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Skip the Click: The Risks of Buying Tile Online

Oct 1, 2024 | 2:00 AM

Ordering online may be convenient for some items, but for other products it’s a different story. Dennis from Arden Tile explained why online shopping is such a poor fit for buying tile.

Heavy and fragile

“Freight logistics can be a nightmare for a product like tile. It’s heavy and fragile, which is a bad combination” stated Dennis.

Many freight companies used by online platforms aren’t prepared to handle the heavy pallets, and sometimes even expect a forklift there to unload. Or they may charge lift-gate fees to leave the shipment on the street or in your driveway.

The customer usually also needs to be home to accept a delivery as large as a tile shipment. Anticipating exactly when the freight will arrive can be tricky.

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With all the potential issues having the tiles get to you, imagine the challenges if you need to send them back. When tiles look different than they did in the online photo, it’s not easy or inexpensive to return them. At Arden Tile, “If tile arrives that’s different from the sample, it’s our responsibility to make it right.”

What happens if tile arrives broken? “It is very hard to deal with freight damage,” advised Dennis. “You may have to make a claim against the freight company or prove to the online company that you didn’t break it yourself.”

To further complicate things, replacement tiles may or may not be the same dye lot and won’t match the unbroken tiles.

Customers don’t have that concern when shopping with reputable local companies that take on the risk. “Arden Tile takes all that risk away by adding responsibility for the freight and any issues that may arise,” stated Dennis.

No chance to see and touch 

There’s no substitute for being able to hold the tile in your hands before committing to a choice. Arden Tile has full-size samples for customers to take home. This lets you see them in your own space. Do you love the colour with the room’s artificial lighting as well as when the sun shines in? Taking tile samples home helps you be sure before you decide.

You can’t ship an installer 

Purchasing your product from a company that doesn’t offer installation leaves you needing to find a reputable independent installer. Dennis says that’s not always easy or worth the risk of them possibly botching the job.

A local company like Arden Tile provides peace of mind by guaranteeing their work. Arden Tile customers have a warranty on the products as well as the installation to ensure the customer is satisfied with the results. “You can be confident that your tile project will turn out like the vision in your head.”

Arden Tile is at 2800 48th Avenue in Vernon, and at ardentile.com/.