I don't get it, we used to have an account at a certain wholesaler and got most of the stuff off them, however they were always on the dear side but we used them as we had a credit account with them. One day we decided to bin the account and start buying everything with the bank card from whichever wholesaler/Screwfix or whatever we were near at the time, you soon get accustomed to what is cheap and from whom. After doing this for 2 years I recon we have saved £400-500 per month. However the original wholesaler has been pleading with us to go back promising this that and the other so we have been back 2 or 3 times for bits and pieces. But its just like it was before, £1+vat for an Appleby dry lining box when they are 60p in screwfix and today we get some stuff off them and I have just been through the invoice, 100m 2.5 £38+vat, 100m 1.0 £21+vat, just the cable alone is £10 more than I could have got them from down the road, I just dont understand the mentality, why would you buy from a certain place when its cheaper down the road? don't many people check invoices at night?
Some of the sheds are the same. I got the same garden gate from b and q for 20 sovs less than wickes. Wickes mark up on electrical items is through the roof. Things like clips are just stupidly expensive for a packet of 20. Wood and aggregates are very good value though.
I been s employed 20yr and never had account with wholesaler always had cash accounts like to know what I'm spending and hate that bill at end of month when you have accounts you buy carp you don't need because you're not handing money over
I agree. Its a ball. You have to keep an eye on everything. £1 for an appleby box??!! SF are great but as we know dont stock everything.
Thats a plus vat price though, that works out at over £45 for 100M, its only £44 from screwfix. I can get it elswhere for £32+vat which is £38.40, its £31+vat from TLC. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CA2dot5G.html Its not that I have a problem with them being dear I can simply go somewhere else, its the promises of "sorting you out" and when you go there they have you over.
Here is a classic example, the link above has a 100m drum of 2.5 for £31+vat, here is a link from the same people for a packet of clips for that cable. https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TC610G.html £3+vat for 100 2.5 T&E clips £1.40 including vat at Screwfix for the same brand http://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-cable-clip-grey-2-5mm-pack-of-100/18781 Cheap for cable but have your pants down on the clips because you will probably buy them together.
Just had a quick look, £33.05+vat it was actually from Lockwells and not £32, still a lot cheaper than £38+vat.
Nightmare isnt it. I am fortune enough to have sf and tlc almost next to one another so have done a little spread sheet with a few columns. Item, price, code and the retailer name. That way when you are doing a board change or whatever you can see what you used in the past and from where. Tlc do have most things you need there and then but some prices you have to watch. That said... sf didn't have an effing 3 gang switch in white the other day. Went to tlc and discovered it was cheaper anyway. 'Kin headache watching what is cheaper where
I pay a tad more from my indie wholesaler for some bits as I know who the money's going to. And the customer's paying. Surprisingly they're actually cheaper than SF for many items. They're a 2-man band and I'm happy to support them.
Fair enough - and I think along similar lines to keep small, local places going although there isnt anything like that by me in all honesty
my local supply does 25m of 2.5mm twin+earth for £14 compared with sf price which was near £20 at the time (both inc vat) and that was added up on a price per meter at my local supplier
You have to watch wholesalers,CEF are well known for it,quoting you a price over the phone then giving you another one at the counter,or even worse they quote you say £20 for something then when you get your monthly bill you find they've charged you £30.One of my clients has an account with Newey's and they thought they were getting good deals when they were buying stuff,I ended up doing work for them and the first thing I did was to ask about pricing,some of the prices they were charging were stupid.I think they were asking something like 7 quid for a 16A blue commando plug,I could buy them at CPC for about 2 quid. Anyway we were doing a big job and needed about 40K's worth of kit,I sent a list in and asked them for an itemised quote to supply the gear,It came back and I wasn't happy,I went in branch and told them if they wanted the custom they'd better do some trimming! we ended up getting a load shaved off the price. All wholesalers rely on you not checking your monthly bill,I've even known a certain wholesaler to stick the same item on 2 invoices.
It certainly pays to shop around. I like to use local people If I can. They dont seem to want customers. Was quoted 27 quid for set of Irwin Bolt grip. Same item 15 quid on ebay....free click collect at local Argus store. Bought similar set, by Neilsen, for £10.99 with free delivery from ebay. for 10 quid if it gets me out of one scrape...its worth it. RS
In my work area it isn't practical to shop around, there's an independant merchant whose prices are reasonable for most things, then a Travis Perkins that is abysmal. The next load of places (inc Screwfix) are an hours drive away. Whenever I have a job I try and get things delivered to site, most places offer next day delivery free, some at a very small minimum order value. Another annoyance is the fact I have 'terms' set up with someone like Plumb Centre, if I walk in and get a few bits he will give me a price, I usually then mention I have an account and the price comes out more expensive than the original one. They also don't put the price on the tickets, having to ask how much for everything becomes a right pain for me, and the chap behind the counter no doubt. I do sometimes wonder if I shouldn't just forget about shopping around, after all the price just gets passed onto the customer (and I will "earn" more with my markup).
Just buy the stuff tbqh. I use Screwfix, TLC, Toolstation, my local electrical wholesaler, and sometimes the web for purchasing electrical/building materials and stuff. Price differentials are not that great really..its stock quality I am interested in.
I use two wholesalers, they both know I use both. This helps keeping prices keen. My wholesalers will also match SF pricing, which on MK is hard for them to swallow. They actually loose on the sale, but their yearly kick back increases.
Indeed it seems times have changed. I never felt comfortable with the standard elec wholesaler, had too many duff experiences, **** staff and silly prices. At least nowerdays we can see things listed with a price, shopping around is easier, I find heavy cable from B&Q is cheaper than Screwfix etc. (I know it's copper prices) but SF have kit B&Q don't so we get best of both worlds. One of my best buys is plain old heating elements as used in storage heaters, the wholesaler quotes me £50+ and on eBay same item, the price it should be, £17!! My daftest story was at a local elec wholesaler from whom I was buying a CU/MCBs, he was laughing at his high price telling me to "just think of the huge profit I'll be making on it" - idiot. When I got back to the company they told me they were at war with him, I went in company overalls proudly displaying the company logo. Drat.
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