Investing on office furniture pieces can be a big deal to some business owners, especially those who are just starting in the industry. There are several reasons why a seemingly simple activity can become a complicated one. Aside from furniture pieces can be expensive, you may also have to deal with suppliers and retailers that are dishonest, which could give you unnecessary problems.

Getting scammed by furniture retailers and suppliers are no news throughout Australia. Although this rarely happens, it still happens from time to time, which can be a problem to you especially if you don’t have prior experience dealing with retailers and suppliers. In order to avoid getting scammed or cheated out of a fair deal, you have to learn some of the ways to detect possible dishonest and unprofessional furniture retailers and suppliers. Simply put, awareness is your best defense against these deceitful individuals.

Since the online shopping revolution, more and more business professionals have depended on the Internet for their shopping. The convenience and efficiency of online shopping are not to be questioned, but with this trend comes other issues like scam and fraud activities. Many scammers are now online to look for unsuspecting shoppers who can fall into their traps. The best way to avoid dealing with these dishonest individuals is to know how to identify them from the get-go.

Below are some of the tell-tale signs that you might be dealing with a scammer or dishonest dealer of office equipment and furniture pieces in Sydney.

The price is questionable – You may be easily persuaded with low-priced products, but before clicking the “buy” button, ask yourself first whether or not the price is too good to be true. Scammers offer “products” with incredibly low price tag in order to attract more unsuspecting victims. Some offer products at a very low price and once a customer pays for the item, the price shoots up due to hidden charges. Don’t fall into these traps as you will surely end up paying for nothing. If the price is far lower from the retail price, take this as a sign that the seller may not be legitimate or there are hidden charges involved.

Limited information about the seller or retailer was given– If the online seller offers vague information about the product or contact information, chances are, he or she is not a professional retailer or supplier. You should only deal with sellers that provide complete information about the product they are selling. Important information that should be disclosed should include the product’s name, price, make, specifications, and warranty terms. The seller must also provide his or her company’s contact information like email address, contact number, office address, and name of the contact person.

The seller has apparent low feedback rating – Before dealing with any online seller, make sure to check his or her reputation online first. Check the seller’s customer feedback score, taking hints whether or not you can trust him or her. You may also search the web for blogs and other write-ups about his or her services in order to learn about his or her reliability.

Buying new or even second-hand office furniture can be quite a daunting task. In addition to having to pay hundreds to thousands of dollars, you are also at risk of dealing with unprofessional, unreliable, and dishonest individuals. In order to protect your business from fraud artists, always be conscious of the people you are dealing with, especially if you are making your purchases online. In a nutshell, always be on the lookout for people who have nothing to do but to cheat other people.