14 Jun Considering buying landscape lighting fixtures online? Then read this first !
by Mike Gambino,
Quality copper and brass path/spreadlights like this Gambino Fiore fixture is only available exclusively to design build clients of Gambino landscape lighting or authorized affiliates throughout the USA.
So you have decided to have a landscape lighting system installed and you may not have chosen a company yet who will perform the installation work for you. You may be tempted to start shopping and to choose the materials for the job. You might go the route of checking local landscaping and electrical supply houses or shop online.
The advantages and disadvantages of purchasing your landscape lighting fixtures online are not too different than buying anything online. The number one advantage of purchasing online typically is price. With the low overhead cost of a website, often they are able to offer electrical fixtures discounted off list price. The savings off list price can be destroyed rather quickly by any shipping and handling costs. You may find these sites offering free shipping on purchases over a certain dollar amount. Due to the amount of fixtures typically needed in a lighting system, that dollar amount might not be difficult to meet.
Another advantage of purchasing online is of course convenience. Often local landscaping and electrical fixture stores have inconvenient hours of operation and are seldom open on the weekends. When purchasing online, you can view thousands of options ( which can get very confusing ) and at any time of the day or night. You will also save money and time by not having to drive from showroom to showroom looking for a particular style or finish.
Buying online sounds pretty great with all the pricing and convenience advantages however, there are many reasons why one should consider buying all of their lighting equipment and materials from their landscape lighting design install specialist. One huge disadvantage to purchasing online is that you will not be able to see the product in person. Typically the photos of fixtures online are limited and you never quite know about the overall build quality or how something will look or perform until you have it in front of you. This is where buying from a professional landscape lighting design and build specialist makes all the difference. Often landscape lighting specialists not only have the fixtures immediately available but in some cases actually have working versions of the fixture that can be placed in the yard for your evaluation. Obviously having a specialist who works with the fixtures everyday and who is aware of its advantages and proper application and use is a tremendous advantage to the consumer. You also want to know that a fixture has the absolute perfect finish and functions the way you want it to.
I believe the greatest benefit of buying this way is not only the convenience but the fact that the lighter “owns” the fixture so the burden is on him in the event that something is not right. If you supply the fixtures the burden is on you and it will be costly to engage the lighter as an intermediary to help you make it right with whomever you bought it from.
Finally the biggest disadvantage of purchasing online is returns and warranty services. Even if you scored free shipping when purchasing the fixtures, you can bet that you will have to spend the money to ship any products back to the online retailer. Another thing to keep in mind is that landscape lighting fixtures are usually the last item to be installed when remodeling or building a new landscape. Often the fixtures will not get opened or examined until it is ready to be installed. If for whatever reason there is an issue with the fixture or if it is missing parts, you will have to face some potential serious down time while you wait for a online retailer to swap it out for you. If you had purchased it from your landscape lighter, you would more than likely be able to get parts or have it swapped out the same day.
Property owners purchasing of fixtures online for use in a professionally installed landscape lighting system can stifle the flexibility of design and the ability of your design/installer to make changes on the fly that might otherwise enhance the project.
In the end it comes down to cost savings versus peace of mind. For clients that have gone through online purchasing issues before, they know that peace of mind is invaluable. Hopefully you don’t choose your landscape lighting company based on price alone, so your fixture selections shouldn’t be any different. Spend a little extra to avoid surprises and disappointments when you reach the end of your landscaping project and I promise you will be pleased with the results for years to come.
This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .
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