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| A degree of distrust is healthy when you first start shopping for a rug. There are
many false claims, exaggerated statements, and crooked schemes all intended to
part you from your money. Nearly all of them involve the impression that you are
getting more for less. Recognize that it hard for you to become knowledgeable
enough to be able to compare and contrast rugs in terms of value and quality. It is
far easier to work with a dealer who can help by sharing his/her experience with
you. Here is a list of situations to be wary of: |
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Going-Out-of-Business Sales (GOB): Most GOBs are in violation of Massachusetts General Laws.
In a legitimate one, the owner is supposed to submit an inventory list to the Attorney General, not take in further consignments,
and actually close after 60 days. In practice, most GOBs take up to a year before they close their door, continuously take in
further inventory, and often do not file paperwork with the State. GOBs are big business because they induce buyers by giving
them the impression that they are getting rugs at a fraction of their original prices. What most of them really do is to simply
inflate the original prices, then offer heavy discounts. So a rug that may be available for $ 2,000 at a reputable shop would
start at $10,000 at a GOB, and then be reduced to $ 2,500 – leaving further room to negotiate, reinforcing the impression
that a buyer bought a rug for a fraction of the original value. ORRAM is committed to enforcing Massachusetts General Laws to
protect the consumer. |
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Auctions, Liquidation sales: Watch out of these methods of buying rugs. There are legitimate auctions, but many
more fraudulent ones. Beware of those that have you select a rug from an inventory, and then put it on the auction block. Real
auctions do not work this way. Liquidation sales are similar to GOBs. Do not fall for these false discounts – remember that
just because the rug is reduced by 80% in one shop, the rug may be available at another at the final price, or less. |
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High-pressure tactics: Do not feel pressured by dealers who want you to make a snap decision by claiming to
reduce prices temporarily, or claim that another buyer is waiting to buy. You should feel that you have looked through an adequate
number of choices before you decide. |
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