Worktop man wants 1/3 upfront to avoid price hike

keystone

Tom_Jones wrote: »

The simple question I would ask is they originally quoted £3600 and didn't ask for a deposit, they then have a supplier price hike approx £400, and they ask for between £1200/1400 as a deposit. Why ?

I'm amazed its not obvious to you!

Cheers

dander

I can understand where he's coming from - I run a small internet business and accepting credit cards is neccessary but it's incredibly expensive. To get the facility to accept cards without using internet payment providers involves complicated set up and special bank accounts.

If you are keen to go with this supplier but you don't want to part with the cash, I would suggest you either ...
1/ Suck up the price increase and just pay when you're ready at the new price
2/ Ask if he's got a paypal account that you could use to pay him by CC (but the charge on paypal is a few % which it would be reasonable to expect you to pay)
3/ Ask if it's possible to pay the deposit direct to Staron - who might accept your CC.

One more option occurs - do you have space to order and take delivery of the worktop immediately - then you'd have the goods, and you can just pay him to fit in when he's ready.

dander

Tom_Jones wrote: »

The simple question I would ask is they originally quoted £3600 and didn't ask for a deposit, they then have a supplier price hike approx £400, and they ask for between £1200/1400 as a deposit. Why ?

Because originally he wouldn't have ordered the worktop until he took the money when the OP was ready. Now he has to order immediately to get the lower price.

keystone

This is soooo simple. Staron are a supplier to him just as he is a supplier to you. He needs to pay something to Staron to secure the product at the current price level before the increase. If he doesn't do that then the product price will go up and then either he has to swallow the difference and damage his margins or he passes the increase on.

The delay, I am afraid, is on your side not his and I see no reason why he should pick up the tab for that or tie up his cash waiting for you.

It therefore seems perfectly reasonable to ask you to pay something up front in order to secure the product at the current price level. Your choice is either to say OK or to say no and accept the inevitablity of a price increase. He is actually trying to help you!! The payment mechanism is, however, a different issue.

Cheers

Edit - Typing as Dander was so doing.

sheslookinhot

I have my new kitchen installed waiting on granite worktops. I have agreed a price and a fitting date for the worktops. The granite supplier has not asked for a penny until I am happy with the installation.

keystone

sheslookinhot wrote: »

I have my new kitchen installed waiting on granite worktops. I have agreed a price and a fitting date for the worktops. The granite supplier has not asked for a penny until I am happy with the installation.

Thats probably because HIS supplier has not told him of an imminent price increase.

Cheers

CKdesigner

phill99 wrote: »

In terms of the OP, I would suggest going to the Starton Supplier and buying it diectly from them, have it delivered to you. Therefore the contract is between you and the Staron Supplier. Then just employ the fitter to install it.

dander wrote: »

One more option occurs - do you have space to order and take delivery of the worktop immediately - then you'd have the goods, and you can just pay him to fit in when he's ready.

Hi

Neither of these suggestions are an option as Starion is a product like Corian, this is suppled in I think 6mm sheets only to certified fabricators that have been vetted and are deemed capable of working with the material. The material is only cut, shaped, moulded and formed into worktops, in this case, after the area has been templated, which can only be done after the customers cabinetry has been fitted. (The OP still hasen't ordered their kitchen yet).

Phill99 I completely agree with you, the supplier is probably a small business just trying to make a living, but the thing is with this type of product usually the end user would be purchasing it from the kitchen specialist as part of the kitchen project, therefore a single deposit to the kitchen specialist would have covered everything. Also the kitchen specialist is used to dealing with the fabricator and vice versa.

CK

RX-78

Could you not, jointly with the work top fitter order the material (using CC) to be delivered to the fitter? That way he's ordering (and therefore Starion can supply) but you are using your CC to buy it. This still runs a risk of fitter running away with the product (I assume it will have to be delivered to him) but far more difficult and less profitable for him to cash it in.

keystone

RX-78 wrote: »

Could you not, jointly with the work top fitter order the material (using CC) to be delivered to the fitter? That way he's ordering (and therefore Starion can supply) but you are using your CC to buy it. This still runs a risk of fitter running away with the product (I assume it will have to be delivered to him) but far more difficult and less profitable for him to cash it in.

RX

Suggest you re-read Post # 18.

Cheers

RX-78

keystone wrote: »

RX

Suggest you re-read Post # 18.

Cheers

I did. Hence the suggestion of the work top man ordering but the OP using his CC (as in the fitter picks up the phone to place order, at the payment bit the fitter hands the phone over to the OP who uses his CC to pay, then hands over the phone back to the fitter). The worktop will be supplied to the fitter (not OP) but OP will atleast be able to pay with CC.

Not sure if this will work though.