Howdens, builders pass on discounts????

Penny-Pincher!!

Howdens are quite reasonable, but they have 2 sets of prices. One of the price sheets the builders show to their customers stating that they are the prices they are paying, then the other price list is what the builders actually pay.

PP
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Bishop_Basher

Doozergirl wrote: »

Howdens themselves pay about £3 for a base unit. It makes me slightly nauseous!

The discounts are ridiculously phoney. The last bits we bought consisted of a tall larder unit, a 60cm base unit, three plinths and a couple of end panels. The "list" price on that was about £2500!! You just wouldn't, would you?

My husband was on the phone to me whilst he was in there bantering with them and faking a heart attack for charging us £500! Different people apply different discounts to different tradespeople - it depends on the member of staff and how hard the buyer pushes - and I guess, their relationship.

It would be hard to draw a comparative line with friends unless you were having the same style kitchen.

I'm certain that the Howdens Invoices have the RRP on them for each item. I don't know whether quotes do. I think they also apply different % discounts on different items. I don't think they could fake it - they use that funny paper with the holes in so the system is probably especially designed for one purpose - I don't think they could pretend it was an 80% discount, only apply a lesser discount less, IYSWIM.

Best thing you can do if you're not confident of the best price is to shop around - either with a different fitter at Howdens or have the kitchen designed in MFI or B&Q, whatever and start haggling.

I think the number one rule of moneysaving is to shop around - and do it yourself! It really helps drive the prices down anyway as you have leverage with retailers when you have cheaper quote from elsewhere.

It's a big spend. I'd go to a few places.

Where has this figure come from?

Bishop_Basher

burnsdm wrote: »

Anyone know roughly what basic floor units with and without doors should be fully discounted (80%) in Howdens.

Found a few companies who do assembled 19mm units with same colour inside at same sort of prices to Howdens so something's wrong?

They do a flatpack range called Technik, in basic white a 1000mm base unit will cost around £30.

The cheapest ready-made 'Range' they do is called the Howden 600 a plain white 1000mm base unit will cost £82 for the fitter to buy!

whiteroom184

right guys

i work in the kitchen trade and work for one of howdens main competitors, i can assure you now that i have seen quotes for the same base unit ranging from £18.50+vat upto £112.50+vat, depending on who the cashier was, who the customer was (loyalty) and how much the order was. you will never get visibility of price at howdens ever. To be honest all merchants are the same all trade get 1 price depending on the above and retail get the price plus some. i saw a kitchen go out of my branch this week sold for £2.5k to the trader and sold to the customer for £7k. now that's a markup.

i recommend you have a look at some of the following sites to give you an idea, a true idea of unit and door price;-
ikea.co.uk
trade-depot.co.uk
magnettrade.co.uk

p.s - howdens carcasses, tend to be very shoddily built!!:cool:

Bishop_Basher

whiteroom184 wrote: »

right guys

i work in the kitchen trade and work for one of howdens main competitors, i can assure you now that i have seen quotes for the same base unit ranging from £18.50+vat upto £112.50+vat, depending on who the cashier was, who the customer was (loyalty) and how much the order was. you will never get visibility of price at howdens ever. To be honest all merchants are the same all trade get 1 price depending on the above and retail get the price plus some. i saw a kitchen go out of my branch this week sold for £2.5k to the trader and sold to the customer for £7k. now that's a markup.

i recommend you have a look at some of the following sites to give you an idea, a true idea of unit and door price;-
ikea.co.uk
trade-depot.co.uk
magnettrade.co.uk

p.s - howdens carcasses, tend to be very shoddily built!!:cool:

Really??

whiteroom184

hi bishop basher

yeah i know i'm biased, but i have seen them honestly, additionally i have several people who work for me, ex-howdens employees, who would never buy their own carcasses, only doors and worktops

Bishop_Basher

whiteroom184 wrote: »

hi bishop basher

yeah i know i'm biased, but i have seen them honestly, additionally i have several people who work for me, ex-howdens employees, who would never buy their own carcasses, only doors and worktops

Who is it you 'work' for? I'm always looking for better/cheaper, deals/suppliers? PM me if you want.