quotes for changing taps and bath panel

If a customer asks me to supply a decent tap, I would not be looking at £40 - £60. They may look ok but the valves would need changing within the year. £150 would probably buy a 'decent' tap.

Same for bath panels. I have fitted £50 bath panels that the customer has supplied. Plastic ones are flimsy and can look terrible. MDF panels will probably start to rot within a few months, especially if it has to be cut to fit. £80 = £90 should buy a decent Ideal Standard re-inforced plastic panel, something like the 'Alto' which will last for years.

So, in my opinion, I don't think your plumber is ripping you off, just trying to get something decent as requested.
 
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If a customer asks me to supply a decent tap, I would not be looking at £40 - £60. They may look ok but the valves would need changing within the year. £150 would probably buy a 'decent' tap.

Same for bath panels. I have fitted £50 bath panels that the customer has supplied. Plastic ones are flimsy and can look terrible. MDF panels will probably start to rot within a few months, especially if it has to be cut to fit. £80 = £90 should buy a decent Ideal Standard re-inforced plastic panel, something like the 'Alto' which will last for years.

So, in my opinion, I don't think your plumber is ripping you off, just trying to get something decent as requested.
Squeaky That is all I wanted to know, thank you very much. And I never thought he was ripping me off, I thought he may be going too lavish. As I said he is happy to fit whatever cheap stuff I buy but I don't see the point in that after reading your post.
 
Without telling us the make of the taps you are wasting your time. It would be the same if I said is £50 a good price for a watch......It depends on the make of the watch, Rolex or Argos.
Give the guys on here something to work with. **** sake.

Calm down!

Yes but I can tell you that you can buy a decent watch for £100 which will look good and last long. You will struggle to find the same for £10

I was just asking for general opinion from experience, I have asked him to show me the tap, Squeaky has summarised it well and I am almost certainly going with my plumber's recommendation but as some others have suggested, it will be good to see the taps in person first.
 
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If I wanted 'decent' taps, I wouldn't be looking at the Chinese stuff at Vic. Plumb.

Try looking for a quality make like Bristan at reasonable prices, rather than just looking for nice, shiny stuff. They're good quality, and spares will be available to fix them in the future. I know from experience that their service backup is excellent. Much more sensible than buying cheap that will then cost more to fit replacements when you have to throw them away after a couple of years. Going for reasonable quality taps actually saves money in the long term.
 
Victoria plumb taps are utter carp. In fact, all their stuff is carp. Anyone buying this stuff can fit it themselves;
Taps so sharp that they cut you. No spare parts available when they break. Baths with edges as straight as a banana. Yuk.

Sorry OP but you are the kind of customer that nobody likes working for. Your plumber has to go and find the taps, buy them on your behalf, warranty them and - shock - make a profit on them to satisfy the taxman. A decent bath mixer with a shower attachment is 200 notes before adding the above.
As for bath panels - these can take longer to fit than the bath itself as many will need a frame to be built to support it. Then it needs to be cut to fit.
 
Sorry OP but you are the kind of customer that nobody likes working for. Your plumber has to go and find the taps, buy them on your behalf, warranty them and - shock - make a profit on them to satisfy the taxman. A decent bath mixer with a shower attachment is 200 notes before adding the above.
As for bath panels - these can take longer to fit than the bath itself as many will need a frame to be built to support it. Then it needs to be cut to fit.
So it is wrong to try and find what is available for the money?
I am not getting the work done for free and he is not being forced to do the job, if he didn't like working for me, he would have said no. I don't get your point about making profit on parts. If it is done with agreement from customer then fair enough but if you are doing it on the sly then your morals need questioning. I would have assumed that plumbers will get a better deal from merchants seeing that they buy so often and all that.

You like some others have missed the point, it is not about my plumber and labour, it was about the taps and their prices.

Anyways I am going with his recommendations, even the expensive bath panel.
 
If I wanted 'decent' taps, I wouldn't be looking at the Chinese stuff at Vic. Plumb.

Try looking for a quality make like Bristan at reasonable prices, rather than just looking for nice, shiny stuff. They're good quality, and spares will be available to fix them in the future. I know from experience that their service backup is excellent. Much more sensible than buying cheap that will then cost more to fit replacements when you have to throw them away after a couple of years. Going for reasonable quality taps actually saves money in the long term.

Gotta agree with WS. I'm not saying Bristan taps are all manufactured in the UK, but at least you'll buying quality products & good value taps..... ;)
 
I didn't realise Victoria Plumb are this bad they got good reviews and the stuff looks really nice.
 
I didn't realise Victoria Plumb are this bad they got good reviews and the stuff looks really nice.

would those reviews happen to be on there wedsite??
where they have total control and vet what the show and dont show the bad ones they dont like
most web sites will let a few negative through but they control the ones they show
i always start reading from the back to the front

you could also do a web search using terms like "trouble with victoriaplumb taps" or "victoriaplumb quality problems"
indeed any combination as long as the website isnt run by the retailer or wholesaler :D ;)
 
I don't get your point about making profit on parts. If it is done with agreement from customer then fair enough but if you are doing it on the sly then your morals need questioning..

Do you question the morals of everyone you buy from? Tesco, Easyjet, Your energy supplier, BT, The Dry Cleaner, DVD shop, Wine Rack, KFC, BP, Esso, Shell, Safe Style UK, Toys R Us etc etc etc.

Why the **** do you expect our trade to supply you goods for ****all mark-up? May your taps leak and flood your house. Merry ******* Xmas.
 
So it is wrong to try and find what is available for the money?
I am not getting the work done for free and he is not being forced to do the job, if he didn't like working for me, he would have said no. I don't get your point about making profit on parts. If it is done with agreement from customer then fair enough but if you are doing it on the sly then your morals need questioning. I would have assumed that plumbers will get a better deal from merchants seeing that they buy so often and all that.

You like some others have missed the point, it is not about my plumber and labour, it was about the taps and their prices.

Anyways I am going with his recommendations, even the expensive bath panel.

i have answered the point about markup above
he is responcible if the parts go wrong
he will have to make a visit remove the taps go to the supplier replace the taps and check all is fine at his time and expence
 
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Why the **** do you expect our trade to supply you goods for ****all mark-up? May your taps leak and flood your house. Merry ******* Xmas.

You obviously have issues, I don't have a problem with anyones charging policy as long as it is made clear to customer.

It is then my choice if I pay that extra for peace of mind or take my chances with cheaper stuff and pay for call out if something goes wrong. Really that simple.

There is really no need to rant, your childish comments aren't doing any good for the trade.

Anyways I had my answer and this thread can be locked.

Merry Christmas and Happy Fleecing your customers.
 
I don't get your point about making profit on parts. If it is done with agreement from customer then fair enough but if you are doing it on the sly then your morals need questioning.

This is what you've put in writing. You state that unless the customer agrees to paying more than the installer's cost price then the installer's 'morals need questioning'.

In other words, you consider an installer immoral if he charges any more for parts than he's paid eg. no profit allowed, supply goods for fun, not for gain, get up in the morning for nowt.

You go on to accuse me of 'fleecing customers'. No doubt because I don't fancy spending a quid, incur a quid in expenses, to charge a quid, thus lose a quid for a living.

What do you do for a living? Hope you're made redundant in the New Year as you clearly want everyone else to be penniless
 

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