DIY people and the like in wholesalers - do you say anything?

[CAWORK]

I am just curious to hear of any electricians views on what I am asking.

For example, you are in the wholesalers and there is a DIY person there purchasing electrical materials and you suspect they don't know what they are doing and/or have not notified notifiable work.

Do you say anything or not?

My father went to a wholesalers once (probably decades ago now) to purchase a plumbing related item, and a plumber shouted from the back of the queue "Only for qualified plumbers!"
(a bit of an argument then occurred).

Does anybody have any stories of similar incidences?

The IET forum had a similar discussion on this several years ago.

Regards

 

[Notch7]

I am just curious to hear of any electricians views on what I am asking.

For example, you are in the wholesalers and there is a DIY person there purchasing electrical materials and you suspect they don't know what they are doing and/or have not notified notifiable work.

Do you say anything or not?

My father went to a wholesalers once (probably decades ago now) to purchase a plumbing related item, and a plumber shouted from the back of the queue "Only for qualified plumbers!"
(a bit of an argument then occurred).

Does anybody have any stories of similar incidences?

The IET forum had a similar discussion on this several years ago.

Regards

You mean when you have somebody in there buying a 12 way consumer unit and asking the guy at the desk which way up it goes

In reality though, would you really care? The people that would do it themselves, wouldnt want to pay the going rate.

On another note, It really bugs me in screwfix when people go up to the desk and ask for xyz, spend ages pontificating with the checkout person, who is usually young and doesnt give a monkeys whilst the rest of us in the queue have done what you are supposed to do and look in the book first and get the code.

I think possibly screwfix and toolstation have probably got a lot of the DIY and jobbing builder market so may keep them out of the wholesalers. I doubt if pro electricans or plumbers buy from screwfix

 

[bernardgreen]

If the DIYer gives the impression they are not fully aware of the hazards of the project then I may well offer a friendly word and suggest they do some research before starting the work.

If nothing else it saves the counter staff having to explain basic things like which colour wires go into which terminals on the 13 amp socket the DIYer had just bought.

 

[333rocky333]

Bloke in wf last week wanted a Supply cut out fuse and carrier.

 

[pete50]

Bloke in wf last week wanted a Supply cut out fuse and carrier.

What's wrong with that? They do exist. Or is it completely beyond your capabilities to actually explain your post?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

(Experienced amateur here) leave them to it unless they're engaging counter bloke in a conversation about how to do something v simple and I'm in a hurry (with my short order code for a massive list of stuff). Toolstation's website & ordering setup is much better than Screwfix's IMHO

 

[Notch7]

(Experienced amateur here) leave them to it unless they're engaging counter bloke in a conversation about how to do something v simple and I'm in a hurry (with my short order code for a massive list of stuff). Toolstation's website & ordering setup is much better than Screwfix's IMHO

Yes, toolstations website is ordered in categories, and you can open a catalogue page too.

Screwfix just does a databse search and the results come up a random order

 

[crystal ball]

You mean when you have somebody in there buying a 12 way consumer unit and asking the guy at the desk which way up it goes

In reality though, would you really care? The people that would do it themselves, wouldnt want to pay the going rate.

On another note, It really bugs me in screwfix when people go up to the desk and ask for xyz, spend ages pontificating with the checkout person, who is usually young and doesnt give a monkeys whilst the rest of us in the queue have done what you are supposed to do and look in the book first and get the code.

I think possibly screwfix and toolstation have probably got a lot of the DIY and jobbing builder market so may keep them out of the wholesalers. I doubt if pro electricans or plumbers buy from screwfix

Why would you think pro tradespeople would not buy from Screwfix, they sell much the same stuff as wholesalers, sometimes cheaper sometimes not, do you make the same assumption about other online suppliers?

 

[crystal ball]

If the DIYer gives the impression they are not fully aware of the hazards of the project then I may well offer a friendly word and suggest they do some research before starting the work.

If nothing else it saves the counter staff having to explain basic things like which colour wires go into which terminals on the 13 amp socket the DIYer had just bought.

In my local Eddies the counter staff will not offer that sort of advice, just product data

 

[crystal ball]

Bloke in wf last week wanted a Supply cut out fuse and carrier.

I have bought cut out related equipment before

 

[flameport]

Toolstation's website & ordering setup is much better than Screwfix's IMHO

Is that the old TS website, or the new one with super large text, massive pictures and every variant of size, colour and whatever else displayed as it's own separate product?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Is that the old TS website, or the new one with super large text, massive pictures and every variant of size, colour and whatever else displayed as it's own separate product?

Maybe a year ago, I complained to them that their new website was unusable on a computer, and I would have to stop buying from them, as I couldn't find anything anymore. I got back a message saying they understood what I was saying and would review their policy. Yeah, right...

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Is that the old TS website, or the new one with super large text, massive pictures and every variant of size, colour and whatever else displayed as it's own separate product?

Oh it's changed- not looked at it recently. Looks messy to me- boo. Hopefully the collect at counter short codes still work......

 

[333rocky333]

What's wrong with that? They do exist. Or is it completely beyond your capabilities to actually explain your post?

Did you actually read the title of the thread, if you think its ok for a Diyer to replace a missing supply fuse then thats fine.

 

[crystal ball]

Did you actually read the title of the thread, if you think its ok for a Diyer to replace a missing supply fuse then thats fine.

How did you know he was a diyer