Recently we decided to re-carpet our living room and dining room. We started by visiting a large carpet retailer, one who has several stores in our local area, as well as a large advertising budget. We first looked at Karastan SmartStrand carpet, but rejected it because we did not think it would wear well.
Next we looked at Shaw nylon carpeting. Shaw is apparently the largest carpet manufacturer in the U.S., and nylon is recognized as the best synthetic material for carpet, plus it is much less expensive than wool.
Despite the best efforts of the salesman, we decided not to buy from that retailer, and the reason why can be expressed in one simple word:
RELABELING
Relabeling refers to the retailer practice of demanding that carpet manufacturers provide them with unique, custom labels. This is done primarily so the customer cannot price comparison shop for the same carpet at different retailers.
Relabeling is widely practiced across the consumer economy, for example in inexpensive consumer electronics, small appliances like coffee makers and toasters, clothing, gasoline and other auto-related products, and, of course, in food products, whether fresh, frozen or canned. In fact, large grocery chains rely on house labels, or brands, to attract value-conscious shoppers. Basically, any product that is so widely available that it has become an undifferentiated commodity, and is sold mainly on price, is likely to be relabeled. Consumers understand this, of course, and we have learned to rely on our physical senses, comparing visual appearance, product features and specifications.
The difference with carpet is that it is an investment, an expensive purchase that we buy infrequently. When we purchase carpet, we cannot walk out of the store with our purchase. Instead, the retailer orders it from the carpet mill, and it arrives in a roll. There is no product code embedded in the backing, to confirm that what we bought is what the installers are installing. So we really have to trust both the manufacturer and the retailer.
After spending some time with the first carpet retailer and then going on-line to learn more about the different carpets I was comparing, I learned several things:
(1) Relabeled carpets cannot be found on the manufacturer's website, in this case on the Shaw Floors website.
(2) Beyond the name of the fiber, and a durability rating, it is generally impossible to find any data on relabeled carpets - such as face weight, total weight, tuft twist, gauge or stitches per inch. So you cannot compare a relabel with a standard carpet label. This is by design.
(3) The carpet salesman will deflect your inquiry, refusing to provide any data.
(4) Carpet relabels may be intentionally chosen to be widely used generic phrases in order to frustrate an on-line search, and disguise the fact that many regional carpet chains use them. For example, the following are actual names of Shaw carpet relabels: Dividing Line, Highland Cove, Invite Possibility, San Carlos and Truly Modern.
As a result of the above, I've come to these conclusions:
(1) Carpet relabeling is a deceptive practice designed to prevent a customer from price comparison shopping. It allows the retailer to maximize profits at the customer's expense. It is definitely NOT in the customer's best interest.
(2) A carpet retailer who relabels has a
CAVEAT EMPTOR - LET THE BUYER BEWARE
business philosophy.
(3) A carpet retailer who engages in one deceptive practice might well engage in others, such as substituting, delivering and installing a lesser grade of carpet than the one for which the customer paid.
So, we've decided to work with a carpet retailer that we trust, that uses standard Shaw labels. Standard labels have a large amount of publicly available information. Also, I feel comfortable knowing that if I contact Shaw directly, and give them the label, they will know what I am talking about.
Regardless of which carpet manufacturer you prefer, before you sign a contract simply go on-line and search for the manufacturer and the label. If you cannot find it on the manufacturer's website, you can assume that your retailer is relabeling, and their business philosophy is: LET THE BUYER BEWARE.
These retailers may continue to be successful, preying on unsuspecting customers, but you do not have to be among them.
So, which local carpet retailer did we finally decide to hire? You can find them on this national list of trusted carpet retailers. I'll give you a hint... It's Koeber's Carpet in Beaverton, OR, found on this list:
ABC Carpets Preferred Carpet Dealers
References:
When is the best time to buy carpet?
How to buy carpet wisely - the ABCs of Carpet
