We are in the age of internet sales and for whatever it’s worth, it’s not all good!

         Water softeners, whole house filters, drinking water systems, and any type of water treatment is available to purchase online. This situation is troubling on so many levels! A consumer would do well to ask themselves these questions before making a decision on the investment of water treatment: 

• Are the people or companies selling these products qualified in recommending equipment? 

• Is the water softener, or filter going to provide the water quality you are looking for? 

• Who is going to provide installation or service? 

• How are you going to resolve a defect in the product? 

• What are you going to do if you can’t even get parts or required material later?

• Does the product come with any guarantees in regards to the water quality results you’re looking for?

         Let’s face it the internet is here to stay but we all must realize that the low price provided is due largely to little to no overhead, no brick-and-mortar location, and quite frankly no care or concern of who you are! The quality of the product might not be equal to what you can get from a local water treatment dealer or not even be what you thought you were going to get in the first place. Who are you going to complain to? Will a phone call resolve the issue? That is all you can do; you cannot go to the place of business as it is virtual. There is a place for internet sales in the current climate, but for something as important as your water quality do you really want to trust anyone not knowing who they are and what they know?

         What people must realize is that the local water treatment company is familiar with the water issues in the area and the right type of water softener, whole house filter, and drinking water system that will work for the local problem and not the off the shelf approach.

         The question remains, should you trust your water treatment needs to anyone who can provide the lowest price and hope all goes well, or should you do business with a company that will be with you for many years providing their local expertise along with guarantees not afforded by an online business.  It’s important that any local company you choose to do business with should be certified and at the very least qualified. To find a qualified person or company you can search the Water Quality Association web site (they provide testing and certification) at www.wqa.org.

         You would not go to a chiropractor for surgery, so why would you go to someone who provides a service or a product who is not qualified to do either. So, before you hit add to cart on your computer or buy anything simply based on price and not knowledge, remember a Benjamin Franklin quote, “The Bitterness Of Poor Quality Remains Long After The Sweetness Of Low Price Is Forgotten”

Michael Discepolo, MWS, CSR, CI