Now this is something worth crowing about!

Shopping online has become so easy and convenient that many of us choose not to hassle at all with trips to the brick and mortar locations — but there remain a few exceptions.

Buying hardwood flooring online has been a bit of a crap shoot because many of the flooring manufacturers have been refusing to honor their warranties for these purchases. I’m not sure why; maybe it has to do with DIYers not using certified installers, or perhaps they don’t trust the shippers. Could be they’re just in collusion with the big boxes. Either way, several dissatisfied buyers have real horror stories to tell.

Now, though, it’s iFLOOR to the rescue. This online flooring supplier is offering up to a million dollars worth of warranty protection for its customers — and pledges to go to the legal mat for them as well.

It’s nice to see an i-store step up like this. I appreciate the selection and prices I can get online, and the manufacturers shouldn’t be able to punish me for wanting that choice.

You can read the entire news release here:Press Release:

iFLOOR, America’s largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer’s warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat “scare tactics” used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. “Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!” wrote Simonson in his blog “It’s About Flooring”. “This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we’re going to take care of this problem once and for all.”

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, “In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty.”

Under iFLOOR’s new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to “seek justice” on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, “I’m putting iFLOOR’s money where my mouth is.”

About iFLOOR, Inc.
Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

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