Is Wayfair safe? (all you must know)
If you have any time to surf the Internet or watch TV, you may come across an ad or two for Wayfair. Founded in 2002 by two Cornell graduates, Wayfair was at one point the largest online furniture store in the United States.
But is it safe to order from Wayfair? Did the item you receive match what you ordered online, but you can’t check the item before it arrives? I’ve got the answer you need, so keep reading!
Is Wayfair safe in 2022?
Although Wayfair’s prices are below average in 2022, it’s generally safe to order. Customers reported that some items arrived damaged or defective, but Wayfair’s customer service was quick to act. However, customers should be aware of phishing and spoofing attempts by third parties impersonating Wayfair in an attempt to obtain your credit card information.
Let’s dive into why Wayfair is so cheap (not because it’s not safe!), if Wayfair is lying to you, if Wayfair is from China, and even some questions about Wayfair’s quality and ethics. continue reading!
Why is Wayfair cheap?
Wayfair doesn’t sell its product at such a low price because it’s not safe or legal.
Instead, Den Garden claims it’s because all sales are online, so there aren’t any salespeople to pay, and no real estate (at least, not much).
Wayfair doesn’t even touch 95% of the items it sells on its website, nor does it manufacture anything itself, relying on more than 11,000 suppliers.
Suppliers save money through this model, and they can pass those savings on to their customers.
Did Wayfair lie to you?
Wayfair.com itself isn’t deceiving you, but another site masquerading as Wayfair may be deceiving you.
Some examples might include Wayfaireo.com or Wayfairusaonline.com – see how there are extra letters or whole extra words in the URL.
However, someone who didn’t know Wayfair’s website was Wayfair.com might think that’s true.
One person reported being scammed on the Wayfair.com website when a third-party pop-up appeared and asked if she wanted a “clearance price” on something.
When the woman clicked “yes,” she went to another website where she used PayPal to complete the transaction…but the TV cabinet she ordered never arrived.
Customers should also watch out for emails that attempt to phish or spoof sensitive information from them.
It looks like an email from Wayfair — and fraudsters are very good at impersonating companies — will try to get you to click a link or hand over personal information.
You should be wary of emails that ask you to click a link or hand over sensitive information such as passwords or even credit card information.
If you come across an email that you believe is impersonating Wayfair, please forward the email to phishing@wayfair.com.
Is Wayfair from China?
Wayfair isn’t from China, and never has been; instead, it’s based in Boston, Massachusetts, and was founded by two Cornell graduates, Niraj Shah and Steve Conine.
However, Wayfair doesn’t actually manufacture any of the items it sells. Instead, they are all provided by merchants.
Therefore, it is likely that some of these distributors will manufacture or source materials from China. However, the site is not very optimistic about this.
Does Wayfair furniture have formaldehyde?
An independent report in 2015 found that nine out of 10 pieces of furniture tested contained dangerous amounts of formaldehyde.
However, the American Home Furnishings Alliance moved quickly to test four of the items as well. They follow California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations.
The results of it? The furniture contained “formaldehyde emissions well below the CARB II limit.”
Original report author and tester Whitney Tilson shot back that deconstruction testing was necessary for accurate results and that the AHFA did not comply.
The two went back and forth, but the verdict: Your furniture is likely to have formaldehyde in it, especially if it’s made in China, but in disputed amounts.
However, since there haven’t been any articles on the subject since then, I think we can speculate that Wayfair’s furniture does contain a safe amount of formaldehyde.
Is Wayfair linked to child trafficking?
Wayfair is not involved in any child trafficking incidents. This conspiracy theory dates back to July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People on social media started spreading posts saying the expensive furniture was named in a way that matched the names of missing children.
However, Politifact looked into the rumours and found that “most of the kids mentioned in the social media posts about Wayfair have been located.”
They discovered that the screenshots had been doctored to reflect a different price than what was actually listed on Wayfair.
So, despite the persistent rumors, Wayfair is not and is not involved in child trafficking.
Is Wayfair an ethical company?
Wayfair strives to be an ethical company. However, an event in 2019 proved that this may not always be the case.
Hundreds of employees reportedly went on strike after hearing reports that Wayfair was selling $200,000 worth of beds to a Texas detention center holding immigrant children.
When 500 workers appealed to Wayfair executives not to do business with the detention center’s government contractors, they refused.
Wayfair responded, “Proud to have such a dedicated team focused on impacting our world in meaningful and important ways.”
Ultimately, however, Wayfair went ahead with the sale, stating: “This does not endorse the opinions or actions of groups or individuals buying from us.”
Basically, Wayfair said, “It’s just business.” They’re taking a risk and selling.
However, as CorporateComplianceInsights.com puts it, “the risk of mismanagement … has and will have financial consequences.”
To learn more, you can also read our post on Wayfair Return Policy, Is Wayfair Legal, and Is Wayfair Furniture Good?
in conclusion
Wayfair is a safe website and safe buying company, but customers should be on the lookout for scams and phishing attempts by criminal parties.
Wayfair’s pricing is very good, but be careful what you click on and be aware that “too good to be true” deals may just be scams.
