By Katie Sweeney

College students waste a lot of money on things they do not need. Dorm room sheets should not be one of them.

For those of us living in The QUAD or The UVA, finding inexpensive appliances and materials are a must. Unfortunately, not all businesses that market to the college student demographic have our best interest in mind.

Residence Hall Linens advertises themselves as a company that promises quality, guaranteed satisfaction, and a stress-free ordering process for $170. While these guarantees entice the consumer into believing that the company’s products are both affordable and a must-have addition to our dorm rooms, the truth is not discovered until the package arrives in the mail.

The so-called “quality” bedroom and bathroom items turn out to be flimsy, tissue-like materials that may last little past the first year of use, despite the advertised four-year durability guarantee. The bathroom towels are too low-quality to be used for their intended purpose, the bedding so thin that it is not suitable for any season besides summer, and the bed comforter could be mistaken for one of the sheets.

The only guarantee that turned out to be true was the ease in which the products could be ordered, but trying to return undesired items is yet another issue for the disappointed customer. Reimbursement can take up to three weeks and the cost of shipping materials back is astronomical. While the company covers the initial shipping, customers have to pay $50 to send the package back.

Residence Hall Linens officials acknowledge how much money customers have to waste in order to send packages back to them, but they have done nothing to solve the problem. Instead, they have blamed the high prices on UPS and other mail carriers that charge customers these high fees rather than taking responsibility for their unsatisfactory products.

When I spoke with a representative from Residence Hall Linens over the phone, he argued that the company should not be held accountable for people disliking the products they sell. “Companies like Kohl’s don’t reimburse you the money you spent on gas to drive to their store when you return their products,” he said. “If we had to pay the shipping for every person who returned our products, we would go out of business.”

Despite their claims that their products are superior to others in price and durability, Kohl’s offers not only lower prices on all of their bedding and bathroom materials than Residence Hall Linens, but better quality. In my experience ordering from both companies, I spent $50 less on Kohl’s products and was able to buy almost twice as many bedroom and bathroom items than I got in the package from Residence Hall Linens.

The next time that you contemplate ordering from a catalog or are promised a deal that sounds too good to be true, do some research before opening your wallet. You may be surprised at the realities of the company you are ordering from. When contacted for interview, Residence Hall Linens’ president declined the opportunity to comment.