Many companies exist today that offer factory direct furniture. The term “factory direct” implies that the customer will pay less due to no “middle man” being involved. This may or may not be true. Consumers should be cautious about ordering factory direct patio furniture from internet companies. The company should have a brick and mortar building where the furniture can be inspected.
Furniture companies and direct furniture factory outlets often have websites available for customers to view their products. It is possible to order bedroom furniture directly from the factory, so to speak. One can identify online a piece of furniture, such as a sofa, from a furniture manufacturer’s website. The customer is directed by the website where this sofa can be bought locally. This method is not exactly direct from the factory, but it is the usual way the furniture business operates. A company called directfactoryfurniture.com lists directions to their showroom in California. They offer local delivery within two hundred miles, or carrier service nationwide. The shipping costs could definitely be expensive if the customer lives any distance away.
Every type of furniture one can imagine can be bought “factory direct”. Homeowners can choose from bedroom suites and dining room sets to outdoor furniture and upholstered pieces. Even office furniture can be purchased direct from the factory. Occasionally, actual furniture manufacturing plants have showrooms adjacent to them. These are often large unheated warehouses where buyers can truly shop for factory direct leather furniture outlet. In 1986 an old school building became a factory direct showroom in Woodland, Mississippi. Upholstered sofas and chairs were manufactured locally and available to purchase in the old building. Today this store has become the largest furniture store in Mississippi and offers all types of furniture, not just those made locally.
North Carolina is known for furniture manufacturing. For years buyers have travelled there to buy directly from the factories. A company called ncfurniturebuydirect.com has operated on the internet for several years and relies on the good reputation of North Carolina furniture companies. The company takes orders for furniture online. Many complaints have been lodged against this organization by consumers who paid for their furniture in full and never received their items. The North Carolina Attorney General is investigating ncfurniturebuydirect.com. Customers are entitled to a full refund if the furniture cannot be delivered, but so far many people have not received furniture or refund.
Consumeraffairs.com recommends that consumers buy furniture they have physically inspected and take it home from the store themselves. Deliveries can arrive late or damaged. Furniture stores often go out of business so deposits and layaways can be lost. It can be hard work to load and unload your new furniture; however, the customer can be assured they will get it on time.
Another type of buying direct from the manufacturer involves joining a membership club for furniture. By paying a membership fee, customers supposedly gain access to wholesale prices. The membership fee to one club in particular is five thousand dollars for two years. The buyer would have to spend twenty thousand dollars or more to regain back their initial fee in savings. This may be possible for some shoppers; it seems unrealistic for the average consumer.
Other downsides to the furniture club include long waits for ordered pieces and a no return policy. Factory direct patio furniture stores usually have some sort of return policy, or will try to work with the client in some way. The membership club reminds one of the old saying… “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is”. Shoppers can scout out bargains locally and online due to increased competition among sellers. Furniture companies that sell direct from the manufacturer are increasingly having a hard time surviving in today’s economy, so cusomers that do their own research can find some worthwhile deals.
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