kitchen discounts (Howdens)

CKdesigner

WannaBLoaded wrote: »

Great mentality, i agree.

By the way, you seem to offer free kitchen designs.

I want a free kitchen design but i am going to buy my kitchen from howdens.

Just want the design.

Can you be round by 9am please?

:rotfl:

And your point is?

Please don't take this the wrong way but I don't think you are taking this very seriously. Howdens have a business model that is designed to deceive customers! Now this may not be much of an issue in some business sectors but in the kitchen industry I think it is disgusting. purchasing a new kitchen is one of life's most important purchases, far more important than purchasing a car for instance, but there is far more legislation that car retailers have to comply with in order to protect the consumer than there ever is in the kitchen industry.

Now I'm not saying there should be more legislation, as actually I think there is in general too much legislation in life, but unfortunately too many companies like Howdens operate in the kitchen industry and are left alone to get on with their very dubious business practices. And who suffers for this in the end?

We work closely with several German companies and it's amazing how in Germany things are very different. The German market is dominated by Independents not national companies and these Independents are highly regarded professional companies by the communities they are in and kitchen designers are regarded as very professional people on same level as Architects!

CK

woodbutcher_2

Hmm! I think it's a moot point whether Howdens deliberately set out to deceive customers but others may think differently.

Gastines3

Just bought all my kitchen units from Howdens during the October Sale offer. Went in with list of what I required,given the total price 10 minutes later,paid,and it was delivered 2 days later.Constructed units,all pre-wrapped.Beating other TRADE supliers by a substantial amount. One other company took 4 days to get me a price,I had to phone them,then on hearing I had bought elsewhere offered a further discount. The obvious way how not to get business.

adamg

Didn't Howdens get investigated for fraud a couple of years ago as they were printing off invoices with one price on then refunding and re selling at a lower price for the tradesman, he would then have a invoice in his hand (instead of a quote) to show the customer to pretend he was not ripping them off. The practice is widespread throughout all Howdens branches. So in response to the original poster, reading the comments above is this the place you wish to give your money to?

john_white

adamg wrote: »

Didn't Howdens get investigated for fraud a couple of years ago as they were printing off invoices with one price on then refunding and re selling at a lower price for the tradesman, he would then have a invoice in his hand (instead of a quote) to show the customer to pretend he was not ripping them off. The practice is widespread throughout all Howdens branches. So in response to the original poster, reading the comments above is this the place you wish to give your money to?

It's quite common for trade accounts to have discounts as a rebate on their account rather than show on the invoice. It's an open question as to how moral this this, if the tradesman is saying you can have it for cost here's the invoice ...


For me Howdens discounts are crazy but, I just look at the net price. For me they came out, measured, listed what I needed, priced it up same day, made numerous changes at my request, gave a good price, delivered for free within a couple of days.


Regarding setting out to decieve customers, how many customers are just looking for a free design and list of parts then buy online? Is that not decieving the company if they have no intention of buying?


One could argue that any business that does not offer their lowest and best price first is decieving the customer. So if you've ever negotiated a lower price then that company must be trying to decieve you?

ManofLeisure_2

CKdesigner wrote: »

kitchen designers are regarded as very professional people on same level as Architects!

CK

As an Architect I'm afraid I wouldn't agree. Crikey, I'm lost for words lol

CKdesigner

ManofLeisure wrote: »

As an Architect I'm afraid I wouldn't agree. Crikey, I'm lost for words lol

In Germany I said.

Meepster

I'm glad I finally escaped from a mega-discounting, over-inflated "list price" company.

Happy to be selling kitchens for what they're worth again, instead of having to show what a great deal people were getting with all those huge savings...the sooner the sales philosophy leaves the UK kitchen market, the better!

leveller2911

Howdens have one of their "sale" months in October and I am curious to know how they haven't been investigated.

To be a genuine sale you have to advertise a product at an "original" price for 28 days or more and then reduce the price to a "sale" price.
Now , I have never really known what my discount level was from one year to the next so how do I ever know I actually have an extra "sale" discount?.

Howdens business model is one of smoke and mirrors, they go the extra mile to try and confuse the customer which should set the alarm bells ringing.If they were 2nd hand car salesmen would people really buy a car from them given their business model?.

I have trade accounts right across the industry and they are the only company that use this model. What also makes me laugh is how branches undercut other branches, its quite laughable.

There are far better products at cheaper prices from other companies in the UK and I've had an account with them for 20yrs but they rarely get any business from me now and their "kitchen designers" are nothing of the sort.

I've never known another company who phone you and threaten to delete your account if you don't buy anything form them for 12 months.. I was told I had to buy something,anything, even a box of screws would keep my account active.:rotfl:

In the trade they are seen as being a bit of a joke now which is a shame ,go back 15-20yrs and they were a decent company but now they are just above Vance Miller .......

Doozergirl

leveller2911 wrote: »

Howdens have one of their "sale" months in October and I am curious to know how they haven't been investigated.

To be a genuine sale you have to advertise a product at an "original" price for 28 days or more and then reduce the price to a "sale" price.
Now , I have never really known what my discount level was from one year to the next so how do I ever know I actually have an extra "sale" discount?.

Howdens business model is one of smoke and mirrors, they go the extra mile to try and confuse the customer which should set the alarm bells ringing.If they were 2nd hand car salesmen would people really buy a car from them given their business model?.

I have trade accounts right across the industry and they are the only company that use this model. What also makes me laugh is how branches undercut other branches, its quite laughable.

There are far better products at cheaper prices from other companies in the UK and I've had an account with them for 20yrs but they rarely get any business from me now and their "kitchen designers" are nothing of the sort.

I've never known another company who phone you and threaten to delete your account if you don't buy anything form them for 12 months.. I was told I had to buy something,anything, even a box of screws would keep my account active.:rotfl:

In the trade they are seen as being a bit of a joke now which is a shame ,go back 15-20yrs and they were a decent company but now they are just above Vance Miller .......

Inclined to agree. We stopped using Howdens over a year ago when someone who wasn't even a customer managed to get a significantly better deal on a kitchen than we could. And we have put thousands upon thousands their way.

One of our chippies was telling them off on Wednesday for something similar. They quoted without even asking who was calling.

We've been buying mainly bespoke joinery over the last 18 months but are being pursued by a different branch - I walked onto site this morning to find everyone wearing Howdens branded t-shirts! H has a small kitchen to buy for a commercial client. I've told him to see what the two branches offer but only because it seems like this new branch might value our business.