Author Login | Popular Articles | RSS Feeds | Sitemap

Home | Shopping-and-product-reviews


Don’t Get Robbed Blind Shopping for Window Blinds

By: David Brooks

If you are in the market for new window treatments or coverings, you may find yourself in the same place I was, overwhelmed and ignorant. First, there are so many choices: different types, manufacturers, colors, fabrics and materials; I needed a lot of hand-holding. And, to top it off, I had no idea if the prices were competitive. I live in a busy and crowded city and don’t particularly enjoy driving all over town doing price comparisons.

By reputation, I assumed that if I went to the Home Depot I would be getting good, competitive prices. And, in the end, once I learned how to comparison shop more efficiently and effectively, I found that they were competitive. But, I also found that the service was hit-and-miss, sometimes even non-existent.

A friend of mine suggested that I try some of the shopping engines to do price comparisons. There are a bunch of these shopping comparison websites; I believe the top ones are Shopzilla, PriceGrabber and Shopping.com. You can just search for what you want and compare prices from one place to the next. It’s very easy and very efficient. What I found was that most of the lowest prices were online retailers of window treatments, a ton of them actually - who knew? The shopping engines really helped cut through the clutter. I found a bunch of retailers but was still left with a problem. I really needed good service; someone who could walk me through the different options and manufacturers. I am no interior decorator but I do know what I like when I see it.

I called one website and luckily got a sympathetic customer service person, turns out a lot of guys need hand-holding in this department. The woman I talked to asked me some basic questions and was able to really narrow down the right possible choices for me. She gave me way more personal attention then I received at the Home Depot and really won me over.

It turns out, at least in my case, that low prices aren’t the whole enchilada; service is really important when choosing something like window blinds. They are something you are going to have for a long time and will dramatically affect the looks of your home. There are even more considerations. Some window treatments offer good insulation (cellular shades), some shades (pleated shades) look like cellular shades, are cheaper but lack the insulation. If you want to cover big windows, like sliding doors, you need vertical blinds, panel tracks or even drapes. For areas of high heat and humidity, you need to consider faux wood or composite blinds. If you want mini blinds, vinyl is cheap but aluminum last a lot longer. The list goes on. I really learned a lot.

What I ended up receiving was a lot of service and good prices. Not to sound to pessimistic but I didn’t think that was possible anymore. In this day and age of giant, discount mega-store like Wal-Mart, and the Home Depot service the service-element of shopping has really suffered.

In the end, I purchased some very cool vertical blinds for my patio doors and cellular shades for my windows. I got my order quickly but then I was confronted with the daunting task of installing them myself. My order did come with installation instructions but, I still had questions. I thought I would put their customer service to the test and see if I would get the same service after the sale. I called the online retailer and asked for help. I spoke with a different customer service person that was just as helpful as the first. He walked me through the installation, I was pleasantly surprised.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
I got a set of vertical blinds and cellular shades for a good price with good service, I am still amazed. So, if you’re looking for window coverings use the internet. â€" David Brooks

