Cheap taps. showers etc on Internet

allan673

we saw some bathroom taps in b and q for the bath and sink.
they were the cirque chrome taps and were £150 in total. i decided to try ebay for the same taps and i got both pairs for £75 delivered. they were brand new/sealed in a b and q box identical.
it does pay to shop around for the same brand.

andrew-b

wouldn't call B&Q a "brand" though ..if their taps are anything like their cirque range of bathroom accessories they probably won't be very well designed (my b&q cirque bog roll holder doesn't accomodate a whole bog roll and allow it to be unrolled properly).

foreign_correspondent

bundly wrote: »

I was amazed to see that (brand new) trendy and antique style taps and showers on ebay and online plumbing merchants cost much less than those in brick-and-mortar shops. For example I am looking at a shower which includes both a rain head and a handheld for £150 instead of £300-£400.

However, my builder is of the opinion that these "internet taps" are shoddy and that I will regret getting something cheap that will corrode or leak or whatever. The online showers often do have 12 months or even ten years guarantee. Once it's fitted it's hard to claim back on a guarantee plus of course costs more money to get the builder back in to uninstall it to send it back and then what -- must replace it instantly while awaiting refund. Plus online sellers might have disappeared by the time I make any claim.

So I am in a dilemma!

It goes against MSE prinipals to pay double for something unecessarily, if the quality is no different and plumbers merchants are just profiteering but on the other hand, if the goods are "shoddy" then it could cost more in the long run if I have to replace the shower after a year when it should last at least ten.

Can anyone help?

PS the builder isn't just pitching to supply, he is happy for me to buy the shower myself.

I have just bought online bathroom stuff for my dad - I think if you go for a reasonable brand like Mira, you are unlikely to have problems, but I would avoid unbranded stuff!

For added security look at some reputable online sellers, or ebay sellers with high feedback and power sellers etc...

andyhop

andrew-b wrote: »

wouldn't call B&Q a "brand" though ..if their taps are anything like their cirque range of bathroom accessories they probably won't be very well designed (my b&q cirque bog roll holder doesn't accomodate a whole bog roll and allow it to be unrolled properly).

Some of the B&Q range of taps are made by Damixa which is a division of Bristan

bundly

misskool wrote: »

I've got a plumber's merchant to price match the internet. I had printouts of everything and said I'll buy everything off you (taps, basin, WC, shower) if you price match from all the different stores. I added delivery (most of the internet ones charge £20 upwards)

What a bloody brilliant idea!

steveholding

We bought online at bathroomsni.co.uk and everything was delivered on time at a fraction of the cost and yes branded items..... suppose depends where you shop?