What Should You Look for When Buying Radiators Online

The internet is great because it allows us to (the consumer) to find the best prices and to haggle those down even further. Unfortunately, it does have its downside too: namely, you never quite know what you're getting until it arrives.

Now, for many products, this doesn’t cause too much trouble, but when it comes to something like a radiator, where the effects of a faulty one can be disastrous, it’s very much important to try and understand exactly what you’re buying.

Below, we have created a mini-guide to help you to stay safe when buying radiators online.

1.    Always shop with a well-established, UK-based, company
The first rule of online radiator shopping is to choose a UK-based company. This is because it confers you with a number of consumer rights, such as warranties and guarantees, as well as conforming to British Safety Standards.

A well-established company is also important, because it’s shows that they are at least good enough that they have stayed in business a while. Before you buy from the company, look them up on Companies House and see how long they’ve been in business (as a functioning company and not as a dormant company). The longer they’ve been around, the better they are likely to be.

2.    Try to stick to known brands
In the UK, there are a number of famous radiator brands. These include Bisque, Aeon, and Chatsworth. By sticking to these brands, you are at least assured of their quality. These are well made and reputable brands and they do not put their name to sub quality units. When you buy radiators online, it is better to stick to a brand.

3.    Choose a website that is Norton rating of OK
If you have Norton installed on your computer, then it does a very good job of vetting websites for security safety. If there is a green ‘OK Norton’ next to (or underneath) the blue link at the top of the search result, then it means that Norton deems it safe. This means it’s a popular site that people use often and which receives barely any safety issues.

These sites are often very long established with a decent reputation. However, this doesn’t mean that all sites that lack the green OK Norton are bad, simply that they haven't been rated yet. For example, we have one at work that is not rated, but we know is safe. Still, we recommend shopping only with a site that has such a rating.

4.    Make sure that the company is helpful and provides you with advice
When you buy radiators online, you probably have a number of questions. A good retailer will pre-empt some of these questions and have a FAQ area. They will also be relatively easy to get reach. It’s unlikely that they will have live help because they’re too small, but they should answer your emails within a decent amount of time – 24 to 48 hours is the norm.