Howdens Traders passing on discount - Scam??

jillytb

Is the whole traders can get you your kitchen at discount from Howdens a scam, how come you get different sets of paperwork and does anyone here have the final invoice from their trader/builder and if so does it differ from the quote and more importantly what you paid.
I think this company is letting rogue builders scam people like me as how else can you get your original quote for say £6k, like me, then invoice for trader, when you pay first of all and then Howdens only deal with trader after beause they are the account holder but I got hold of a very very nice person who sent me the final invoice paid by my builder for EXACTLY the same items and he paid £2,000 less, the same branch manager processed both sets of paperwork..... I am certain this is not right, but do Howdens support traders doing this, is this a company that give licence to builders to pocket money in a deceptive and what I think amounts to criminal way??? I feel sick and basically robbed! My builder looked around and saw a single Mum and was so charming, whilst seeing £ signs!?

poet123

I used my builders card to get the discount but all invoices came direct to me, and I did all the negotiating the prices/discount/freebies etc. Howdens will deal direct as long as they are sure you are using a tradesman and not doing it DIY.

jillytb

My builder was the account holder and the one who ordered it all, paid for it all and did the work. I was the builders customer, but I paid the price of £6k which was Howden paperwork I got but I managed to get the paperwork for the transaction of the Howden trader who did my work and it is £2k less, no DIY here but a Howden manager and a trader doing something dodgy?? Have spoken to Howden security who are a bit "oh what shall we do" the branch manager when I mentioned the Trader name started to get very twitchy - this is a scam and Howden let it happen??? End of the day I have been scammed for £2k I reckon..... other advice would be welcome, thanks>

Doozergirl

I've replied on the other thread that you've posted on.

Howdens are trade. The idea of trade is that you buy at a discount and sell at a profit. It's what every shop in your high street does.

It's your job as a consumer to get the best price you can for something. Anyone that kitchens for a living is making a profit on it. Because they buy the kitchens cheaper than you can.

Some traders will pass on their genuine discount to you, others will see it as a way to make extra money. If you are being offered a genuine discount on Howdens it will come out cheaper than any prebuilt range on the high street. Flat pack you can find cheaper but a genuine trade discount at Howdens you will find hard to beat - even with 50% off sales that the high street offers.

jillytb

Okay I hear you but he told me I was paying the Howdens price, so Howdens need to regulate their pricing or the traders, or both. I still dont think this is right and I believe this trader scammed me as he gave me Howden paperwork for the £6k, he would not give me the warranty because it was the invoice I now realise cos he didnt want me to know that he whacked on £2k, this is entirely dishonest and for Howden to actually provide the £6k paperwork for me to pay is wrong - if you say is right then Howden need to make it clear that their traders are making mark-up and not actually buying at discount..... oh this will be fun. I had problems with MFI years ago, nothing where I was ripped off like this but even then they messed up with the fit of my kitchen and I got £1k compensation and all appliances free, then I went on Watchdog. The two sets of paperwork = not right £2k pocket by a tradesman approved by a Howden branch manager. Me ripped off.

Doozergirl

There was someone on here that had a £6k quote for a Howdens kitchen. I got her exactly the same, delivered miles and miles away for £2400.

Howdens kitchens are not expensive with the trade discount. I'd rather eat my own hair than pay £6k for a Howdens kitchen.

That probably doesn't make you feel better. Sorry.

jillytb

Nothing other than cash back would make me feel better, this trader has ripped me off further too with my bathroom, it was just that I discovered the two lots of paper this week because I tried to get replacements for things going wrong in the Howden kitchen, fitted in April - so now I know the quality.
Anyway, Mr Traderboy has to sort a few things out, but I know he has a scam with a friend at Howdens, just an outline of what I had to Howdens Head Office got me straight through to the Head of Security office, perhaps they dont want people to know how it works, or does it really work this way.
I just feel ripped off, ****ed off and fed up. I paid in good faith and expect the same and now I cannot sort out the grill, hob and freezer drawers, what is to come with my four month old kitchen!! Never again.

poet123

I am sorry to say I don't think it is a scam. Howdens are a trade supplier, just like Costco, Makro etc. If you go into those places yourself you would get one price, if you went into a shop (a middle man, in effect) which sold their goods you would pay a marked up price. Exactly the same. You chose a kitchen which your fitter then obtained from Howdens, he then becomes the middle man, and puts his mark up on before passing the kitchen to you. Quite normal trade practice.

Sorry to say, but you were a little niave not asking for the discount Howdens are famous for giving from your tradesman. We chose a kitchen, satisfied Howdens we were using a trades man, and then did all the negotiating persoanlly, and all the invoices etc, came direct to us. We did this after we had obtained a fitting quote, so that no mark up for lost revenue (from Howdens)could be applied. So not a scam, just a tradesman making a profit.

zax47

Jillytb, see my answer on the other Howdens thread

leveller2911

I have fitted many Howdens Kitchens and I am always happy for my customers to see the invoice total That " I pay".I don't make profit on the kitchens my "Cut" if you can call it that ,is Im VAT registered so I claim the VAT back against my quarterly bill.

I give the client a quote for fitting and thats it. Its all very transparent for the client to see.

I don't agree with all this "discount" rubbish. People want a decent product for a decent price.I have a client now who has a quote for a kitchen from B&Q for supply only and when the asked for a quote for them to fit the quote came to more than the kitchen price.It works out they want around £3k for a weeks work . Obviously the client has smelt a rat and is shopping around.
Its just as Doozergirl says, the customer has a duty here to and that is to be pro-active and get a few quotes.

I don't really have any problems with Howdens, the branch I deal with are professional and give me good service, I do wish they would make up their minds ,whether to be "Trade only" or "Public" and get rid of their discount system....

Lastly you can ask your builder to "trade off" between branches of Howdens as they all need the sales and will cut each others throats to get the work.I have and have saved some clients as much as £800 for the same kitchens just by going between 2 local branches.

Somerset

poet123 wrote: »

Sorry to say, but you were a little niave not asking for the discount Howdens are famous for giving from your tradesman. We chose a kitchen, satisfied Howdens we were using a trades man, and then did all the negotiating persoanlly, and all the invoices etc, came direct to us. We did this after we had obtained a fitting quote, so that no mark up for lost revenue (from Howdens)could be applied. So not a scam, just a tradesman making a profit.

Seems to vary branch to branch then. I went to look at the units in Howdens Taunton and the bloke full stop would not deal with me or sell to me , only the tradesman. He knew I was getting it done by a fitter buying from them (ie not a DIY job) but point blank wouldn't discuss prices with me.

Can't be doing with that attitude. If they want to be that precious they can keep the units.