Beware of False Sales When Area Rug Shopping

When you begin your search for the best area rug for the money, it is important to remember that there are many promotions that seem incredible yet can lead to more misery than they are worth.
How do you tell which sales are best to avoid? Know the product you are looking for and know its general selling price. Being an informed shopper will only help you to find exactly what you are looking for without falling for any false claims made by a seller.

For example, if you are searching for a Persian rug, knowing the general characteristics of a Persian rug such as materials, knot count, etc. will help you to see if perhaps that greatly reduced rug you are contemplating is indeed a Persian, or a knockoff. Also, knowing the general price point for a true Persian rug will help you to spot a fake more quickly. If a retailer is trying to sell you a room-sized Persian rug for $19.95 when you know full well that the average price is much, much higher, it will send up a red flag to you to be careful and to check it over very closely before falling for what very likely could be a scam.

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Also, beware retailers offering extreme discounts on area rugs in huge quantities. Often, there is a reason these retailers are looking to unload a lot of merchandise. Maybe they were stolen, or have been exposed to water or smoke damage due to having been in a fire. Or perhaps they have had other severe damage and have been cleaned to hide the effects. It is important to remember that any damage to an area rug is significant; even if it cleans up and looks fine, the materials it is composed of have been stressed and damaged in some way and the durability of the rug will be affected due to this unnecessary exposure to whatever hurt the fibers to begin with.

Furthermore, many retailers will offer huge sales on rugs they say are old models or last year's designs. Sometimes, this is true, but less scrupulous dealers will sometimes throw in floor models that have been used for display purposes and not tell you that is the case. These rugs also have been worn and exposed to more stress than a brand-new rug and the fibers have suffered for it. Strength and durability will be compromised in these situations and the rug will not last as long as it otherwise would.

Rugs that have been exposed to some sort of damage also have the possibility of  having lost any protective finishes that may have been originally applied such as Scotch-guard for stain resistance. Losing these finishes will definitely impact the life of the piece and retailers who fail to inform you that the finish has been compromised are simply looking for the sale.

So how do you spot these potential 'fake' sales and promotions? Be wary if a sale sounds too good to be true; it very well might be. Be knowledgeable about the product, its materials and make-up structure. Look over any prospective purchase carefully for any signs of water, smoke, or wear and tear damage and do not hesitate to ask questions about anything that looks suspicious to you. Check into the history of places that suddenly come out with sales promotions that seem unlike their normal selling procedures. Companies who all of a sudden produce a great sale may be having financial difficulties or may be trying to unload some undesirable merchandise while flying under the radar, so to speak. A bit of research will tell you if either is the case. Being knowledgeable about the product you seek, doing a bit of research about the companies you plan to visit, being able to evaluate the actual rug you are purchasing for authenticity or damages, and not being hesitant to ask questions once you are there will help to protect you from the false claims offered by less than scrupulous retailers offering you 'the deal of the century.'