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(Free Information by Consumer Advocate - No Flooring Sales)
How To Avoid Carpet Sales Scams?
Let me start by saying that there are plenty of reputable carpet stores and honest carpet salespeople out there... somewhere. The problem homeowners face is knowing which stores are honest and which ones are not. You can't tell just by looking at the outside of their store or even from going inside and meeting everyone face to face. Even the nicest people can have a hidden agenda to rip you off.
Consumers in need of new carpet are often deceived, misinformed, mislead, overcharged or sold the wrong flooring materials for their needs and goals. The problem is, there are just too many untrustworthy salespeople who are willing to tell you just about anything to persuade you to buy from them.
Why? It's partly due to the fact that most carpet salespeople are not paid by the hour or on a monthly salary, they are paid on commission only. For them, no sale means no pay, and the need to earn a paycheck can easily cause some salespeople to sacrifice integrity. That means they may tell you exactly what you want to hear even if it is not true, just to convince you to buy.
Homeowners need to learn a little bit about the carpet buying process to be able to recognize common carpet sales scams. It's a well-known fact that many homeowners agree to buy carpet they know little or nothing about, other than the price, the color and how soft it feels.
They usually know exactly how much they paid for their new carpet, but know nothing about the carpet or padding specifications. They assumed the salesperson would make sure that their selection was a wise choice and would meet or exceed all their expectations. That is a bad assumption to make.
What makes one carpet more durable than another?
Very few consumers take the time to learn the specifics about the carpet they are about to purchase. They don't know whether or not it can endure their needs, lifestyle or longevity expectations.
It may take a few years before most homeowners discover that the carpet they selected is not capable to last as long as anticipated. In fact, homeowners with moderate to heavy foot-traffic who expected their new carpet to last for at least ten years, often discover it failed to retain it's "like-new appearance" for more than three to five years.
How can I avoid this from happening to me?
Why does this happen? You can't rely on any carpet salesperson to make your carpet and padding choices for you.
You have to verify the specifications and make sure the carpet and padding you choose is durable enough to meet your needs and goals.
Print my free
Carpet Shopping Form
Use it to compare carpet by specification and price.
(Click on image to view or print)
Print My Free
Carpet Durability Chart
I also created a carpet durability guide chart that can help you make sense of it all. It takes several factors into consideration to help you determine the durability of any carpet you are considering.
(Click on image to view or print)
Carpet Quality and Durability
Carpet is not made the same as it was 60 years ago. Back then, they made all carpets the same, heavy duty. There were three grades of carpet back then. Good, better and best. The lowest grade carpet used to last 10-20 years or more before it would begin to wear out.
Even today some homes still have 50-60 year old carpet that was installed back in the 1960's and 1970's. They were made of heavy gauge nylon and they were designed to wear like iron.
All they had to do was give them a good steam cleaning once in a while and the pile would bounce back and look like new again and again.
A heavy gauge nylon fiber, a high pile-density and a good face-weight was a winning combination for a super durable heavy-duty carpet.
What Are Carpet Grades?
Today, like everything else, carpet is manufactured in various quality kevels to meet the needs of every conceivable application and for just about any size budget.
Carpet manufacturers make at least 12 different qualities or grades of carpet to choose from, but the trick is knowing which grade of carpet will meet or exceed your expectations.
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There are at least three grades of low-end carpet designed for apartments. The lowest apartment grade carpet is so thin you can almost read a newspaper through it. It might last one or two years with moderate traffic, maybe three to five years if there is low foot traffic and no pets.
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There are at least six medium grade carpet qualities for those who want a carpet to last for 5 to 15 years.
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There are at least six high-end grades for those who want their carpet to last 20 years or more and are willing to pay dearly for it.
That's
over 15 basic grades of carpet. Choosing the wrong grade is the biggest
mistake you can make. Why? Because the carpet you buy must meet your needs and
goals or you will not get the results that you desire. Why spend thousands on a
carpet that won't last very long?
Why spend thousands on a carpet that wears out prematurely? On the other side of the coin, why spend more than you need to? If you want a carpet to last for only 5 years you shouldn't spend more than is necessary to achieve that.
The trick is knowing how to determine which carpet can do the job for you at the right price. Few carpet salespeople are going to know this information. They just want to make a sale and will applaud any choice you make whether it is a good choice or not.
Now remember, not all carpet stores are unscrupulous and have untrained or sneaky salespeople. There are plenty of reputable and honest carpet stores to buy from if you are careful.
Learn more:
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Carpet at Lowe's or Home Depot?
