What to watch out for when purchasing shutters in the market.
There are lots of different types of shutters to choose from timber shutters, aluminum shutters and now the market has exploded with cheap PVC shutters.
So what is the best choice for your property?
Most companies offer a ‘one product fits all’ approach and do not offer any alternatives. Alternatives that in most cases, would be a better solution for your home or office.
To avoid getting stung, here are some key questions that you need to ask before buying shutters:
Will the shutters change colour? Will they break down from the Australian UV rays? Will the shutters warp, twist, shrink, or even expand? Who is to be fitting the shutters? Where are your shutters made? And finally, what’s all the small print about, hidden in the Terms and Conditions?
Today, the shutter market is worth over 100 million dollars a year, and sadly, Plantation Shutters are not really a product which the customer has had many years of experience using or even purchasing.
You see, not all shutters are the same. They might look the same and everyone claims to have the best product in the market, but they can be vastly different in terms of quality. So who is lying or misleading?
Most companies have been selling the PVC shutter within Brisbane for approx. 2-4 years however, they still offer a 25-year warranty, which when you think about it does not make any sense. A warranty is only as good as the company who stands behind it, so how can these companies offer a 25-year warranty with no history that the shutters will actually last.
Another major issue is that, with the current state of the Chinese economy, manufacturers are cutting corners to increase margins, which makes for a far inferior product. These cheap, Chinese Shutters are then exported to Australia, re-branded, and sold through a well known ‘household’ name as their own.
So who can you trust? Simple. Just read the terms and conditions of your shutter company and ask the questions listed above and you will soon find out.
For example;
A well-known company, Fxxxxxn, here in Brisbane, offer a 25-year warranty on face value, but if you read their terms and conditions it actually states that the warranty period is 90 days, with $165 call out fee after that. And that’s only the first visit to look at the issue and then there is a second visit required to fix the problem. As you can see, the cost to the consumer can quickly add up.
Misleading? Yes indeed, or maybe the consumer is just a little too trustworthy taking the salesperson’s word and more to the point, not many people take the time to read over a 2000-word finely printed block of Terms and Conditions.
Salespeople from these companies tell you what you want to hear so make sure you take the time to check the small print. What you will discover is that most have none or very little true knowledge about the industry that they are working in.
When it comes to actually fitting and installing your shutters, most company’s farm out the work to independent contractors. The problem with this is that these contractors are not loyal to one company, in fact, as they are paid per job, they generally want to fit your shutters and get out as fast as they can.
So who takes the blame when there is a problem? Who will fix your broken shutters? The Salesperson from (X Shutters Company) or the guy who installed them? See the problem here!
The Shutter industry has, like most industries, both good and bad people in it. At Brisbane Shutters, we stand by every single job we do and provide a full-service offering, from sales right through to installation.
We only supply products that have been made, tried and tested to thrive in our Australian climate. That’s why we can stand behind our industry leading warranty we offer on all of our products.
Get in touch today if you are interested in adding some shutters to your home or office and we will guide you through the process.
