The Fail Safe Way to Buy Furniture Online

Industrial style bistro table and chairs
With busy lives and local stores closing down almost daily meaning that shopping options are limited to large out of town shopping centres which can sometimes be an hour or so drive for those living rurally, more and more of us are turning to the internet to buy our furniture. Buying online though is not without risk. Furniture is rarely an impulse, cheap or small purchase – so if it doesn’t fit into your living room, doesn’t match your colour scheme or is of questionable quality, it’s not that easy just to repackage and drop into your local Post Office to return for a refund. As an online only furniture retailer, we understand that these issues, which can be easily missed when viewing a product on a small screen, can put people off of buying online. However, we are passionate about keeping prices low for our customers, and by staying online only we are able to keep our costs down and pass them on. Therefore, to overcome online furniture purchasing worries, we have put together a simple buying guide to ensure that you will be happy and secure when buying our industrial style furniture.  
  1. Do Your Research…From the retailers About page, you should be able to garner information about the retailer such as how and where they make the products, what style of products they sell and how easy it is to contact them. It’s also worth checking out their customer reviews; whether on their own website, their social media or on an online review site such as Trustpilot.
  2. Check out the Shipping Costs…While many retailers offer free delivery, this will actually be rolled into the price of the furniture. Have a look at who they use – if it’s a standard courier rather than delivering themselves, and if they actually deliver into the room of your choice or drop on the doorstep.
  3. Does the Store Match Your Style?…IronFire manufacture industrial style furniture. If your style is more painted oak, then we’re probably not the store for you! If you know that industrial style furniture is your thing, then the chances are that you will like what you see on our website, and that will then translate to you being satisfied with what you buy when it is delivered and in situ in your home.
  4. Look at Photos…Does the retailer offer multiple images of the product? Have a look at their social media sites as well to get other angles, other colour options, or maybe even to see images of the products in customers homes.
  5. Read the Description…If you want solid wood, avoid anything that is described as “veneer” or “composite”. This is an easy way to be caught out and ensure that you will not be happy with the product that you have purchased. Likewise, if being environmentally friendly is important to you, make sure that the wood being used by the company is sustainably sourced from an FSC approved supplier.
  6. Check your Measurements…Don’t assume that something will fit just because it looks like it will. Check heights, widths and lengths of products against the size of the space in which you want it to go. If you can’t find the details you want, or need to be doubly sure, then call the furniture retailer who should be more than happy to help you with any measurement queries.
  7. Double Check Colours…Sometimes images of the same colour can differ simply down to lighting or angle. If you like something but are not 100%sure, contact the company to get them to send you another image. Our colour range is so varied that we are asked to do this on many occasions and are more than happy to oblige.
  8. Make Sure you Shop From a Secure Site…Online identity theft is a growing concern that can not only clear your bank account but also waste a lot of time in trying to resolve. When buying from a website, make sure that the website address changes from http to https which indicates that a site is secure and you are safe to buy from it.
  9. Do You Have to Make it?…Finally, don’t forget to find out if your purchase is going to come fully assembled or flat packed. If you are expecting to come home to a dining table fully made and ready to eat at, it can be a bit of a shock to find yourself facing a pile of flat boxes, a screwdriver, and an evening arguing over the inevitable left over screw and where it goes!
  So in conclusion, although it may initially be a daunting prospect to make such a large purchase online, by taking into account the points that I have made and by using a company that is a ‘good’un’, you could actually end up with a good quality piece of furniture that will last for years and has saved you money on buying from a bricks and mortar shop. Happy shopping!