Carpet Buying Questions? Get Straight Answers at www.HowToBuyCarpet.com

Consumers, are you getting ready to buy new carpet need to have accurate and honest answers to your carpet questions? Find out everything you need to know about carpet at www.Howtobuycarpet.com It’s the best online source for unbiased carpet buyer’s information on the web. Take advantage of the free “Ask The Carpet Expert” service provided by Alan J. Fletcher a 30-year carpet veteran and consumer advocate. Looking for a reputable carpet dealer? Visit Alan’s Preferred Carpet Dealer Directory (Carpet_Dealer_list) to see if there is an approved carpet dealer listed near you.

When I read the part in your book that suggested the carpet industry was as bad as the car industry, I thought you were just exaggerating the problem to sell books. Man was I wrong. This is ridiculous!

I have first hand experience with the car sales business. They have some sneaky tactics for sure, but they are all fairly predictable. Most of their sales tricks are well published and any consumer can be well advised if they subscribe to Consumer Reports or just do a simple internet search for common car sales scams to look out for. This is not the case for flooring salespeople. The scams in the carpet business are much more volital because carpet salespeople have the opportunity to come into your home to measure. This is where they have the chance to quickly sum up the customer. They can take a look around and make an economical evaluation of the customers lifestyle and financial status by what they see displayed in the customer’s home. Are there expensive models of newer cars in the driveway or are they  older and less valuable models? Is the home located in an expensive neighborhood or is it a double-wide trailer in a low-end mobile home park? Savvy salespeople can quickly sum up the potential financial capabilities of their customes by a short visit to the home to measure for carpet. This is where the customer can find themselves in a compromising situation. Do you trust that the salesperson is giving you and honest and accurate estimate? Or are you getting an inflated estimate based on what the salesperson thinks you are able to pay?

Learn how to save money on new carpet, choose the right carpet pad, get qualified carpet installation, have your carpet measuring performed accurately and protect yourself from the common retail carpet scams. Get an instant download of Alan’s ebook for only $12.95 : The Complete Carpet Buying Guide by Alan J. Fletcher, National Consumer Rights Advocate.

Learn more at http://www.carpetsupersite.com

What Every Consumer Should Know Before Buying Carpet.

What Every Consumer Should Know Before Buying Carpet.

©2007 by Alan J Fletcher - Consumer Rights Advocate

 

Visit www.howtobuycarpet.com for more information about this content.

 

If you are thinking about buying New Carpet soon then you’ve come to the Right Place! I am a 30-year veteran of the carpet business and a Consumer Advocate. I can show you the “insider” secrets to buying carpet wisely. I can show you how to avoid the common retailer Carpet Scams and how to get a good deal on New Carpet for your home, home office, business or rental property.

Getting a good price on New Carpet is just One of Five Critical Factors. You must have sufficient knowledge in all five areas in order to be successful in buying New Carpet.  

You need to ask yourself these 4 important questions… 

1. What style and grade of carpet should I select? - Not all carpets are created equal. Some carpets will last for 20 years, and some will wear out in less than 5 years.  They may even cost about the same. You need to know how to tell the difference between a well-made carpet and a poorly-made carpet. If you buy the wrong carpet you could be making a very costly mistake. Let me help you with that. 

2. What Density and Thickness PADDING should I select? - Selecting the wrong PADDING can void your carpet warranty and cause your carpet to wear out prematurely. In a sea of different PADDING options which pad should you select? I can help you with that too.

3. How can I be sure my carpet is installed properly - If installed IMPROPERLY your new Carpet could lose HALF of it’s potential life span. The problem is…Good carpet installers charge the same amount as Bad carpet installers and it is hard to tell the difference between the two. You need to know what questions to ask your installers BEFORE they begin installing your new carpet or you might discover that your carpet was installed improperly after it’s already too late. 

4. How do I get a good price on new carpet, padding and installation? Knowing where to buy carpet is just as important as where not to buy carpet. Being able to recognize a good price when you see it is very important too. The problem is, it’s hard to tell the difference between a Good Deal and a sneaky retailer Carpet Scam. Don’t be fooled, some carpets are just not worth buying no matter how much they cost. They may look and feel nice when they are new but they just don’t last very long. You need to know which carpets are worth buying. I can help you wade through the sea of choices and help you quickly narrow down your best choices to a few  that will work for you and your family. Finding the right carpet at a good price will put a big smile on your face but you still have a long way to go…

Let’s say you have found the perfect carpet at a good price. It is well-made, you love the color, and it can stand up to your amount of foot traffic for years to come. Great! You still need to get a good price on the CORRECT padding and get a good price on QUALIFIED installation. How can you be sure you get a good price and good quality on everything? I can help you with that too. 

