Renovating or updating your home is exciting, but it can cause you some headaches along the way. Purchasing new appliances or furnishings is often a necessary part of the job. Unless you’re a professional in the industry, you’re vulnerable to overlooking important points of concern. Here’s how you can make the process easier on yourself.
Order your appliances from only authorized outlets and retailers
Depending on where you live, your access to certain brands and stores may be relatively limited. The Internet is both your friend and enemy. Consultation with a reliable professional — whether your handyman, your trusted restoration technician, or your resident expert at the Home Depot — should provide you with a good starting point. Take their information and carry on with your own final research.
The shipping & handling process can damage your order
Shipping is a precarious business. Most likely, your order came from a factory or a warehouse where it had been stacked or palletized on top of other products. Carefully read any documents you receive from the retailer, the brand of your product, and the shipping-and-handling company. Don’t be afraid to contact the delivery company or brand with important questions and instructions. Is it insured against S&H damages? Will it be brought into your home for you?
Understand your warranty and customer rights
Most products these days have some kind of warranty. Before you place your order, you should know what you’re entitled to should anything go wrong. What is their return policy? Do they provide replacement, refund, return, or credit? Once you receive and sign for your order, your first priority should be to inspect the new product. Check the boxes or containers for damages, and make sure that your warranty (or return policy) covers you once this has been opened.
Based on your research and information, you should know what to look for once you open the product. Are there scuffs, broken parts, or any other visible concerns? Before you plug it in, set it up, or power up, inconsistencies in appearance with your expectations should set off some alarms for you. Follow all manufacturer-provided instructions carefully. Once everything is up and running, you should follow all maintenance and care guidelines as well — protect yourself and your new product as best you can, and prevent damages down the road.
Always call a professional if something goes wrong
It is surprisingly easy to lose warranty coverage on major appliances and furnishings — if the company you purchased from even provided one. Down the line, anything goes wrong? That new AC leaks and causes mold in your home, or floods your basement, or worse? We’re here for you. And we’ll tell you the honest truth.
