Tax day has come and gone… hopefully you’ve all escaped unscathed and maybe with a little (or a lot) back from Uncle Sam. You’ve probably noticed more outdoor furniture appearing in your neighborhood Home Depot or Lowes, too. Chances are most of that furniture is wicker, plastic, or metal, without much wood in sight.

True, there are a lot of choices out there; hundreds of styles, dozens of colors, and more. Pretty daunting. If you are looking to spend some of your tax refund on some outdoor furniture, however, there are a few things you should keep in mind that go beyond just the furniture. Today, I’ll discuss two: Warranties and Guarantees.

Look for the Warranty Statements

Any Outdoor furniture retailer or discounter worth considering will have a clear, well written and definitive statement of warranty OR clearly state there is no warranty on their products. It is recommended, however, that you strongly consider patronizing online sellers that will back their products with a warranty on manufacturing defects for a certain period of time. These statements should be easy for you to find, and make sense without having a law degree. Many online outdoor furniture websites will warranty the furniture they sell for a certain period of days after the furniture is received. Others worth considering highly will warranty their furniture for 5 years, 10 years, or longer.

Read Guarantee Policies and Return Policies

When considering an online purchase for smaller, less expensive items, these policies are still important, but not nearly as important as when you’re spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on outdoor furniture. An online furniture shop worth its weight in gold will clearly state its guarantee and return policies, and those policies will more favor the customer, and not the shop’s interests. What happens if you receive shipment and are not comfortable in your furniture or it is clearly not what you had expected? Look for a money back guarantee to help with peace of mind. Most good outdoor furniture websites will guarantee your satisfaction within the first few weeks or longer.

If you DO need to return the furniture, be sure you understand the return policies BEFORE you buy. The standard practice for online outdoor furniture companies is to require the purchaser to pay return postage and a restocking fee of anywhere from 10% to 20%. So be prepared, just in case. However, some retailers will pick-up the tab for return shipping and charge no fee. Of course, if you do your homework on a site you’re interested in (keep reading), you should be a satisfied and happy customer!

More soon!