Many retail carpet stores have reasonable prices on their carpets but then they charge extremely high prices on their padding and installation fees. This is a common carpet scam. You need to be sure you get a good price on the carpet, the pad, and the installation. But wait, there’s more you need to watch out for…

How much carpet do you need? Who’s doing the measuring? Did they measure accurately? are they charging you for more materials then you actually need? How would you know if they were over-charging you? You stand to lose hundreds if the carpet salesperson measures your home wrong. Let’s say you find carpet, pad and installation for $30 per yard, if they charge you for 10 yards more than you actually need, you stand to lose $300.00 or more. 

Retail salespeople over-measure all the time, it’s how they make extra money and it’s easy to get away with because most consumers don’t have a clue. But don’t worry, I can help you avoid being scammed by over-measuring. I’ll tell you exactly what to do to protect yourself from this common carpet scam. 

Carpet RETAILERS and MANUFACTURERS are working hard to make buying new carpet confusing for you. They even change the style and color names on the carpet samples to prevent you from comparison shopping at other stores. You can’t afford to fall for their tricks, scams and deceptions. You need the advice and wisdom of a carpet professional like me. No, I don’t sell carpet, but I can help you choose the right materials, save time and money, get it all installed properly and help you avoid common carpet scams. 

To get started, read some of my free carpet buying information. It will open your eyes to a few more important things you need to be aware of. But remember, carpet is a big investment and you must take it very seriously. If you don’t, you stand to lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars. 

If you are ready to get started shopping for carpet, simply order my ebook before you begin and read it. It is a quick and easy read, nothing complicated or confusing and most people can get through it all in just one evening. Then, armed with the knowledge you need, head out and start looking at carpets. Take your time! After a weekend out looking at carpets I am sure you will have some questions. 

As a way of thanking you for purchasing my ebook, I am happy to answer any carpet buying questions you may have along the way. Immediately after you purchase my ebook I will send you a thank you e-mail that includes my special e-mail address. Take a moment to read the testimonials page to see what others have to say about my eBook. 

Visit www.howtobuycarpet.com for more information about this content.

Regards,

Alan J Fletcher

 

Take the Carpet Quiz

Do you know enough about

Buying Carpet to avoid making

 Serious and Costly Mistakes?

Take this Quiz before you start

shopping for carpet to find out! 

Buying carpet is not as simple as it was 20 or 30 years ago. but today it is very easy to make the wrong carpet choices. Smart carpet shoppers do their homework and research before making such an important and expensive purchase of buying new carpet. Can you make all the right choices and get the whole job done start to finish? Maybe so, my simple carpet quiz will put your carpet buying knowledge to the test! 

Are you a Smart Shopper? You better hope so. First, take your sweet time! There are hundreds or thousands of your hard-earned dollars at stake! Second, have a game plan! You should already have a good idea about what carpet style and main characteristics of the carpet and pad you want to buy. You should know how long you want your carpet to last and about how much it’s going to cost for the carpet, the pad and the installation, long before you reach for your checkbook. 

When you visit any retail carpet store, you don’t want to start asking advice from the carpet salesperson. Most of your carpet buying questions should have been researched and answered long before you start shopping for carpet. Any questions you have for the salesperson should be limited to  “How much does this carpet cost per yard?”,  or ” Do your installers use a power-stretcher?” or “Can I see a copy of the manufacturer’s carpet warranty?”.  

After you visit several carpet stores, you’ll almost think you’re buying carpet from a used car lot. The last thing you need is high-pressure salespeople and a garbage can full of conflicting information.  You will quickly understand the reason why you don’t want to ask carpet salespeople for advice.

Find out if you’re ready to start shopping for carpet, or if you should stay home tonight and read my E-book  “The Complete Carpet Buying Guide”. 

 

The Carpet Quiz

 Find out if you are ready to buy carpet wisely!

Carpet Quiz Answers are on the next page

1. Do you know which carpet padding to use for your home? Which padding is the best deal?

• Rebond                                            
• Foam                                                 
• Rubber,                                             
• Synthetic fiber                             
• Recycled fabrics                        

2. Here are some common features padding may have for an extra charge. Do you know what benefits they provide? Which of these features do you think are worth paying extra for? 

