I just bought a rug from Overstock.com. It arrived promptly, shipping cost just a couple bucks, and while they don't disclose brand names before purchase, when I opened the thing up and discovered the brand and model, I googled and found I'd saved 40% over even Walmart's price.
There's an easy return policy - and, since shipping's so low (at least to you), returns are viable. And the rug exceeded my expectations - as the active Overstock customer review community promised it would. The company's rug buyer seems to have an eye for quality...and the inventory's huge. Overstock's become a big favorite among floor covering enthusiasts.
Best of all, their business model makes the customer reviews immune to shilling (shills pretend to be objective while raving under alias about their own products, or those of friends/family). That sort of thing was the bane of my existence when I ran Chowhound. Such people quickly ruin a good thing. But there's no incentive for anyone to shill on Overstock. Except, perhaps, for Overstock themselves - but, with all those jillions of products, it'd be an impossibly daunting task. And, anyway, they just don't. So these are some of the most useful customer reviews anywhere.
One problem is that the photos don't always show accurate color, but the same's true for all online rug sales. The trick is to read the reviews, which often note the discrepancy. And, also, be sure to read reviews for the same rug in different sizes (Overstock for some reason doesn't throw them all in together).
One footnote: to determine the actual brand of an Overstock item, google its description (they use the canned ones from manufacturers). You'll then find the item on other shopping sites, and can compare prices (rugs are generally cheap, but other stuff varies). This also works backwards; I google item descriptions when I'm shopping elsewhere to see if they're sold on Overstock, for the great reviews as well as the possibly lower prices.
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