online orders versus in-store orders

So my online experience shopping for army surplus and seamless gutters has gotten me a little down on the internet lately. As convenient as it is to order items from the internet, it seems that there are very few companies that you can really pick something from their website and know exactly what you are getting when you order. While many stores offer some sort of guarantee for your order, setting up the return or exchange isn't as easy as it should be. Warranty claims are even sketchier.

So my assumption that moving to a small town wouldn't isolate us from the products that we need (because we have the internet) may have been a little naive. Sure, you can order items from the internet and get similar prices (or better) to what you would pay in a big city, but how often do you know exactly what you are getting? In addition, we have to worry about shipping and service issues that we wouldn't experience in a store. It's like buying new furniture. No matter how nice that store display looks, you're going to have to send it back three or four times before they deliver something that isn't damaged. Then there are inherent problems with warranties form items ordered online. How many times have you received an online order that arrived without a receipt or with a printout that doesn't look very official? Is that going to be adequate should you need to submit a warranty claim?

Fortunately, some online retailers are starting to understand this dilemma that net-savvy shoppers are experiencing. Just in time for my little quandary comes a big announcement from the largest online flooring company iFLOOR:

iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."

Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."

About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

So what does this mean for us e-shoppers? For one, it means that retailers are starting to step up to the plate to make the online ordering experience (and the follow-up delivery and any warranty claims) more pleasant. Gone are the days when online orders were happening because of the novelty of the internet. If I can get it locally without the shipping and return hassles, I'm going to buy it locally. Some still go for the cheaper prices of online items, but shipping and handling charges often negates those price differences. But if the shipper can offer an iron-clad guarantee that protects me in the event that even the manufacturer denies my claim, I'm going to be more open to the idea of ordering such a large item like flooring online. And with my wife bugging me almost daily about how much she hates the carpet, I may do just that.