Why are Wholesalers so Expensive.

[kai]

I did a test on a big wholesaler today, they quoted double the price of B&Q for the same MK consumer unit (Metal Type Dual RCD with ten breakers in), and had the cheek to slap a further twenty percent v.a.t. on top! Well that is ridiculous, as I call that Rip-Off pricing - as B&Q and Wickes sell exactly the same MK Catalogue Number for under half the price of the Wholesalers!

New Year's Resolution is DO NOT be ripped off at the wholesalers for consumer units, go to B&Q or Wickes instead - It's your money that you are saving in the long run....

• Manufacturer Model No: K7666SMET

 

[Iggifer]

Was this a cash sale at a wholesaler? They tend to do that for cash sales, if you ask for trade price, they might give it to you, they might not

 

[kai]

It was a cash sale on the Switch Card at that time.

 

[RF Lighting]

My wholesaler will beat any DIY shed, screwfix, and most online retailers, but they want my business as I spend with them every month, and have been a customer there for 17 years. My friend gets better prices than me as he spends 3 times as much as me.

Someone who they don't know will always pay more. They are profit driven, and will try and charge as much as they think they can get away with.

 

[333rocky333]

Years ago most wholesalers had a big thick book with all the prices in called "Luckins" then depending who you was you got discount of that so called "Trade price", also because the copper price varied so much as did cable price so that percentage varied too, often as much as 98% discount.
now its similar but computerised.

There was also a schedule of rates book that gave you estimated times for a specific task, Ie a socket change or pendant change, etc, the two together were used to price jobs.

our company gets quoted high materials prices at a branch but the price later gets amended by the branch that holds the account, I assume the clients still get charged nearer that initial higher price plus a premium on top.
Some wholesalers charge high prices then give companies a rebate at the end of the month, maybe thats some sort of loophole to make the company more money
It seems to me wholesalers and the like dont want cash or passing trade, i was told it costs them money to bank it and increases risk of theft etc and would rather just have account customers, just settling up in one monthly hit.
Established comanies tend to have monthly credit limits of 100s of thousands in likes of Wf etc.
Round here the trade counters are less staffed nowadays, they tend to do more out back by phone and computer and deliver to site nowadays

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Why are Wholesalers so Expensive

How would you stop them charging whatever they wanted to?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Kai, this seems to be a similar problem to the one you "suffered" at Selco at New Year. http://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/rant-of-the-year.449716/#post-3541092

If you just drift into places and expect to get a good deal then you are going to be constantly disappointed.

 

[crystal ball]

Do B&Q do free delivery, and also pick up and replace faulty goods, all from a phone call, do they source specialist kit for no obligation?

 

[securespark]

CEF are bad for this. They once quoted me for a lighting controller well over the price the manufacturer quoted me (and that included VAT and P&P).

They also tried to sell me a roll of 2.5 for £2495.

And both these prices were offered to me towards the end of my career, not as if I was a bit green...

F'kin charlatans.

 

[kai]

A roll of 2.5. should cost around GBP 24.95. including v.a.t. It looks like CEF got their decimal point wrong when inputting the price tables into their computer files.

Neweys once sold me an RCD socket for GBP 25 including v.a.t. The following week the price shot up to GBP 39 including v.a.t. Now that's what I call volatile pricing. (No there was not a v.a.t. hike round the corner - it was in September!)

 

[securespark]

The "true" trade price of cable is in the thousands.

But you get a 99% discount?

 

[Adam_151]

There is a reason they are called ****ty electrical factors, Simon!

A lot of the big wholesalers will from time to time let something through either with no discount being applied, or at a much higher rate than the firm normally pays for it. They will say its a mistake... perhaps sometimes it is, but I suspect that sometimes they have a go at seeing what they can get away with before they are pulled up on it, even the most vigilent contractor will at times miss the odd one though!

 

[flameport]

There is a reason they are called ****ty electrical factors

The Poole branch has another reason.

 

[kai]

I think the shady trading practices of wholesalers should be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading - there is clearly some pre-meditated fraud being attempted nowadays.
At least B&Q and Wickes have open, honest and Transparent pricing policies, so you know what to pay before you enter their premises, unlike a Wholesaler!
Noticed some big well known wholesalers never display prices on their shelves - they just make them up as they go along!

 

[flameport]

Like Switch cards, the OFT no longer exists.