They're okay.. just not to best deal. okay service by phone
Written: Jun 21 '04
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Having recently moved into a new place, I've been on the prowl for best prices without sacrificing quality. A friend forwarded an email to me for 15% discount from decoratetoday.com (ends June 22). Having already measured the 3 windows I needed, I went to their website to get some price quotes as I was specifically looking for honeycomb blinds. Wasn't too fussed about the brand as long as it was room darkening and had a continuous cord or easy lift type option. I didn't want a long cord dangling on the floor after lifting the blind.
Initial impressions of their website organization was good. Products were clearly grouped and ordered by manufacturers they sold. However here is where I started having trouble. It does not describe the difference between the different family names. What is the difference between "classic", "encore" and "majestic"? I am not familiar with the different products offered by the different manufacturers and I was not able to compare quality, colors or option differences.
I did price out my blinds using the hunter douglas applause duette 3/8" single honeycomb at about $500 (but no idea as the lightblocking qualities at all - this was important as I wanted light in the living room but not blinding sunlight and not totally dark either). Also priced the same windows using their "american brand" which came out to be $250 but with no options.
Like any confused consumer, I called their 800 number which was supposed to be their decorator hotline and spoke to a gentleman who appeared to have no idea of the difference in the blinds and appeared to be more of an ordertaker.
I asked him for the best price quote, gave him my window sizes and color. He told me that it came out to $380 which shocked me a little when he confirmed that this was the cheapest price with no options. I asked him what brand he was quoting and then asked him the difference between that and the price quote for $250 that I got online. He replied that what I was looking at was clearance stock and never answered my original question as to what brand he was quoting in the first place. He then asked him how would I like to pay for the 3 blinds. I tried again and asked him what were any quality differences between the clearance blinds and hunter douglas duette blinds. He said he didn't know. Asked him again if there was anything else in the clearance stock that would be suitable for my needs and he said that I should shop on the website for better pricing. At this point I hung up. He did not seem willing to help me except to take my credit card number. I looked on epinions and came across blindsaver.com on their featured sponsor list. Called their 800 number and had a completely difference experience... all positive and ended up ordering from them today.
I compared prices from decoratetoday.com website for the same blinds to blindsaver.com and found that they were approx 15% more expensive (which effectively means their discount isn't really a discount). Also got a price quote from blinds.com for the same hunter douglas blinds and found it to be 15% cheaper than decoratetoday.com online prices.
I would venture to say that when you order online, your customer service by phone is just as important as the way your website is arranged (if not more) and unfortunately, my experience with decoratetoday.com just fell short of expectations. They lost out on my living room windows today but also window coverings for the rest of my place (another 5 rooms to go!!!)
Would like to write about my experience with blindsaver.com after my blinds arrive but they don't seem to be listed as a separate online store. Am new to writing reviews..can anyone let me know how to add a new online store? Many thanks.
Recommended:
No
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About the Author
Location: Fremont, CA
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
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