I love Megabad

[Bitpipe]

We bought almost all of our bathroom fittings from Megabad, including Hansgrohe showers, Grohe taps, V&B loos and sinks etc . Their website is not the easiest to navigate (google translate plugin helps) but their prices are great, even after including shipping and the low euro exchange rate at present. Reutershop.de is easier to naivgate and has a few items cheaper so best to compare, it uses the same product codes so easy to find same stuff on Megabad.

Use one of the many online currency transfer people to dump the cash into the MB bank account and your gear is shipped immediately - you can also split shipments (for a small fee) if you have out of stock items  - they will automatically follow on.

But the real reason I love them is their Germanic packing - uber efficient. The outer box was millimeter perfectly sized for the contents...

 

Edited May 26, 2016 by Bitpipe

[PeterW]

Amazon could learn a LOT from them !

[Guest Alphonsox]

We will be sending and order their way within the next month.

[Stones]

Likewise, although I've been looking at Skybad.  Question is, order now or wait until after the referendum result?

[Trw144]

I'd say now, I think the upside we would see in sterling if we stay in is largely factored into current exchange rate, whereas if we leave then I can see 1.15 pretty quickly 

[Bitpipe]

I got caught out on the transfer process as it varies from company to company - I've signed up with 3 or 4 and shop around for the best rate. When you create a new account, it can take a few days to get it activated so do it ahead of time.

The way to avoid ex rate fluctuations is to upload the GB first (takes a day to register) and then buy your required Euro amount. Only then instigate the transfer and you'll be sure that Megabad or whoever gets the exact amount.

If you transfer and exchange as one, the rate can change and you can end up a few euro under (or over). This happened to us but as it turned out, we needed to make an additional payment for the split shipment so just added the shortfall to that.

I've used both currencyfair and ukforex, transferwise is very easy to understand but rates not as keen as the others.

[TerryE]

OK, will someone please help me.  AFAIK, Megabad only have a German freephone number 0800 634 2223, which still counts as an international call from the UK.  I've tried Skype to +49 800 634 2223 but this doesn't seem to work, as Skype haven't yet added German 0800 support yet.  Any suggestions other than paying BT's international rates?

I am trying to find out what the shipping costs are and do these drop over 2000€ ?

[Bitpipe]

Hi Terry, I used to call their German number and asked if I could speak to someone in English (Koennen sie English sprechen bitte?) - I also have the email of an english speaker that I can share with you by PM.

However, you should be able to do a dummy order and get accurate UK shipping costs when you go to the check out stage.

When we were looking, I had a spreadsheet of the items and tracked prices from both Reuters and MB and also the stock availability.

Reuters can often be cheaper than MB and stock allocation varies so you'll be wanting to prioritise the first fix items (Gebrit frames and iBoxes etc).

Both firms let you save the basket which saves typing it all in again.

Each have a discount system based on order value, MB's was keener than Reuters.

MB will also let you split a delivery if you need immediate shipping of in stock items or you can wait for everything to come in and get it in one lump.

Note, the courier (Dascher UK) will deliver by pallet truck and our first box was enormous and very heavy so we had to cover it in tarp to stop it getting wet until we had enough hands to empty it into the house. 

[DavidFrancis]

Don't know if this will work with BT, but we're on Plusnet and I used one of MoneySavingExpert's "instant dial" override numbers to call Ireland a couple of months ago and the calls cost nothing.

See http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-overseas-calls?_ga=1.15863486.924813942.1413575109

May not work with 0800 numbers. Never tried it.

Edit: we have free UK calls as part of our package.

Edited June 2, 2016 by DavidFrancis

[Bitpipe]

One other note about MB and RS, they appear to have dynamic pricing so there are small fluctuations up and down on a daily or hourly basis - I was pulling my hair out trying to keep my spreadsheet up to date. This was the euro pricing so couldn't be attributed to ex rates. 

