You are about to discover how saving a few bucks in the short run can cost you time, money, stress and frustration in the long run. If you don't want to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous 'dealers', by all means read on.

Let's talk for a moment about that magnificent floor clock. That huge open case beauty you've had your eye on since you moved into your new home -- the dream home you worked so hard for. You're in love. In love with the cathedral ceilings and with the cornice moldings, and in love with the idea of floating past that awesome chiming clock in the foyer every time you enter your house.

Wait! You just found the rock bottom price on your Howard Miller dream clock while browsing the Internet this morning. You want it. You want it bad. Your mother would be so proud. Your sister would drool. Your friends would be envious, even while they were excited for you. You think, 'Why not? I deserve it!'

And you do.

Now let's talk about making the purchase on the Internet. There are three things you should know so that your dream doesn't turn into a nightmare.

1) If your seller is not factory authorized and in good standing with the factory, he could be vanquished from the scene by the factory even while you're waiting for new stock to be manufactured -- after he has your money.

2) If your item ships or arrives with problems, as sometimes happens in this imperfect world, your seller will not have the support of the factory, the delivery company, or nearby authorized service centers -- and he will likely not care. After all, he didn't care enough (or wasn't qualified) in the first place to go through the process to become an authorized dealer. He's breaking rules and unleveling the playing field, not to mention cheapening the Howard Miller name. Does this sound like a person or company who will go the extra distance to help you?

3) Your warranty will likely be void and you will have no recourse, except out of your own pocket.

We tell you these things from experience. We at howardmillertime have been selling Howard Miller clocks on the Internet for two years. Let us tell you a story about one of our first customers. Margaret phoned us on our toll free number and asked what we could do in the way of pricing on a beautiful collectors cabinet she had her eye on. We explained that the 30% price reduction she saw in our online store was the best we could legitimately do, due to manufacturer restraints. Well Margaret insisted she could get it cheaper from so and so, and so...she did.

Several months late she called us to tell us about her nightmare experience with her collectors cabinet. It had shipped a bit slow but sometimes that happens. Especially if there is nobody working with the factory and shipping companies to check on things and move the process along if necessary. Margaret told us that part wasn't the worst. Her beautiful curio cabinet arrived broken. One of the glass panels had shattered, leaving shards and pieces of glass inside. She wanted the entire cabinet replaced, and was told that was not possible. She wound up sending it back at her expense, which was cheaper than replacing the glass panel, which would also have been at her expense. She cancelled the order. For the next three months she had to stay on top of this seller, calling and emailing and threatening legal action, just to het her money back. They finally gave her a refund.

Margaret really wanted us to know that she now understood our concern about purchasing her cabinet from the proper venue. She loves Howard Miller products, and was not about to be put off from having her collectors cabinet. She ordered it from us, and believe it or not, her new one delivered with a cracked glass panel! (We really wanted to leave this part out of the story, but then it wouldn't be complete and totally accurate, which is what we always strive for.) With no broken shards embedded in her cabinet, she agreed to let us have a factory authorized and trained service center come and replace just that panel, at no cost to her. We made the arrangements with the service center, and satisfaction was finally hers. Margaret has since ordered the companion floor clock from us, with no problems.

Margaret's case of receiving two faulty products is thankfully not common, but life is filled with surprise, that's for sure. Far too common is the problem of poor customer service.

Chances are nothing will go wrong with your transaction, be it a mantel clock, curio cabinet, wall or grandfather clock, and you and your clock will live happily ever after, even through a relocation across the country, should you move.

How much of a risk-taker are you? Only you can answer that.

You can lower your risk by looking for this
factory authorized dealer seal before you buy.