Buying a Rug Direct From the Maker vs a Marketplace vs a Retailer
Buying · 23 October 2026 · 6 min · Published by Raheem & Son for RS Living
Buy from whoever can answer, in writing, who made the rug, what it is, how long it takes and what happens if it is faulty. Buying direct puts your questions to the people who made the rug; a marketplace or retailer may have stock to send sooner. Published by Raheem & Son, which is included.
Published by Raheem & Son, which is included
Published by Raheem & Son, which is included. RS LIVING is our own shop and one of the direct-from-the-maker options this guide describes. We make no claim about any named marketplace or retailer. The three routes are listed alphabetically, which is not a ranking, and each is judged against the same six criteria below.
The six criteria
Ask every seller the same six questions: who made the rug, and can they say where it was woven; can it be made to your size; how long will it take; can you see the real yarn or the rug first; what happens if it arrives faulty; and what will you pay on delivery. A seller who answers all six in writing is easier to buy from, whatever the route.
What each route usually involves
Direct from the maker means the seller wove the rug, so the questions go to the people who can answer them. A marketplace hosts listings from many sellers, who may or may not be the maker, so the answers depend on the seller behind each listing. A retailer buys from makers and resells, so ask it who made the rug. Terms differ between sellers on every route.
| Criterion | Direct from the maker | Marketplace | Retailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who made it | The seller | Depends on the seller behind the listing: ask | A maker the retailer buys from: ask who |
| Your size | Possible if the maker weaves to order | The sizes listed, unless the seller makes to order | The sizes held or listed, unless it takes custom orders |
| Time | The loom time, if made to order | Depends on the seller | Quicker if held in stock |
| Seeing it first | Ask for a yarn sample or a photograph of the back | Ask the seller | A showroom, if the retailer has one |
| Faults and returns | Read the maker's terms | Read the seller's and the marketplace's terms | Read the retailer's terms |
| Duty on delivery | Depends on the seller's terms | Depends on the seller's terms | Depends on the retailer's terms |
RS LIVING against the same criteria
Here are our own answers, so you can hold us to them. We are Raheem & Son, weaving in Bhadohi since 1927. Every piece is made to order; 217 of 217 rug designs can be made to your size; production takes about 50 days to about 90 days for pile rugs; shipping is free; and international customers pay any import duty and taxes to the carrier on delivery.
If you find a fault in a rug, tell us within 3 days of delivery at living@raheemandson.com, with your order number and daylight photographs of the whole rug and the fault. We collect the rug from you, repair it and send it back, and we pay the courier both ways. This is an additional service. It is on top of your legal rights, not instead of them, and it does not reduce them.
Because every piece is made to order, once production has started we cannot accept a change-of-mind return, but we will always deal with a faulty or wrongly described item under the law that applies to you. See faults and your rights, shipping and duty and order a sample.
How to check any seller
Ask where the rug is woven and ask to see the back of it. Ask for a sample of the actual yarn. Ask for the size tolerance in writing. Ask what you will pay on delivery outside the seller's country. The Raheem & Son buyer's checklist for trade buyers, how to compare rug exporters, applies the same idea at volume.
Sources
RS LIVING terms: faults and your rights, shipping and duty and how made to order works. Production times: the owner's estimates of 18 October 2026; counts computed from the RS LIVING catalogue. Routes are described in general terms only.
Questions
Is it cheaper to buy a rug direct from the maker?
It can be, but compare like with like: price for the same size within the same construction and fibre, plus delivery and any duty. Route alone does not settle it.
What should I ask before buying a rug online?
Who made it and where it was woven; whether it can be made to your size; how long it takes; whether you can see a yarn sample or the back; what happens if it is faulty; and what you will pay on delivery.
Is RS LIVING the maker?
Yes. RS LIVING is the shop of Raheem & Son, which has woven rugs in Bhadohi since 1927. Every piece is made to order.
What happens if an RS LIVING rug arrives faulty?
Tell us within 3 days of delivery and we collect the rug, repair it and send it back, paying the courier both ways. This is on top of your statutory rights, not instead of them.
