When buying home appliances, it’s crucial to take your good time to ensure every item is good-looking, budget-friendly, appropriately sized and of premium quality. Previously, the norm was to visit local home appliance stores and scrutinise the wares first-hand. The downside, however, was the time and energy spent shopping.
With the advent of online shopping, convenience is on another level, given you can order goods from wherever you are and have them delivered to your doorstep. While purchasing home appliances online, you must be extra cautious to ensure you don’t order an item that doesn’t meet your needs. Here’s a checklist to help you:
- Analyse the product page
Consumer behaviour analysts suggest that the anonymity and absence of human contact when shopping online fosters impulse buying. Indeed, you feel more comfortable ordering goods online, which would have otherwise made you feel embarrassed if you were ordering at a brick-and-mortar store.
To ensure you’re not purchasing emotionally, spend some ample time going through the product page for the appliances you want to buy. It’ll help you consider the product’s features and benefits to determine whether it suits your needs. Naturally, you want your appliances online commercial sales experience to be devoid of fraud. Some suppliers provide misleading images to lure you into ordering, only for you to realise the features are far from your expectations. If any specification seems queer, ask the dealers to clarify.
2. Seek experts and previous customers’ opinion
Chances are high you’re not the first one to order a particular appliance. Many others have already used a similar item and may have critical feedback regarding its functionality. So, always review appliances online before purchasing. Customarily, previous buyers leave comments on their experience with a given gadget. You can draw incredible insight from reading such.
Other than that, look into reviews compiled by experts. Typically, you’ll find blogs managed by home appliances experts. They can advise you whether buying a specific appliance is worthwhile or just a waste of money.
3. Stick to your budget
You’re more likely to overspend when shopping online because of the incentives suppliers offer and their intelligent marketing efforts. For example:
- Listing what others have bought at the bottom of the product page
- Constant shopping cart reminders
- Free shipping offers
- Never-ending sales
- Better prices not found in many brick-and-mortar stores
So, set a budget and stick to it. If you’re looking to buy fridge appliances online, don’t be lured to purchasing dryer appliances online because they may not be part of your current plan.
4. Wait for the sale
It’s best to buy appliances Australia during sales. Everyone loves to save cash when shopping. So, wait for your favourite supplier to announce a sale. The reduced prices don’t mean that the product is of inferior quality. Often, it’s a means of clearing old stock and restocking shops with newer models.
On the same note, look for discount codes online to acquire your appliances at a subsidised price. You can find these on the supplier’s website or social media feeds of brand ambassadors.
5. Consider warranty and return policies
It’s never guaranteed that the appliances you order online will operate as expected. You want your ovens appliances online not to malfunction within a few days’ use. A warranty mandates the supplier to replace or repair the broken-down item freely, so ensure you have one.
A return policy, on the other hand, allows you to ship back the item to the supplier if it arrives in a rundown state or you receive a different item from the one you ordered. Be careful with the terms and conditions around these two policies because some online suppliers are fond of hiding confusing clauses to manipulate customers.
6. Confirm whether the supplier offers after-sale services
Some home appliances, such as cookers, washers, dryers and air conditioners, may need expert installation. It’d be cheaper and more convenient for the supplier to install them as they know best how to do it. Looking for a third-party installer may cost you more time and money. So, inquire if the shop offers such after-sale services.
7. Pick the right dimensions
It’s possible to order an item and have it delivered to your house, and then you realise that it doesn’t fit the intended space. Convincing the supplier to take it back in exchange for a smaller one may not be that straightforward. Thus, it’s critical first to measure the space in which you intend to place the appliance. Then, confirm the actual product dimensions from the product description page. To be safe, leave some allowance by picking a slightly smaller device than the space.
Conclusion
Online shopping for home appliances can be successful if you know the most vital considerations to make. The seven-point checklist above should enable you to furnish your home with top-of-the-range appliances without breaking your wallet. Exercise caution when making online transactions as the internet is full of fraudsters preying on unsuspecting shoppers.
References
- “Impulse Buying in Case of Online Shopping: Exploring the Underlying Reasons”, Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286442079_Impulse_Buying_in_Case_of_Online_Shopping_Exploring_the_Underlying_Reasons
- “5 Reasons You Overspend Online”, Source: http://consumersguides.org/5-reasons-you-overspend-online/
- “Online Shopping: How Websites Get Us to Overspend”, Source: https://www.lssmn.org/financialcounseling/blog/online-shopping-how-websites-get-us-overspend