Here's your key takeaway.
Be extremely careful what store you buy your appliances from.
Now renovating or even buying
one appliances has become incredibly difficult, especially now with
supply chain issues and a lack of qualified labor.
However, you now have to contend with one
of the worst mistakes supported by thousands of really upset
customers, and that's buying appliances online.
Now, let me qualify that sentence, from certain stores.
In this video, I'll show you what stores
you should avoid and then the stores to consider for buying online.
Stay to the end and you'll learn some
techniques to protect yourself, still get a great deal and save a lot of time.
Now, the best way to check how you'll be
treated is to see other people's experiences.
Stick to consumer only sites like Google, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau.
Most of the other review sites are really reputation management for these stores.
They even participate in industry trade shows.
Now, nobody's perfect.
However, the overwhelming amount
of negative reviews and the company responses is telling.
All these stores are about the same size as Yale or smaller.
I'll hide the names to be discreet, but you can find them easily enough.
This store has a Yelp score of two out of five with 1,064 reviews.
Google is a bit better, but again,
it's a more forgiving platform at 3.8 out of 5 stars with 2,686 reviews.
At 3.8, you still have a 24 % chance of having a problem.
This online retailer has a yYelp score of 1 out of 5 with nine reviews.
Their Google score is a bit better, 4.1 out of 5.
It's better than last, but still gives you an 18 % chance of getting upset.
Their Better Business Bureau compliance,
however, are staggering at 1,028 with 379 just in 12 months.
Third retailer is a bit smaller,
has a Yelp score of 1.5 with five stars with 139 reviews.
It has 28 Better Business Bureau compliance, nine this year.
For context, we've had three complaints in a year and nine over three years.
Many of the largest internet retailers are
online only with small showrooms to disguise this fact.
They operate out of one warehouse unlike Amazon or box stores operate out of many.
Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's and Best Buy deliver out of a local
warehouse to ensure speed and ability to track your delivery and not waste time.
However, online appliance retailers cannot.
It's especially problematic when
delivering heavy, bulky items like appliances.
So let's take this Samsung refrigerator as an example.
Let's say you live in California,
Missouri or Texas, and buy it not knowing the refrigerator
will go across the country to New York, where most of these stores are located,
then that same refrigerator will be shoved on the least expensive common carrier.
Only then, after a few stops at warehouses
along the way will it be delivered to your house.
It is a recipe for almost certain damage
between warehousing and common carrier freight, even before the labor shortages.
And it shows in these reviews.
It's not just delivery,
but you want your appliances installed with the old ones removed.
Installation is a real issue.
We have 18 installation crews just installing in the Boston area only.
Most of these sites say they'll refer locally, but local installers are
incredibly hard to find, if not impossible, and frequently not available.
There are two places to buy an appliance online.
Box stores. Surprised?
When you buy from Lowe's Best Buy or Home Depot, it is delivered from a local
warehouse with local people, so the product travels a shorter distance.
You won't receive a lot of specialized
help at a box store, although they have a vast selection at decent prices.
But check the delivery policies, but overall, the experience is decent.
It is worth checking Google, Yelp, the Better
Business Bureau as outlined above.
You'll have more personalized attention,
delivery, follow through, and after sales support with a local store.
Typically, they don't have the big box
selection, but the experience would be better.
Then again, that varies as well, and it's worth checking reviews.
Maybe it's the appliance you couldn't get
anywhere else and they said it was in stock or perhaps the deal was too good.
More realistically,
if you're watching this video this far, you have or will have a problem.
Here's what you do.
Number one, pay by credit card.
You can cancel when they don't deliver.
Number two is to get everything in writing.
I mean everything from the free delivery that's promised in your home
to the removals and even the stairs, they always charge extra.
Never, ever sign for anything without a thorough inspection.
This includes damage to the product and look at your home as well.
They'll deny your claims otherwise.
Number four, make sure the product is working, especially washers
and dishwashers don't have a flood in your hands.
Note any damage on the slip and call
the store with the delivery agents at your home.
You always have the choice of refusing delivery.
Once again, your key take away is be careful where you shop.
If you're having issues, please leave them in the comments below.
I'll be happy to help.
We've published service stats and reliability.
If you want to see the most reliable brands for this year,
then click this link
and thanks for watching.