August
2010
Tip of the Week: Get Online – Be Cautious
by Evan, Boston 
Online shopping has been on the rise for everything. I mean you can buy anything online and people are doing it. There is nothing you cannot find online. People have eliminated the fun of going to a store in person and picking stuff out. All they do is hop on their laptop and click away. E-commerce is growing and growing and I don’t see it stopping. Home Improvement online shopping is an aspect that has quickly grown into a more popular way of finding contractors and ordering supplies. Here are some tips so that you can avoid the alway common online glitches.
Finding a contractor online is sometimes difficult, but there are plenty sites specifically devoted to people looking for a good contractor, where they provide consumer ratings. Therefore you can get a feel for the contractor based on prior customers reviews. Be cautious with any sites that have anonymous postings and ads that appear in search results that appear to be positive ratings. NYC, Chicago and LA have a great site called Franklin-Report.com. which has user comments that is similar to Zagat ratings for contractors. Another option is Angieslist.com which is $5/mo paid by credit card to prevent users from making more than one account. Once you find a contractor you are thinking about moving forward with, do yourself a favor and do a background check on them. Get a report about a contractors licensing, bonding, insurance, bankruptcy, civil judgements, criminal background, liens and credit rating. All of that information for only $13 at contractorcheck.com.
Ordering supplies is the next step and some of the big time players like HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com have more of a selection with better prices and discounts. Just keep in mind that if something goes sour, those savings could turn into cost overruns. As with any online purchase, you run the risk of shipping damage or late deliveries, which can derail a project with multiple tradesmen working around one another’s schedules. So be sure to work with your contractor before ordering supplies online. Make sure if gives you the green light and provides technical specs. I’m still all about referrals for contractors and going to a local store to pick out my supplies. Can be done quicker and easier to match items and personally I hate dealing with call centers. But if you have the patience and skill for online Home Improvement shopping just be cautious!
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Great job on the site, it looks wonderful. I am going to bookmark it and will make sure to check often
I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success.