This page has answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding tour prices, accommodations, airport information, outlets the tour will visit, our "earn a free tour" program, group tour arrangements, etc. 

However, if you have any questions not answered below, please click here to email Ms. Causey.  Most emails receive a reply within one business day. 

As of today, we do have space available on the tour.  When spaces are no longer available, we will post that information here.

• Tour costs:

Bus Transportation to outlets only (no hotel): $395.00 per person
Bus Transportation and Hotel accommodations : $495.00 per person
 
• How to sign up:

You may register for the tour by:
 
1. Web: Please click here to use our Web form to register for our next scheduled tour with your credit card.
2. Mail: Please download and print our tour application and mail it to the address on the application along with your credit card info or check for the full amount.
3. Phone: Sorry, we no longer accept tour applications by phone.


• Tour schedule:

Click here for a full itinerary of tour stops.  Please note that this schedule is subject to minor changes.
 

• Earning free trips:

  Get a free trip to North Carolina! Many of our tour members are kind enough to recommend us to their friends after they get their deeply discounted furniture purchases home. We think they deserve a bonus for that!

  We are also extending this free trip offer to new tour members who have enough friends and associates who would like to join them on our tours.

  We'll give you a $50.00 off of the cost of your own shopping tour for each friend you sign up to join you.  If you get 10 friends to sign up, your own tour is free!  Even if you have fewer than 10 friends who wish to join you on your trip, you can still save $50.00 for each one of them.  That can add up to big savings for you!

  Please see our web tour signup form to claim your discounts.  Use the web form to input the name and email address used by each friend when they signed up for their own tour.  $50.00 will automatically be deducted from your own tour cost for each friend you list who is already a paid tour member registered in our system. 
   

• Payment deadlines:

  All payments must be received in our office on or before the deadline stated above. Payment may be made by check or credit card.  We cannot reserve spaces on the tour or make hotel arrangements for anyone prior to receiving their payment.

  Please note: Tours fill up quickly, and spaces are allotted on a first-come first-served basis. We cannot guarantee that spaces will still be available at the payment deadline. So, don’t wait until the last minute to register. If the tour is full when we receive your check, we will immediately return it.

  Please do not buy plane tickets until you receive your written confirmation from us that you do have a confirmed space on the tour.
  
  

• What your tour includes:
   
  1. Five nights accommodations (double occupancy--two people/two double beds), including all applicable taxes. The tour normally stays at the Marriott Courtyard in High Point and Hickory, but a similar hotel may be substituted if necessary.
  2. Transportation to all factory outlets, clearance centers, and wholesale showrooms on the tour by private charter bus.
  3. Scheduled transportation back to the Greensboro airport on the last day of the tour by private charter bus.
      

• What your tour does not include:
   
  1. Meals. There are a variety of restaurants in and around our hotel. We will arrange a lunch stop during each day's shopping.
  2. Incidental costs charged to your hotel room (pay per view movies, long distance calls, etc.)
  3. Transportation from the Greensboro airport to your hotel in High Point for the beginning of the tour.  We regret that it is not feasible to organize a free shuttle with so many different flight schedules for tour members arriving from all over the U. S. and Canada.
      
• Brands available:

  You will be able to visit factory-owned factory outlets with discounts of 50%-80% off retail for these brands:
   

  Maitland-Smith	Thomasville	Braxton Culler
  Broyhill	La-Z-Boy	Kincaid
  Councill-Craftsmen	Hickory White	Theodore Alexander
  Henredon	Hooker	Stanley
  Clayton Marcus	Hammary	Bernhardt
  Century	Lane	Bassett

  Plus, we will visit several large clearance centers with discounts of 50%-80% off retail for hundreds of other brands, including:
   

  Lexington	Drexel-Heritage	Pennsylvania House	Sklar-Peppler
  Orleans	Ello	Baker	Aico
  Bob Timberlake	Charleston Forge	Schnadig	Nichols & Stone

  In addition, we will be visiting several deep discounters which have thousands of other brands available by special order at 40%-50% off retail.


 
• Other products available:

  In addition to furniture, we will also be shopping at factory outlets, direct importers, and clearance centers with fabulous deals on many other types of home furnishings: lamps, rugs, artwork, and decorative accessories. 


 
• Hotel accommodations:

The tour usually stays at the Marriott Courtyard in High Point, NC (336-882-3600) and the Marriott Courtyard in Hickory, NC (828-267-2100). Please call the hotel directly if you have any questions about hotel facilities, amenities, local entertainment, or local transportation.
 

• Airport recommendations:

  The most convenient airport to the tour is the Piedmont/Triad International Airport in Greensboro, NC.  It is approximately 10-15 minutes from the Marriott Courtyard in High Point. 

  Please take care not to confuse the Piedmont/Triad International Airport in Greensboro with the much smaller local airport in High Point, NC.  Most airlines do not fly into the local High Point airport.  Some readers have mistakenly believed that they could not get a flight in to join our tours because they searched for flights on "High Point" instead of "Greensboro".  The Greensboro airport is quite large and serves most routes across the US and Canada.

  We cannot help you with flight discounts or flight arrangements.  Please consult an online Web service such as Expedia.com or Travelocity.com to obtain the best available fares from your city.
   

• Large groups:

  If you have a large group which would like to attend the tour, we would love to hear from you. We offer one free tour for every 10 paid tours. This means that if you are leading a group of 10, your accommodations are free.

  If you would like to book space on our tours for a group of 10 or more, we do need to hear from you at least 60 days prior to the tour so that any special arrangements (a larger bus, extra blocks of hotel rooms, etc.) can be made for you. Thank you.
   

• Expert assistance:

Author and consumer advocate Kimberly Causey will be visiting all of the outlets on the tour as tour members are shopping. She will be available to answer brief questions and will be pointing out the best bargains at each factory outlet. She may be able to help some tour members negotiate better pricing.

However, due to the volume of people going on the tour, Ms. Causey will not be able to give full time personalized shopping assistance to each tour member.

Most of the factory outlets and deep discounters on the tour do have staff available to provide more in-depth individualized attention at no extra charge.
 

• Shipping your purchases:

All tour members will need to make their own arrangements directly with the factory outlets to have their furniture shipped home.
 

• Sales tax:

Most factory outlets do not charge North Carolina sales tax if you have your purchases shipped directly to your home in another state. You may owe sales tax (also called "use tax") to your own home state. Please ask the outlet for more information.
 

• Children:

All tour members must be over 18.
 

• Roommates:

If you have a friend or family member also going on the tour, please fill in their name in the appropriate space on the application so that we can put you in the same room. If are traveling alone, we will match you up with a same-gender roommate. If you would prefer to have a room by yourself with one king bed, please check the box on the application for "single room upgrade", and add $250.00 to cover the extra room cost.
 

• Other questions:

Please contact us at tourquestions@smartdecorating.com if you have any questions not answered here.


Thank you for inquiring about our tour! Happy bargain hunting!