We Are Not a Megaretailer (And Here’s Why That is a Good Thing)

How you can Avoid the Pitfalls of Megaretailers by Thinking Smaller

Megaretailers – we all know who they are – have a major online presence these days. Even the ones that have traditionally been brick-and-mortar locations now have online marketplaces that do not require the quality-control present in their physical stores. These online retail giants offer the convenience of quick access to low-priced products, but the items that actually show up at your doorstep may not match your expectations. Buying online is undoubtedly riddled with possible minefields, composed of counterfeit products, misrepresented products, and products that are just low quality. All of which can be neatly disguised behind the glowing signs of familiar stores that now exist online.

Why Buy from Smaller Retailers?

To avoid the problems of large retailer marketplaces, the solution isn’t to skip buying online altogether. The solution is to buy online smarter. As Nicole Nguyen says in her article, “How to Shop Online and Not Get Ripped Off,” “Shoppers must tread carefully to avoid the fake reviews, unsafe or mislabeled products, or counterfeit goods hiding behind legitimate-seeming listings.” Nguyen developed 3 tenets for not getting ripped off. One way we see for following those tenets is to choose small, well-established retailers over big ones. Here are a few reasons why:

1. You know who you are buying from.

Large businesses list tons of third-party products that they cannot vouch for. The problem with this is, instead of buying from a site you know, “you’re buying from a seller you don’t know, and often it’s a product whose brand you’ve never heard of” explains Nguyen. This becomes a big issue when there is no way of getting in touch directly with the seller if something goes wrong—or when you have to deal with the seller entirely through forms on the megaretailer's website.

You may have no way of knowing where the seller's business is located, or whether consumer protections can be enforced against them. If their product caused you harm or loss of property, it may not be possible to file a lawsuit against a megaretailer for a third-party merchant's products. It may also not be possible to find the third-party merchant’s details to bring a lawsuit directly against them, effectively leaving your company with its hands tied.

However, with smaller businesses, you won’t have to deal with the poor quality or lack of support that comes from being rerouted to another seller. At ELEDLights, you receive high quality products every time. With us, you buy from us. It is transparent buying.

2. You will receive easy, hassle-free returns.

With many megaretailers, the return policies for third-party products often are different than ones sold directly. This can lead to not receiving a refund, regardless of the quality of the product you receive (or if you even received the product at all).

With ELEDLights, if you have any issues with the product you receive (ordered the wrong color, damage during transit, your project needs change, etc.), we offer online returns, and real people will be ready to take your call. We offer help from both coasts; our in-house Sales Team is available at our offices in Pennsylvania and California. That way, you get the best customer service at a time that works for you. Ordered the wrong product? No problem, we can exchange it for you. Have a question during the buying or install process? We will get you the answer.

3. You can access honest reviews from real customers.

Rather than try to mine through dozens of fake reviews left by bots or paid reviewers on these large websites, you can simply receive referrals you can trust. Our website, like many small retailer websites, has case studies, testimonials, blogs, and videos that are about real projects and real customers. You can see the decisions made, layouts designed, upfront costs paid, rebates received, and the savings collected from the energy efficiency upgrades we’ve had a hand in.

Skip Megaretailers & Minimize Risk

By choosing to purchase from smaller retailers like ours, you will minimize risks that could potentially harm your business, such as fraud, project setbacks, lost shipments, and poor-quality products. You will also maximize your access to:

• People who are knowledgeable about the lighting industry and will take the time to problem-solve with you
• High-quality products that have been inspected by engineers for safety and performance
• Helpful services like rebate processing, franchise planning, layout designing, and more

Reach out to our team of experts today to learn how we can help make your experience buying online a great one that really pays off. Call 215.355.7200, Text 267.266.8330, or Email lights@eledlights.com.