Buying Furniture for the Holidays?

Having family and friends over for the Holidays and thinking of buying new furniture to spruce up your home? Furniture is one of those products that can be very difficult to shop knowledgeably for—how can you really tell what the frame looks like on a sofa? Do some research online and then head out to the stores to sit on and inspect the furniture. Choose your store carefully—if they go out of business before you get your furniture, you may be out of luck for the deposit. Check local consumer protection agencies and Better Business Bureaus for complaints on the store. Put the smallest amount possible down and use a credit card for the down payment (if the furniture is not delivered, you have dispute procedures with your credit card company). If the store calls and tell you the furniture is delayed, call the manufacturer to confirm that they have received the payment for your order. It’s very common for a struggling store to use your money to pay for a previous order and wait until another consumer orders to pay for your furniture. Upon delivery of new furniture to your home, inspect all pieces for damage, content and quality. If there is a problem, do not accept the pieces in question and make a notation of the reason for refusal on the delivery inspection sheet. Be sure to obtain a copy of this sheet and follow up with the merchant on the unsatisfactory items.
For more information,

Bank rate.com article:
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/advice/20000523b.asp

Maryland Attorney General Consumer Protection Division:
http://www.oag.state.md.us/consumer/edge115.htm