Tags: , , , ,
| Print | Ezine Ready | |

Recent Shopping-and-Product-Reviews Articles

  • How to Smart Shop for Christmas By: Corina Volegna - We all like to have a plan for the holiday season. We know by when we need to cook, decorate, clean, and get gifts. But too often things don’t go as planned. As always happens in life, the unexpected can come up. Maybe you get swamped at work and have to stay late. Or maybe you get unexpectedly volunteered to make costumes or refreshments for your child’s holiday play.
  • Coupon Codes - Easy To Save Money Online By: Jeff1 Kelly1 - What Are The Free Coupons For Best Buy? Discounted coupons or vouchers just offer you so many benefits that make it hard to resist, especially if you are a shopping lover. So don’t wait, just grab your coupons (coupon codes) and start shopping. Free coupons and discount coupons are not a new word; they have attracted millions of people across the globe. There are companies like hotels, restaurants, groceries, tour and travel companies and readymade garments’ companies that offer free coupons to lure customers.
  • Decorating for Christmas: Let online shopping be your buying option By: Cesar Marlo Rivera - As the holiday season rolls around, many individuals start getting into the holiday spirit. One way to do this is by decorating your home for Christmas. In decorating your home, you will need Christmas decorations, Christmas ornaments, Christmas crafts and a Christmas tree. If you are still on your way to buy Christmas decorations, Why not consider buying online? Online shopping for Christmas decorations is definitely the easiest way to do your shopping.
  • 8 Essentials TIPS Regarding E-Commerce Shopping Carts By: Arthur Raise - The World Wide Web is a competitive field and e-commerce websites need to be competitive to be ahead and make a success of the business. The way to attract and retain customers and build a loyalty base is to be internet savvy and follow all the basic must dos of e-commerce websites. Any online website is successful if it gives a customer what they want, good timely service, quality goods, fair price, and commendable cyber business practices.
  • The Point of Mystery Shopping? By: Jenny Pilley - There are few businesses out there that please every single person that comes across that service. Most are self serving or are completed as a matter of course. However, there are exceptions to the rule and mystery shopping just happens to be one of them. This may come as somewhat of a surprise to you but it is entirely fact.
  • Want to avail the charm of extraordinary Petporte microchip cat flaps? Visit microchipcatflaps By: Vikram Kumar - Animals are no doubt the best friends of human beings. Today, life has become so complicated that most of the people have forgotten the real meaning of peace and happiness. In such a complex situation, the role of animals is inevitable. There are many animals that people like to tame at their home. Some most popular animals that people like to keep at their home include dogs, rabbits, cats etc.
  • Microchipcatflaps to offer unique Pet Porte microchip cat flaps By: Vikram Kumar - If you have a pet cat at your home then you must be well aware of the problems that are faced by most of the cat owners. The common problem faced by most of the cat lovers is that their cat is not safe from their neighbor’s cats. It is common to have such incidences where the neighbor’s cat enters your house and enjoys the meal that is meant for your beloved cat.
  • Looking for Petporte microchip cat flap for your cat’s safety? Visit microchipcatflaps By: Vikram Kumar - Do you love your cat? Do you want to give all comforts and safety to your beloved cat? Do you want to stop your neighbor’s cat to enter your house and enjoy your cat’s meal? If your answer to above questions is yes and you want to know about such product that can help you get rid of most of the problems as mentioned above, then it is advisable to visit microchipcatflaps for buying Petporte microchip cat flap.
  • Get the best Pet Porte microchip cat flap, only from microchipcatflaps By: Vikram Kumar - The relationship of animals with the mankind is something which is very common as well as popular since past. There are large numbers of people who are fond of taming various animals at their home. Several animals are there that are liked by people to have them at their home like dogs, rabbits, cats etc. Among these animals the craze for cats is extraordinary.
  • Tyvek wristbands from cheapwristbands to give a unique identification By: Vikram kuamr - Since a long time, people have been using the wristbands as the unique gift item. The colorful pattern of wristbands was mainly liked by the teenagers. But that was just the thing of past. Now the wristbands, mainly the Tyvek wristbands are preferred by people of all age groups. They are not only popular as attractive gift items, but their use is now increasing in various other important areas as well. This is mainly because it is considered to be an incorporated part of fashion.

Comments

Search Ebay

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!


Add to Google
ArticleSnatch Authors:
Member Login Sign Up Submit Articles FAQ Submission Guidelines Top Authors
For Publishers:
Most Popular Articles Ezine Notifications Article RSS Feeds Terms of Service
For Everyone:
Blog About Us Link to Us Contact Us New Stuff Link Directory Privacy Policy Sitemap Resources
Our Sites:
Free Magazines Book Your Hotel Stay Free MySpace Tools Massive Video Collection Broadband Speed Test
Click here to submit your free, permanent ads to TheFreeAdForum.com!

Submit Your link to the Open Link Directory Project

Copyright 2005-2008 MJE Sales, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Proud member of the ArticleCkr Search Network Search Network!
ArticleSnatch.com is free for both publishers and authors to use and is supported entirely from advertising revenue.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.