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Triassic

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I needed a 50m roll of green plastic mesh fencing,

 

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looking online the price was around £20 per roll.  So as I was passing Travis Perkins I called in for a price, £48 +vat, the next port of call, the local independent BM, same price as TP. Finally I went to Screwfix, the same roll of fences £23.75 inc vat.

Edited by Triassic
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TP will not leave me alone! It started when I bought a Celotex saw and couldn't but it without having one of their cards.

 

They got me my 2.7m mrpb and I've had marine ply and insulated pb all cheaper than I could get it locally elsewhere.

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34 minutes ago, mvincentd said:

I wouldn't step in the door at TP without an account.

I have a cash account ...easy to set up....prices stated on shelf reduce by typically 50%.  Absurd approach.

That said, I find they're still rarely the cheapest.

 

A lot of merchants do that, in fairness to TP. 

Cant help feeling sorry for Joe Public when they mistakenly venture in and get bitten. :(

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I set up a cash account with TP, but the prices on the first few big orders I got them to quote for were so silly that I never bothered to go back to them again.  By contrast, our local independent BM will try and price match anything, and if he can't will be open about it.  As a consequence, they had around 90% of our business.  Not only were they best value, but delivery was always free and, most importantly, they had the most intelligent and helpful delivery drivers of anyone that delivered to the site.  I'd have probably paid a small premium just for the helpful drivers, TBH, given the hassle we had with so many other drivers ignoring our delivery directions given at the time of the order.

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I too have found TP quite expensive but when busy at our house, they are the only ones local so we do end up using them for stuff we need there and then.  Their PB was about the same as elsewhere but apart from that, we use Blanchfords which recently opened a new branch at Bicester, trying to get some of the Graven Hill trade, and they are helpful and have free delivery.  Prices are excellent too.

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Interestingly, when I'd gone in to TP to price up the fencing mesh they insisted in giving me a new trade card, new computer system or something! As a result they emailed me a 'quote' for the fencing. So I fed back to them that their prices were cr@p. The day after I get a call from the accounts department who undertook to price up my QS generated list of materials for my new build and they said they would endeavour to be competitive. I'm going to take them up on the offer, so we will see!

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After I posted on our local market town FB page warning someone who had asked where to get something, not to use the local Jewsons unless they were a millionaire (I called in once for something for work and got offered prices which were so ridiculous that I asked the guy to repeat it as genuinely thought I'd misheard, it was so insane). The new manager saw the post, contacted me and said to me that things would be different now he was there and to give them another try- he was right. It seems the branch managers must have a lot of leeway open to them. It made good business sense too as I've spent several thousands with them which they would never have seen otherwise.  I have to say my local MKM branch gives Joe public quite decent prices in my experience.  I rang TP early on in the build having opened an account with them, but they didn't even attempt to give decent prices and I've never bothered again. It seems it might be more down to local management than actual firms.  

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20 minutes ago, curlewhouse said:

After I posted on our local market town FB page warning someone who had asked where to get something, not to use the local Jewsons unless they were a millionaire (I called in once for something for work and got offered prices which were so ridiculous that I asked the guy to repeat it as genuinely thought I'd misheard, it was so insane). The new manager saw the post, contacted me and said to me that things would be different now he was there and to give them another try- he was right. It seems the branch managers must have a lot of leeway open to them. It made good business sense too as I've spent several thousands with them which they would never have seen otherwise.  I have to say my local MKM branch gives Joe public quite decent prices in my experience.  I rang TP early on in the build having opened an account with them, but they didn't even attempt to give decent prices and I've never bothered again. It seems it might be more down to local management than actual firms.  

 

I think this is definitely the case. Jewson's managers appear to have a fair degree of autonomy which seems a little unusual considering they are part of the maaahusive SG empire.

It is VERY rare that my local Jewsons is beaten on price. My contact at the branch will even price match online suppliers where he can. 

The local drivers are also excellent, very accommodating. 

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This all reminds me when I used to have a trade account at the Electric Centre.  I went in for a load of lighting, mostly downlights and lamps. They didn't have half what I wanted, and when asked the price for what they had, I was gob smacked.  I walked out the door, into toolstation accross the road, they had the whole lot I wanted for less than I was quoted at electric centre for half of it.

 

Not been back to Electric centre since and my account with them has lapsed.

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33 minutes ago, Barney12 said:

 

I think this is definitely the case. Jewson's managers appear to have a fair degree of autonomy which seems a little unusual considering they are part of the maaahusive SG empire.

It is VERY rare that my local Jewsons is beaten on price. My contact at the branch will even price match online suppliers where he can. 

The local drivers are also excellent, very accommodating. 

Yes, I just got them to price match online prices for insulation this last week, so got it quicker too.

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I've got an MKM account and I use them for most things - price wise I can't fault them and the service is great. 

 

We also get MKM rewards which is equating to about 6% cash back overall and I've just had £75 from Velux as I bought the windows in July when they had a trade promo on. 

 

TP just want to make me scream - had to go in there last week for some roof tiles and I think my "trade discount" was 6p per tile .... or about 4%..!

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