Howdens quote

Cost it up against diy kitchens. I imagine they could be cheaper and there is no comparrison in the quality with the diy kitchens units and doors being far superior to that of Howdens. Ps everything else from diy kitchens will be loads better. eg worktops in carcass wirework etc

Ladybird20 wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies .. the quote was on a tradesmans paperwork from them and he showed me the discounts.I did wander if the reps from Howdens got "backhanders" from the tradesmen for drumming up business for them.If my kitchen has been quoted at 4k,,what reasonable amount do you think i should ask .....the kitchen is the high gloss cream with round edged cupboards for corners..

How big is the kitchen? It does sound a lot but the really bad thing about Howdens would be that your tradesperson probably does get an extra discount on that price himself but if you managed to buy it through Howdens yourself they'd probably charge the same.

Except the round cupboards cost an absolute bomb! They are really pretty but by the time you've bought rounded plinth to go underneath etc, they were coming out at something insane like £400 each unit for us which is a lot for a cupboard that doesn't hold much! Then you have to consider the extra cost of having worktops cut to measure which is costly if they are stone.

The kitchen is a collection of different pieces of furniture, each with a different price. The curves look gorgeous but I personally couldn't justify the price tag. I do go through the quotes and consider how I can do things more cheaply or get more storage from the same space.

I did get really frustrated with them and didn't buy kitchens from them for a long time but we seem now to put enough other joinery business through them that I feel we're getting proper trade prices on everything. We have the Glendevon Cream kitchen which is probably what you're buying and it didn't cost anywhere near that for a reasonable kitchen but I was possibly more stingy with my use of units in which case yours might not be that much of a kick in the teeth, especially with those curved units.

Ladybird20 wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies .. the quote was on a tradesmans paperwork from them and he showed me the discounts.I did wander if the reps from Howdens got "backhanders" from the tradesmen for drumming up business for them.If my kitchen has been quoted at 4k,,what reasonable amount do you think i should ask .....the kitchen is the high gloss cream with round edged cupboards for corners..

As i said i work for magnet trade as a rep.....and a very good one i might add....we dont get backhanders or commision for that matter!!!!

We does everyone assume that we are trying to rip them off....

makes me angry !!!!!!!

What i suggest you do is go to a retail outlet and get the same kitchen quoted high gloss cream with curved corners fitted.....i very much doubt that it will even touch the howdens quote.....4k fitted is a good deal....very good..

Take my advice ( for god sakes i should be putting you off i do work for the comp lol ) Its a fantastic price i would snap it up !!!
I doubt that i would get it much cheaper

Yeah I agree about back handers to Howdens person who authorises a quote for me for almost £6k and then provides all the items to the fitter at £4k, so I pay the trader the £6k and he pays Howden £4k - now to me that is a scam and it explains why the cowboy builder will not give me the invoice, which is my warranty, and the Howdens Manager would not speak to me and refused point blank to help when I told him i needed items replacing - its only been four months - The trader deals with this branch regularly so it it honest for Howdens to provide grossly marked up quotes for traders to then invoice them for 33% less. I got the invoice sent to me so have it all here to see what Trading Standards and Consumer Rights say. Howdens will be asked to confirm they approve this.