[JanetE]

I've got another question for you Megabad experts.  Are the waste traps for sinks compatible with uk pipe? HWMBO says he thinks they're a different size 

I've just checked the site and it appears they are 32mm, so they are compatible  

Edited June 5, 2016 by JanetE

[Nickfromwales]

Yup. No problems whatsoever on the last lot of MB stuff I fitted. Normal 32mm traps straight on . If you have any long runs of waste pipe from basins, particularly if they drop vertically, then use one of these. Stops the gurgling and absolutely necessary if there is a bath sharing the same waste pipe before it gets to the 110mm soil pipe.

[TerryE]

Nick, the challenge that we have is fitting the foul-water runs within the PosiJoists which prevents 45° runs, and that the bath, and (the adjacent BR en-suite) basin and shower have exposed or builtin traps so we can't use an anti-siphoning trap.  My 1980s solution would have been to add an anti-siphoning loop like the diagram below.  Is this still allowed / valid under BRegs. Any better suggestion?

 

[Nickfromwales]

The kick back loop will be fine, but you'll need to take it up to attic height and fit a 50mm AAV which is accessible. 

For the runs which you show T'eed in multiple times just use one of these with a 45 out of the middle to rectify you back to 90 degrees. That way you'll get the water naturally flowing to the stack plus you'll be able to get a narrow flexis rod through the tee and down the leg ( should you ever need to do so ). Generally best practice to use swept branches rather than flat T's as the latter create a wall which the water has to hit against before deciding which way to fall. That is quite problematic for shower and bath wastes as it massively reduces the natural flow velocity, but not so problematic for a basin. 

[TerryE]

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

The kick back loop will be fine, but you'll need to take it up to artic height and fit a 50mm AAV which is accessible. 

Thanks, I understand the swept bend issue, but on the ventilation loop, why do I need to take it up to an AAV in the attic?  As it happens, I can do this as three is a party wall that I can go up.  However, I would have just hooked back into the stack via a boss, but thinking about this the potential issue is spillover after blockage.  The lowest spillover point is the shower tray in BR1 en-suite, then the bath and then the sink.  Need to think a little more

[Nickfromwales]

Sorry your pic is as bad as the ones I draw 

If the stack carries on up then deffo OK to strap it back in . 

[Shell820810]

https://www.reuter-shop.com/blanco-tivo-single-lever-mixer-projection-215-mmswivel-spout-360-anthracite-chrome-a320031.php

Can anyone confirm if this is UK compatible.  I think there are links to spec sheets on the page.  We are going for silgranit sinks, and getting them at half the price as the UK reps are quoting.  

[Nickfromwales]

They seem fine. They just need 3/8" to 15mm copper to irons which is pretty common practice when fitting imported taps tbh. 

The other option is to ditch the flexis that come with it and buy some 15mm x 10mm replacement ones such as these

[JanetE]

We love Megabad too. Here's our sanitaryware; arrived last week and thought you'd like to see this picture of it 

[TerryE]

That's not counting the Bette Bath!

[Fallingditch]

Update: Shipping examples

 

Skybad (Aachen; site in English, Customer Services on +49 2408 704930 speak English) offered shipping for 4 WCs, 4 Basins and various taps and mixers for 139 euro (9/11/2016). Shipping costs seems to max out at 139. Shipping took three days on the last order btw (and when we discovered a faulty component they replaced it without delay).

 

On the other hand, Magabad (Cologne) offer a collection service (for anybody wanting an excuse for a eurobreak)

 

NB I am not advocating any one supplier over another - this post has been submitted for informational purposes only

 

[volcane]

On 02/06/2016 at 10:39, Bitpipe said:

Hi Terry, I used to call their German number and asked if I could speak to someone in English (Koennen sie English sprechen bitte?) - I also have the email of an english speaker that I can share with you by PM.

However, you should be able to do a dummy order and get accurate UK shipping costs when you go to the check out stage.

When we were looking, I had a spreadsheet of the items and tracked prices from both Reuters and MB and also the stock availability.

Reuters can often be cheaper than MB and stock allocation varies so you'll be wanting to prioritise the first fix items (Gebrit frames and iBoxes etc).

Both firms let you save the basket which saves typing it all in again.

Each have a discount system based on order value, MB's was keener than Reuters.

MB will also let you split a delivery if you need immediate shipping of in stock items or you can wait for everything to come in and get it in one lump.

