Why do Builders Merchants make up selling price on a whim?

[Simplez]

I created an account with a national builders merchant and I received a quote for materials.

I then had some changes in what I required so I had a new quote made my another member of staff.

When I compared the items that were similar on both quotes (75%) the prices were different.

So why do these merchants apply different prices to the same customer for the same items but by two different members of staff?

 

[big-all]

base price perhaps 75 % too much trade price around 60%- 70% off diy prices perhaps 40-45 % off with the normal being the more rapport the better the deal you get with a fairly random percentage off discount often applied item by item as the whim takes them

 

[garyo]

I find going in in person is best for low prices, dressed as badly as possible.

 

[^woody^]

Perhaps the merchant staff all used to work in home and car insurance sales?

 

[^woody^]

I find going in in person is best for low prices, dressed as badly as possible.

Yes, and get a free breakfast or dinner at the café on the way.

 

[cdbe]

The prices of building materials is a minefield - trade/DIY, cash sales or account, merchants local and national, DIY sheds, online, delivery or collection. The man who could make an algorithm to work all that out could make a fortune.
If you have the time to shop around you can save loads (30-50%) - most builders don't and can't - they just need a pile of materials dropped off at the job on Monday morning and will pay for the privelege.

 

[Simplez]

base price perhaps 75 % too much trade price around 60%- 70% off diy prices perhaps 40-45 % off with the normal being the more rapport the better the deal you get with a fairly random percentage off discount often applied item by item as the whim takes them

Yes item by item. It was all so strange.

 

[Simplez]

Yes, and get a free breakfast or dinner at the café on the way.

It's not Tradepoint or B&Q but another national builders merchant.

 

[Notch7]

So why do these merchants apply different prices to the same customer for the same items but by two different members of staff?

I think its historic -builders merchants were originally only used by trade customers, so the merchants have a retail price set up, Trade customers with an account get a discount put on the account and its applied automatically (in theory).

unfortunately anybody else, trade cash customers or genuine trade that drop in to buy are subject to the whim of the guy that serves them.

 

[Simplez]

I think its historic -builders merchants were originally only used by trade customers, so the merchants have a retail price set up, Trade customers with an account get a discount put on the account and its applied automatically (in theory).

unfortunately anybody else, trade cash customers or genuine trade that drop in to buy are subject to the whim of the guy that serves them.

That I understand but I actually opened a Trade account and not on a cash only basis.

I perfectly understand they want to do business with Traders only as they are not there to provide advice - its just that even as a trade customer its seems on a wing and prayer.

 

[Notch7]

That I understand but I actually opened a Trade account and not on a cash only basis.

I perfectly understand they want to do business with Traders only as they are not there to provide advice - its just that even as a trade customer its seems on a wing and prayer.

Yes I know that happens too -my sister works for a building company, they have somebody that goes through the invoices and points out to the merchants where they havent applied the correct discount set on their account.

 

[wessex101]

The prices of building materials is a minefield - trade/DIY, cash sales or account, merchants local and national, DIY sheds, online, delivery or collection. The man who could make an algorithm to work all that out could make a fortune.
If you have the time to shop around you can save loads (30-50%) - most builders don't and can't - they just need a pile of materials dropped off at the job on Monday morning and will pay for the privelege.

As cdbe says you can use the system to your advantage if you've got the time. You can go back and negotiate the prices to see if you can get a better discount. Or open a couple of other accounts and play one merchant off against the others.

I always found the best way to get the biggest discounts was only deal with the back office people as they were used to dealing with the big account customers and thought nothing of banging on a 75% discount (it will vary between products), sometimes even if it was a cash sale. It used to annoy the hell out of some of my friends who worked for big building companies with very large accounts and I was regularly getting better discounts than they were, although it does take a lot of phoning around and doing your research so you know exactly what you need. I always found the guys on the front counter were more restricted and you were lucky to get 10-20%.

 

[Notch7]

always found the best way to get the biggest discounts was only deal with the back office people as they were used to dealing with the big account customers

That's true....I used to ask the sales rep to visit me. They would put decent discounts on the account. Sales counter guys, never.

 

[Simplez]

The prices of building materials is a minefield - trade/DIY, cash sales or account, merchants local and national, DIY sheds, online, delivery or collection. The man who could make an algorithm to work all that out could make a fortune.
If you have the time to shop around you can save loads (30-50%) - most builders don't and can't - they just need a pile of materials dropped off at the job on Monday morning and will pay for the privelege.

Well I paid £6.50 for plasterboard and £8.50 for adhesive.

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

I created an account with a national builders merchant and I received a quote for materials.

I then had some changes in what I required so I had a new quote made my another member of staff.

When I compared the items that were similar on both quotes (75%) the prices were different.

So why do these merchants apply different prices to the same customer for the same items but by two different members of staff?

it’s a complete joke. the worst for it is travis perkins. i never deal with them but phoned for a price on a box of collated drywall screws and some underground soil fittings because it was the nearest merchant to where i was working. by the time i got there it had gone up by about £15. walked out.
i always stick to jewson. know where i am.....there’s another merchant local to us , f&ck knows what he’s tapping on that keyboard. bizzare.
i said “how much are concrete blocks here”?
“depends on how many you want”
“the more you buy the cheaper they are”
i said “how come”?
“ because the more we buy the cheaper they are”
i said “you’ve already bought them there’s about 5,000 out there”.
walked out.
another time , “how much are the stainless render angles” ?
“do me a favour , go up to the rack and see how many are there, i can tell you then how much they are”.
wtf.