Window Treatments Blog

I read recently that only approximately 5% of American consumers shop online for window blinds and shades.  That means that the vast majority of people are:  a.) not aware that they can or, b.) have some kind of resistance to purchasing these kinds of products online.  I can’t do much about the former. What I can do is address some of the root causes behind people’s resistance by laying out, in plain terms, the assets and liabilities and let you decide for yourself.  Let’s get started.

The Good.

The first is price. Generally speaking, buying blinds and shades online will save you money.  Online retailers have the advantage of much lower overhead.  And, economies of scales do not apply to a custom product like window treatments. 

The next positive attribute of shopping online for window treatments is one you might not have thought of – customer service.  If you walk into a Home Depot, or Lowes you may or may not get the help you need. You may even have trouble finding someone at all.   Almost all the reputable online retailers of blinds and shades have knowledgeable customer service teams who are there to help.  They can answer questions, make recommendations and walk you through the process. 

Last but not least is the large selection available in one location.  Most online retailers carry all or most of the major manufacturers: Hunter Douglas, Bali, Levolor, etc. And, they generally carry all the different types of blinds and shades like: mini blinds, cellular shades, verticals, roman shades, bamboo, pleated, roller shades and so on. So, one website gives you a tremendous number of options. This saves you the hassle and expense of running all over town shopping at different stores; you can do it from the comfort of your home.

The Bad.

In my opinion the single biggest drawback, or hurdle, to shopping online for window treatments is the medium itself.  I can tell you firsthand how difficult it is to make the window treatments online shopping experience easy and intuitive.  I for one am a very visual person and would have a hard time choosing something that I can’t get a very accurate sense for how it looks.  We, at Blindsgalore, offer literally tens of thousand of possible combinations of blinds, shades and shutters when you add in all the color choices, fabrics, valances, lift mechanisms, etc. It would be almost impossible to provide a photograph of every conceivable combination. We do our best by offering free swatches, numerous product photos and written descriptions on the website as well as trained customer service representatives; all to help you decide. But, in the end, it is not always enough and we still get unhappy customers who are unsatisfied with their purchase.  In all fairness, this is true for all retailers.

Next, if you want to extract maximum savings, you will need to use a little elbow grease and learn how to measure and install them yourself (or get a friend or relative to help you).  To have someone come out and do these two things obviously reduces your savings. The good news is that both things – measuring and installing – are easy.  Most of the online blinds retailers offer short, informative videos to guide you through both activities. But you will need some very basic tools to measure and install your blinds.  It should be noted though that even if you do have someone come and help you, the cost savings is still greater than because of the reduced cost of window treatments.

The remaining issues are not endemic to buying custom window treatments online, i.e. they are true for any retailer in this market.  You should be aware of them nevertheless. 

The first issue relates to the nature of any custom product, i.e. your ability to return that product, or simply get a refund, is greatly diminished. Off-the-shelf products can be sold again; in general, custom products cannot.  Of course that doesn’t make it any less upsetting for those individuals who are stuck with a custom product they simply don’t like. And, that is the key – you can’t return your custom blinds because you don’t like them. 

There are, of course, scenarios where you can expect some kind of remediation.  But please note that I didn’t say a refund.  If you receive an item that is damaged or the wrong size due to manufacturer error, you can expect to get a replacement.  Here’s the frustrating part though, some of the manufacturers will want you to send the damaged or otherwise defective blind back – on their nickel of course (some will just ship you a new one).  Having to ship something back may be a hassle to some people.  Other common problems are missing parts or hardware, which will be replaced by the manufacturer.

If you mess-up and order the wrong size or simply don’t like what you ordered, you are most likely out of luck.  Though there is something called an “oops” discount, wherein you can get a deeper discount off of another blind or shade.  A common error that people make when ordering custom blinds is to transpose the height and width measurement, so make sure you get that right.  And, be careful about the color you choose!  Make sure you really like it because you can’t return your blinds because you don’t like the color.

Shopping for custom window treatments online has numerous benefits as well as some challenges.  If you are looking for great prices, selection and service, it’s the way to go.  But go in with some knowledge of the pitfalls of buying a custom product.  To make the most of your shopping experience, don’t forget to: use the customer service people if you have any questions. Go and see examples of the blinds at a traditional retail store if you are uncertain about your purchase. Utilize the free swatch samples for color and materials.  And, don’t get scared off by the prospect of having to measure your windows or install you new custom window treatments – it’s easier than you think and can even be gratifying.  Happy decorating!