Contractors can get better prices, but from what I understand they usually they pass on a portion of the savings and the other portion is their fee. If the contractor has experience to know which products are more reliable and have readily available replacement parts, etc. It even seems fair to charge a fair percentage or fee if they provide the product, simply because they are being paid for their expertise. However, it does seem odd that the fixtures are significantly more expensive if they are exactly the same, especially if he purchased them at a lower price. I would go ahead with e-mailing him, I think you can do it in a way that is curious and information seeking instead of confrontational - include the links showing the model numbers are the same and ask to know what the difference between the products are and what the benefit would be of choosing the more expensive ones - you can always privately verify his response with the manufacturer if you want to. How he handles it will say a lot about what you might do next. Maybe there is a misunderstanding and he is really purchasing a different, higher quality product that looks the same. Or maybe you'll find he is really charging a $100 service fee and opt to order them yourself. Maybe you'll learn just in time he's a shady contractor :) $100 service fee on hundreds of dollars in fixtures might be reasonable to know they're reliable fixtures and they're covered in the contractor's warranty, but if he won't itemize it for you so you know exactly what you are paying for I would be suspicious. In my opinion, part of his job is to explain so you as a homeowner are educated about the work that is being done on your property. As long as you don't accuse him of ripping you off before you have enough information, a good contractor will address your concerns and respond professionally.

Whew! I've been trying to figure this out for months and was worried I didn't understand something afterall. I actually found the carpet I wanted at Lowes, a Smartstrand frieze, but there it was sold in two different qualities: a "Best" & "Better". I gave a local store a chance to get close to the Lowe's price and they quoted a Karastan Smartstrand (that to me looked the same) that equaled Lowe's "Best" specs but with a little higher density number (1.968 Karastan vs. 1.714 Lowes). The dealer also said the backing of the Karastan is better. (how would I know??) My sense is telling me to get the Karastan cuz it's only $300+ more (for 1,600 sq. ft!) and I trust the installers better, would you agree? Do I still need to look for the "stripes" on the backing of the Karastan? And what does that mean anyways?

I recently bought the RH quatrefoil iron bed. It looked good online but when it was delivered and I got a good look at it, it was very cheaply made in China junk that was almost $1000 on sale with shipping. The welds were done very poorly and some of the ornamentation was made poorly. I was so disappointed but sat with it for a few weeks and then made a decision to return it. I wrote them a very nice email explaining this was my first purchase from them and how disappointed in the poor quality and I didn't think their company was selling junk made in China. I should have known better when the movers dropped it off, they told me they had to assemble it ahead of time to make sure it fit together right because sometimes they don't. Not only did RH give me my money back plus the shipping cost but also gave me a $100 gift card towards a store purchase. quatrefoil bed

Check Room & Board, which has more modern styles than others. Be sure to click on each sofa option because they are generally available in multiple sizes, including down to twin and double beds. http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/living/sleeper-sofas Lots of options in leather and fabric. I highly recommend looking specifically at the ones that are made by "American Upholstery/American Leather", because they are as comfortable as a regular bed but also good as a sofa. We have the Berin, and have no problem having friends and family sleep on it (at worst, they describe it as similar to a "firm" mattress). It's in our study, and i often hang out on it as a sofa - and it is very comfortable. American Upholstery is generally considered the gold standard of comfortable sleeper sofas, so their venture with R&B (a modernist store) is probably exactly what you're looking for.