Is it better to buy a dishwasher from a specialist shop or an online shop?
Before buying a dishwasher, most consumers look around first. Spontaneous purchases are rare, because most customers want a reliable appliance with a favourable price-performance ratio.
Dishwashers are tailored to households of different sizes and come with different programme functions.
For small households with few dishes and for offices, tabletop dishwashers that are placed on the worktop are suitable. Most dishwashers are equipped with two dish racks and are designed as floor-standing appliances.
Since the purchase of a dishwasher only comes up every few years, the ordinary consumer is not familiar with the current features of modern dishwashers. In addition to traditional brands, new manufacturers from Asia have entered the market in recent years, making it difficult for consumers to assess them.
Many customers look for guidance in a specialist shop. Large electronics shops such as Media Markt and Saturn have a large selection of household appliances on offer and also offer home delivery for an additional charge. The alternative is to buy from an online shop. For many consumers, buying a heavy large appliance on the internet is still unfamiliar territory. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
The technical qualities are hidden
In a specialised shop, the customer can look around for appliances and inspect them on his or her own. Unlike when buying furniture for the living room, the quality of a dishwasher can hardly be judged by looking at it on the spot.
Visually, the appliances hardly differ from each other, apart from the various panels. Dishwashers are largely sold as built-in appliances.
The customer has a choice of four variants:
- freestanding
- Undercounter
- partially integrated
- fully integrated
With a matching fascia, dishwashers blend perfectly into the kitchen. Visual integration into the kitchen landscape is one reason why external appearance hardly plays a role when buying dishwashers. More important for most customers are the features and special benefits that individual appliances bring with them.
For example, some dishwashers score points with a steam programme that ensures hygienic cleaning of the dishes using only steam.
Other dishwashers have special energy-saving functions and gentle programmes for delicate dishes. The quality and features of the appliances cannot be judged by looking at them in the shop.
Capacity and dimensions
At least the customer gets a good impression of the capacity of the dishwasher in the shop. However, this information can also be found in the product descriptions. Manufacturers state how many place settings their dishwashers are designed for and which household sizes the appliances are intended for. In addition to dishwashers in the standard width of 60 cm, the trade also offers narrow dishwashers with a width of 45 cm. But the dimensions can also be found by studying the technical specifications.
By measuring the space in the kitchen, a consumer knows in advance what appliance width he needs. Of course, dishwashers cannot be put into operation in the shop. Therefore, the customer cannot judge how loud or quiet the appliance is and how thoroughly it does its job. In addition to cleaning performance, noise is an important consideration, as poorly damped appliances can cause considerable noise due to the water jets hitting the stainless steel interior panelling.
Sales staff often overtaxed
Today, the consumer can no longer count on expert advice in the shop. In most cases, the sales staff can hardly give an answer to the advantages and disadvantages of individual appliances. This is not surprising in view of the wide range of products on offer. Many salespeople make an effort and share their own experiences or subjective opinions about certain models.
Some important aspects, such as the energy efficiency class, can be recognised by the customer right away because the appliances are clearly marked with the corresponding label.
In the shop, the customer can familiarise himself with the feel of the controls and get an impression of the quality of workmanship of the control panel.
How ergonomically and functionally the individual elements are fitted, however, only becomes apparent in practical operation. The customer has to pay a surcharge for delivery of the unit by the dealer. At Media Markt, about 40 euros are due. The delivery does not include the installation and connection of the unit.