Note, the courier (Dascher UK) will deliver by pallet truck and our first box was enormous and very heavy so we had to cover it in tarp to stop it getting wet until we had enough hands to empty it into the house. 

 

On 09/11/2016 at 08:20, Fallingditch said:

Update: Shipping examples

 

Skybad (Aachen; site in English, Customer Services on +49 2408 704930 speak English) offered shipping for 4 WCs, 4 Basins and various taps and mixers for 139 euro (9/11/2016). Shipping costs seems to max out at 139. Shipping took three days on the last order btw (and when we discovered a faulty component they replaced it without delay).

 

On the other hand, Magabad (Cologne) offer a collection service (for anybody wanting an excuse for a eurobreak)

 

NB I am not advocating any one supplier over another - this post has been submitted for informational purposes only

 

 

 

Hi All,

 

I'm pulling together bathroom fixtures in order to have a fairly accurate costing before we start digging, I'd even order what we need in advance if necessary. Local firms don't offer that great a customer service so there really isn't any disadvantage ordering from Germany.

 

Is anyone who ordered from any of these online suppliers willing to share their order details?? I'm struggling with pulling it all together and I'm worried that I'll miss something from the order??

 

We have two ensuites, a main bath, two downstairs showerrooms and a WC to kit out,

 

regards

 

V

 

 

[ToughButterCup]

Hugh, just in the process of specifying our plumbing, and -stupidly- avoiding German sites. What a relief to read your post. 

Ian

[Stones]

19 minutes ago, volcane said:

 

 

 

Hi All,

 

I'm pulling together bathroom fixtures in order to have a fairly accurate costing before we start digging, I'd even order what we need in advance if necessary. Local firms don't offer that great a customer service so there really isn't any disadvantage ordering from Germany.

 

Is anyone who ordered from any of these online suppliers willing to share their order details?? I'm struggling with pulling it all together and I'm worried that I'll miss something from the order??

 

We have two ensuites, a main bath, two downstairs showerrooms and a WC to kit out,

 

regards

 

V

 

 

 

I ordered our sanitary ware (basins and WC) from Skybad, as they had the best price of the German sites I looked at and were at the time (bearing in mind the exchange rate) about 40% cheaper than the best price I could find in the UK.  When I looked at shower trays, baths, shower doors, there was little if any saving ordering from abroad, so I took the view that I might as well source locally and let them worry about delivery / returns etc.  The same applied to our brassware - I found the Grohe taps, showers and kitchen taps we were looking for on a UK site for pretty much the same price they were wanting.  All I would say is don't assume that importing everything will be the cheapest way of doing it.

[Fallingditch]

30 minutes ago, volcane said:

willing to share their order details??

 

 

Can I ask - what is your main concern?  that you want to ensure you buy all the components that you need to equip three bathrooms? so you just want to look through an inventory and get some ideas?

 

Or, have you chosen the particular manufacturers that you want? and possibly even their ranges?

 

Thing is, in any (german) bathroom, typically, you will get your:

• basins/WCs (chinaware) from (Dravait/Keramag/Villeroy/Ideal Standard or own brand)
• frames (with concealed cisterns for wall hung WCs) or (frames for basins) from Geberit/Grohe
• taps from (Grohe/Hansgrohe/Ideal Standard and others)
• baths from Bette and others
• Showers from Huppe/Kermi (or possibly buy in the UK because price diffeence here is not that great)

Then as you dig deeper into these manufacturers, you find they each do about 15 - 30 different ranges, at wildly varying price points, representing different levels of aesthetic

 

If you read my post here:

http://forum.buildhub.org.uk/ipb/topic/607-recommended-bathroom-suite-merchant/?page=2#comment-20128

then that suggests how you can start to get a feel for the price points of the different ranges from the different manufacturers.

 

Taking me as an example, I have three bathrooms to equip.  I will be using the same style taps in each (Hansgrohe Focus E) - the same basins and WC range (Duravit D-Code) - a variety of shower mixers and heads (Hansgrohe) - Shower panels from the UK - Grohe WC Frames - and no baths LOL. (You might notice that I am buying low end ranges from quality brands)