If |
| shipping in both directions, or just one? How much | | | | the furniture's damaged, does the retailer offer |
| time will you have before you need to complete your | | | | repairs in your home, or will you absolutely have to |
| return. A full 30 days is excellent. Will you have to | | | | get it shipped back? You might prefer to keep the |
| pay a re-stocking or re-packaging fee? | | | | furniture in your home until it gets repaired, especially |
| 5. Make sure the website makes it easy to contact | | | | if you can still use it. If you have to pay for return |
| customer service. When you buy furniture online, you | | | | shipping, you'll also save money by having the repairs |
| don't have the benefit of checking it out in person so | | | | made in your home or office. |
| you may need to ask questions before you add an | | | | 10. Consider giving the online furniture store a trial run. |
| item to your shopping cart. Toll-free phone numbers | | | | If you like what you see, you fully understand their |
| and instant messaging chat tools on the site can | | | | policies on returns, damage and shipping, but you've |
| make shopping for your furniture a lot easier. | | | | never bought from this online furniture retailer, give |
| 6. Look for easy-to-use zoom tools to examine the | | | | them a try on just one or two pieces of furniture for |
| furniture you might buy. A good, clear zoomed image | | | | sale to see how they perform. You might be |
| of the merchandise you're considering can often help | | | | surprised, and, you might find a great source for |
| you make your purchasing decision and may also | | | | buying all of your home office furniture, sofas, dining |
| save you from having to ask some questions. | | | | room sets and more for many years to come. |
| Remember that actual colors may vary a bit from | | | | You shouldn't be afraid to buy furniture online. You |
| what your computer monitor displays. | | | | could get some great deals without ever leaving your |
| 7. Find out who will be delivering your furniture. | | | | home! |