How To Check The Legitimacy Of Electrical Supply Stores
Shopping for electrical supplies online can be tricky because it’s easy to make mistakes. Many websites claim to offer legitimate supplies, promotions, or affordable prices. Therefore, it can be hard to find a reliable and legitimate store. But it’s still possible if you know what to look for when evaluating an electrical supply company.
It’s crucial to find a supplier you can trust, and it’s even more important that they provide quality materials at competitive prices. While it can be challenging to know whether you’re dealing with a legitimate retail outlet or not, there are ways to check the legitimacy of the store. This article looks at some of them below:
- Look at the business license
The first thing you should do is check with local businesses to see if they have a business license. This is one of the most important aspects of a company because it ensures that they are legit and have insurance if something happens. You can find out about business licenses by calling your local business registration department. (1)
Additionally, make sure that their business license is current and up-to-date. The last thing you want is to work with an unlicensed company that could potentially put your business in jeopardy with any illegal dealings. You should also read the fine details of the license, such as the business name and the services offered. Any contradicting information or expired licenses should be an indicator that the store isn’t legitimate. (1)
- Check online reviews
Most people check online reviews when looking for a restaurant or vacation spot. But you can also use reviews to check the legitimacy of an electrical supplier. The best thing about reviews is that they’re honest opinions of customers who have interacted with the electrical store before. (2)
When looking at the reviews, pay close attention to some key areas:
- How long has the business been in business? If they’ve only been around a short while, they may not have had time to establish themselves as trustworthy.
- What do their customers say? If they’re rated highly, and there’s no mention of anything shady, they should be okay. However, if there are multiple bad reviews with the same complaint, steer clear.
- How many reviews are there? A business with many positive reviews means that many people trust it. But if a business only has one or two reviews, and it’s negative, that could be cause for concern.
(3)
When checking the reviews, ensure that you check across different platforms, such as social media and other listings. Don’t rely on reviews on their website only.
- Ask about warranties and purchase policies
If there’s ever a time when the electrical supply you’ve purchased stops working or is defective, there must be a warranty in place that you can get your money back or get a replacement item. It’s also important that this warranty covers both labor and parts so if something goes wrong with the installation process, it won’t cost you extra money. (4)
Many reputable and legitimate electrical supply online companies will offer warranties on their products. For this warranty to be valid, customers must fill out a registration card after purchase and mail it within a specific timeframe––usually between 30-90 days. A warranty protects the customer against financial losses incurred from defective electrical supplies. If the store doesn’t have a warranty, you won’t be protected when they sell you a defective item. (4)
A company’s policies must be reason enough for clients to purchase bulk orders without any problem in terms of delivery or refunding payments. The pricing and purchase policy should be favorable to the buyer, which will show that the store is confident with their products and are legitimate.
- Look for inventory and staff on the website.
A legitimate supplier will have a section on their website dedicated to their items in stock. This part of the site should be updated frequently so you can see what is currently available from them. Some sites also allow users to view images of items before purchasing them, which is another good thing to look for when selecting an electrical product. (5)
Moreover, a legitimate electrical supply store will provide its customers with their inventory and staff details. If they cannot provide this information, then it’s likely that they’re not a legitimate company or they don’t have a reliable inventory or staff at their premises. (5)
Conclusion
It’s always important to check the legitimacy of an electrical store to ensure that you get legitimate supplies. Also, a legitimate store has warranties and payment policies that’ll protect you. You can use the tips discussed in the article to check on an electrical supply store’s legitimacy.