• Moisture barrier                                 
• Odor eating                                        
• Anti-microbial                                    
• None of the above                            
• I don’t know

3. Do you know what padding Density to choose? 

• 4 pound                                                
• 5 pound                                                
• 6 pound                                                
• 7 pound                                                
• 8 pound                                                
• 10 pound                                           
• Don’t know

4. Do you know what thickness of pad is required?

• ¼”                                                 
• 3/8″                                               
• 7/16″                                            
• ½”                                                
• Don’t know

5. Do you know about carpet fibers? Which fiber is most resilient?

• Nylon                                         
• Olefin or polypropylene         
• Polyester or P.E.T.                   
• Nylon / polyester blend         
• Sorona                                       

6. There are different ways to make carpet.  Would you choose a Continuous Filament fiber or go with a Staple Fiber?

• Continuous filament
• Staple fiber
• I don’t know

 

Carpet Care and Maintenance

How you care for your carpet will determine how long it will last. 

7. How many people live in your home? How many days per week do you vacuum on average?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

8. What number is higher?

• Your answer to How many people live in your home?
• Your answer to How many days per week do you vacuum?
• Both answers are the same

9. Do you have a good vacuum with a beater bar?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know

10. How often do you have your carpet professionally cleaned?

• Never
• Every 6 months
• Once a year
• Every other year
• Every three years

11. Do you keep all the receipts for the professional cleanings?

• Yes    
• No
• I don’t know

12. Do you know what the following carpet definitions / conditions mean? Which of these conditions are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty? 

• Appearance retention
• Crushing
• Fading or color loss
• Footprints or indentations
• Matting
• Shading
• Shedding
• Filtration soiling
• Wrinkles
• Yellowing

13. Have you visited the website of “The Carpet and Rug Institute”? (CRI) 

• Yes          
• No

14. Are you familiar with the requirements set forth in “The Carpet & Rug Institute’s Standard 105 for Residential Installation”?

• Yes            
• No

15. Do you know which manufacturer’s warranties apply to your particular carpet?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know

16. If some of your carpet is found to be defective and you file a valid claim with the carpet manufacturer, what do you think will typically happen next?

• They will refund my money 100%
• They will refund a percentage of my money
• They will replace all my carpet with another carpet of my choice
• They will remove all of the old carpet and install new carpet of the exact same type and style.
• They will remove the defective carpet areas only and install new carpet of the same type and style.
• They will issue a pro-rated credit to your retailer equal to the cost of the carpet material only, for the affected area only, the credit is good only toward new carpet from the same manufacturer. They will not pay to remove your old carpet, nor will they pay to have your replacement carpet installed.
• They will pay to have the carpet repaired if possible

Carpet Installation

How your carpet is installed will determine how long it will last

17. What is the best day to have your new carpet delivered to your home:

• The day it is to be installed
• The day before
• The week before
• I don’t know

18. What is the best climate to have your carpet installed

• On a warm day with the doors open
• On a cool day with the doors closed
• Any day with the heater on (66*F) before and during installation
• I don’t know

19. What should do you do before the carpet installer begins to install your new carpet?

• Move all small breakables and valuables into a safe and secure area
• Make arrangements for kids and pets to be out of the work areas
• Check to make sure the installer will use a power-stretcher
• Take photographs or a video of the entire area in case you need to prove damages in court
• Make sure the installer has brought the right carpet style, quality and color
• Have the installer roll out the carpet so you can check the carpet for obvious defects.
• Make sure you have the original carpet sample so you can compare it with the carpet delivered

20. What should you do after the carpet installer is finished installing your carpet?

• Call all your friends to come over and see the new carpet!
• Inspect the carpet installation completely. Withhold final payment until you are completely satisfied.
• Pick up all the carpet scraps and vacuum the carpet well.
• Show the installer where you want all the carpet and pad waste to go.
• Find out how long the carpet seams will look so obvious. 

Click to see Quiz Answers at www.carpetsupersite.com/quiz_answers.htm

 

What is the best carpet pad for concrete basements?

What is the best pad for concrete floors? What is the best pad for stairs? What about these new fancy pads like odor eating and moisture barrier? Are they worth having or just another carpet scam to get consumers to pay more for something they don’t really need.  What are your experiences with carpet padding?