· By ZenRug
Buying a Moroccan Rug Online: 7 Things to Check Before You Pay
Read enough reviews of Moroccan rug sellers and the same complaints come back: the rug looked different from the photos, it sat in customs for weeks, a bill arrived at the door, or sending it back cost half of what it was worth. Each of these can be checked before you pay. Here is what to ask.
1. Will you see your own rug before it ships?
A product photo shows a design, not the rug you will receive. Hand-knotted rugs vary: the wool takes the dye a little differently from one batch to the next, and the motifs are placed by hand. The only way to know what is coming is a photo of your finished rug.
Ask the seller whether they send one before shipping, and whether you can ask for changes if something is off. We send you photos of your rug once it is woven, and it only ships when you are happy with it.
2. Who pays the import duties?
Duties on rugs coming into the US, the UK and Australia have changed more than once in the past two years. When duties are left to you, the carrier holds the parcel until someone pays, and the amount is often a surprise.
Ask whether the price is delivered duty paid. If it is not, ask for an estimate of the duty and the carrier's fee in writing. Our prices include shipping and duties for every country we deliver to, so nothing is added at the door.
3. What size will it really be?
A hand-knotted rug is never cut to the millimetre. Ask for the size in centimetres and how much it can vary. Ours can be up to 5% larger or smaller on each side, which is normal for a rug made by hand.
Measure your room with masking tape on the floor before you order. It is the quickest way to see whether an 8×10 really fits.
4. Can you see the back?
Turn a hand-knotted rug over and you see the knots: small, slightly uneven rows, with the pattern showing through. A machine-made or tufted rug has a perfectly regular grid, or a glued canvas backing. Ask for a photo of the back. A seller who weaves by hand has no reason to refuse.
5. Read the return policy before you order
Returning a rug to Morocco can cost hundreds of dollars, and many sellers do not take back made-to-order pieces at all. Find out what happens if the rug arrives damaged or clearly different from what you ordered, who pays the return shipping, and how long you have to report a problem.
With us, a rug that arrives damaged, wrong or clearly different is replaced or refunded in full. Report it within 7 days with photos; in most cases you do not even need to send it back.
6. How long will it actually take?
A rug woven to order takes weeks, not days. Ours takes 4–6 weeks on the loom, then 5–8 business days by tracked courier. If a seller promises a custom rug in a week, it is coming from stock, so ask whether the photos show that exact piece.
7. Pay in a way that protects you
Pay by card or a payment service that lets you dispute a charge. Be careful with requests for a bank transfer or a payment by message, especially for a large custom order. Our checkout runs on Stripe, so you pay by card and keep the protection your card gives you.
Questions, answered
Is it safe to buy a rug directly from Morocco?
Yes, when the seller shows you your actual rug before it ships, includes duties in the price, ships with tracking and has a clear policy for damaged or wrong rugs. Most bad experiences come from missing one of those four.
Will I pay customs on a rug from Morocco?
It depends on the seller. With ZenRug, no: shipping and duties to the US, Australia and the UK are included in the price you see.
