Have i been ripped off?

[kjacko]

Ok, so went to a plumbers merchants that i've used in the past as they were the best price.

However:
Hepworth black 3m x 110mm soil pipe = £24.68
Hepworth black 110mm t-piece soil branch = £20.68

Wickes prices are:
black 3m x 110mm soil pipe = £15.99
black 110mm t-piece soil branch = £13.59

When i rang the merchants afterwards and explained that they were much more expensive than the DIY stores, he said "aaah its quality you see!"

Well, sorry, but i explained they were for internal use and that the queen wasn't going to be dumping in it.

Have i been ripped or is there truly such a difference in quality to justify the price difference.

The merchants is too far out of my usual route to take back for a credit receipt.

They were however, quite a bit cheaper for 3m x 15mm copper pipe, so maybe it all balances out.

Just feel a bit duped that's all..

 

[andytw]

You would possibly find that the plumbers merchant is cheaper than Wickes if you have an account with them and buy 50 of each.
I am just a D-I-Y'er but find that merchants can be good and bad on prices. (as you have done).

Quality difference would depend on whether the Wickes items are branded or not.

I think you would have been ripped off if they had put the price up just for you and then put it down again.
It's just the way it is. Not everyone is competitive.

andytw

 

[Terry7556]

tomorrow im going to take up a rotton chipboard floor in a bathroom and replace it with a sheet of 18 mm WBP plywood before laying some tiles. i have an account at the following places and i dont know if there is a difference in quality. they all include vat afaik
magnet £27
four oaks timber £42
collis timber £35
wickes or B&q over £50
chippy at my sons firm told him i should be paying over £30 retail
quite a difference eh? the magnet price looks wrong, i bought a sheet of 9mm last month and it was £18 so not sure about that BUT he asked if i had a trade a/c before supplying the price

 

[DP]

you can ONLY compare prices apples for apple or oranges for oranges. It is like saying a going to a Lexus showroom and saying to them Fiat Panda down the road is a lot cheaper.

Same happens when people get QUOTES. They look at the bottom line and pick the cheapest.

OP, do you know if the pipes Wicks sold were made by Hepworths or some shack in China?

 

[kjacko]

you can ONLY compare prices apples for apple or oranges for oranges. It is like saying a going to a Lexus showroom and saying to them Fiat Panda down the road is a lot cheaper.

Same happens when people get QUOTES. They look at the bottom line and pick the cheapest.

OP, do you know if the pipes Wicks sold were made by Hepworths or some shack in China?

Well this is what i'm getting at really. I don't care if its made by Hepworths or not, its a flippin pipe that poo slides down, how much difference in quality can there be. I'll bet there's not much as surely regulations demand that a certain quality be adhered to.
Seriously, its a pipe, made from plastic, that can't rust and does nothing more than let human waste travel along it. Where can the difference in quality be?

 

[TonyW2]

Perhaps, to a turd it is the difference between pure silk and sandpaper, but I have no idea.
Welcome to the real world and caveat emptor or whatever the trade expression is,

 

[kjacko]

Lol, oh the imagery of a turd floating down a soil pipe and marvelling at the quality.............

.........

 

[Onetap]

Have i been ripped or is there truly such a difference in quality to justify the price difference..

No, he offered you the stuff at a price and you accepted the offer.
You got what he said you'd get at the price quoted.
The time for comparing prices and getting other offers for comparison was before agreeing the purchase.

Wickes probably sell some cheap, unknown-name stuff, but it's not necessarily worse. You could probably get the same stuff cheaper in Screwfix (same parent company).

 

[Phill Peck]

Hepworth is a quality brand in plastic pipework and fittings

DIY sheds sell cheap stuff (generally)

Plumbers merchants sell predominantly to trade who will expect a quality product.

As said if you had an account and turned over a large amount you may have got it cheaper

 

[scoobydo123]

and was one socket ended other just plain pipe this has an impact on price

 

[Karis]

Unless you have an “active” trade account all the large national merchants, building/plumbing/tiling/whatever will rip you off unless you ask for a discount. Even then, you have to shop around & compare what’s on offer but remember they are geared up to supply large local trade accounts; they aren’t really interested in supplying a hundred quids worth of DIY. You will never find any individual items on display with a price sticker & they will charge you what they think they can get away with, usually manufacturers list price.

I’ve walked away from many a counter in the past, even after the discount I’ve been offered. As an example; my local Ridgeons & Jewson (same/same I believe) will give practically anyone a discount of up to 60% if they ask, especially on plastic drainage. But even with a 60% discount, their stuff is near twice the price I can get it for elsewhere. TP seem a better bet as at least they have a realistic starting price & are more likely to give a reasonable trade discount. I don’t have a trade account with any of them & will only ever buy from them when I’m stuck & have no option!

Surprisingly, B&Q Trade outlets used to be pretty good on some of their stuff but prices have moved upwards.

 

[ALEC1]

its not really ripping off its how they make their money...

the tragedy is that they give discounts to anyone..and everyone...

I guess someone somewhere probably with an MBA thought it a good idea not to reward loyalty...

 

[Charnwood]

And here's me thinking shopping around was supposed to be done BEFORE you buy stuff.

Buy a tin of beans in Aldi and a tin of Heinz beans in your local corner shop.
And the cheapest ones are from.....?

 

[dcawkwell]

Yes rip off prices from the merchants.

I bought a piece of guttering and a few clips (I have an account with jewsons) and got charged about £40. Looked on bes and virtually same would have been about £13. Last time I use them for anything.

 

[Charnwood]

give practically anyone a discount of up to 60% if they ask

Problem is some merchants, especially the multiples, use their own inflated list prices. It looks like they are doing you a good deal, until you find out that their 60% is only 40% in real terms.