Let’s face it. Today’s digital world has changed how we behave as consumers. With some things, it’s fine to send it back if we don’t like it, but with others, it is a more difficult proposition. You can buy most anything online at this point, with people even ordering their cars without ever stepping food into a showroom. This, though, is still a rarity, as most people tend to like brick and mortar stores for big ticket items.
While RTA cabinets have come down in price considerably in the last few decades, and have equally gone up in quality, they still aren’t the cheapest thing you are ever going to buy. Plus, there is larger lead time to get your items, and oftentimes a restocking fee if something goes wrong. This all leads to the simple fact that you had better choose the right retailer at the beginning.
Check the Online Reviews
Absolutely, take a look at some of the most popular online retailers, and then begin checking their reviews. Of course, each and every one of them is going to have complaints—that is a given. There is always somebody, somewhere, who is not happy with what they got for any number of reasons.
The big thing to really check for, though, is if there are a great number of positive reviews. If there are zillions of people saying that one company does a great job, chances are that it’s on the up and up. Go ahead and check out the reviews for RTA Cabinet Store online at Houzz.com! Don’t forget, if you order from someone, it’s great to leave a review online yourself!
Check the Website
Check into the prices and the return policy on the website. Good policies are the hallmark of a reputable seller. They should be clearly marked, and plain and easy to read.
Some of the questions you need to answer when checking out websites are:
- Is there a huge restocking fee for cabinets? (30% is beginning to be very high.)
- What is the lead time for shipping the cabinets and them getting to you?
- Is there a large shipping fee?
If the answer of these questions seems too high, when comparing the top few RTA cabinet sellers’ results, then it may be a less than desirable seller. A good seller, with good online reviews and a good reputation won’t need high restocking fees, for example, because they most likely rarely get restocks! Other, shadier places might make sure they cover their bottom line by jacking up this fee.
Whichever place you choose, make sure that they have a good support team to help you when choosing your RTA cabinets. We know you want to be as informed as possible, so go ahead and get the inside scoop on buying cabinets online, including common dirty tricks and misconceptions. Get The Consumer’s Guide to Buying Kitchen Cabinets—it’s a free downloadable book that will help put your mind at ease.
