Material prices

[Furniss]

One of the reasons I stopped using Markos, after using them for pretty much everything. Started having to go through every invoice to check they had the right prices. I pointed out errors when booking bits out and still got it wrong

Oh dont get me going - took me for thousands one year ... it goes like this 1. get quote on materials 2. accept and get delivery 3. month later just order same and get delivery dont ask for quote 4. check invoices much later and find they have gone back up to non discount prices and done you for thousands ...
Ask to see rep and he's left ... gone to another outfit I saw C#@t out somewhere and he had the neck to come across to say hi and try shake my hand !

 

[DaveDCB]

One of the reasons I stopped using Markos, after using them for pretty much everything. Started having to go through every invoice to check they had the right prices. I pointed out errors when booking bits out and still got it wrong

They ALL do this! It has to be on purpose, probably make nothing on these heavily discounted quotes but then win it all back (and some!) when your not paying attention!

 

[Giles]

Yeah I’ve learnt this did a cost spreadsheet on a job to actually make sure my pricing was right so entered everything I’d had into excel across 7 months, few emails later I had £1500 credit on my account from where they’d missed the discounts off. I’d do a fair bit with them as well £20k a month credit limit but still have to fight them

 

[6feetdown]

I don't know if it's the case for all but between some merchants and suppliers it's a weird setup. Pipe supplier sets your discount up with said merchant but merchant pays more for stock off them than what you pay for what you get. Merchant then claims back the difference at month end or quarterly. So when you go in and get your 80% discount the merchant might have paid 50% of list price for what you getting. Tax fiddle?

I'm pretty sure plasterboard is similar as I think they work on rebates too

 

[pettsy]

Yeah I’ve learnt this did a cost spreadsheet on a job to actually make sure my pricing was right so entered everything I’d had into excel across 7 months, few emails later I had £1500 credit on my account from where they’d missed the discounts off. I’d do a fair bit with them as well £20k a month credit limit but still have to fight them

They had a “new computer system”, so gave them the benefit of the doubt for a couple of months but when it didn’t improve I went elsewhere. I wasnt a big customer, probably only 5k a month but took them over a year to email and ask why I’d stopped using them!!

 

[hiluxman]

They had a “new computer system”, so gave them the benefit of the doubt for a couple of months but when it didn’t improve I went elsewhere. I wasnt a big customer, probably only 5k a month but took them over a year to email and ask why I’d stopped using them!!

It's a continual fight with any merchant....just another thing to make the life of small companies hard.

 

[Brendan]

Concrete for mine was around £86 plus vat m3, it has risen by a fair few quid since though think the last quote was closer to 100 plus vat.

The plastic express drainage is fairly decent, although some fittings are annoying bottle gulley's and riser don't have a seal so will have to use some sealant and it's the same with the back inlet gully the rear side you just slot the pipe into but again no seal. Their pipes are only marginally cheaper than Toolstation or Screwfix but the fittings are far cheaper.
No idea what tp charge but don't get any decent discounts and even then when they look at the prices and "sort" them for better rates they revert to same crap rates and then having to sort refunds and payments as they can't keep prices latest was 7n solid dense blocks they dropped them to £10.82 m2and went back for more to be charged a few pennies short of £20 m2

 

[Vinpetrol]

All my conc since Xmas been over a ton per m2

 

[Vinpetrol]

Also TP main supplier and also pulled all the stunts mentioned above. Only use them if I have to now and stick to specialist drainage outlets for all pipes and fittings

 

[GazCro]

Also TP main supplier and also pulled all the stunts mentioned above. Only use them if I have to now and stick to specialist drainage outlets for all pipes and fittings

I was told yonks ago tp staff are told to tell you one price at counter and to charge you more on invoices now and again see if you notice. It'll be surprising how much they'll get away with. Despite being my nearest merchant literally 2 mins down the road instead of 20 mile away like any others i used them so rarely they closed my account and i don't miss it one bit.

 

[Brendan]

I was told yonks ago tp staff are told to tell you one price at counter and to charge you more on invoices now and again see if you notice. It'll be surprising how much they'll get away with. Despite being my nearest merchant literally 2 mins down the road instead of 20 mile away like any others i used them so rarely they closed my account and i don't miss it one bit.

Grs did the same with my account closed it due to not being used much lately and have to re apply which takes a few days but also meant paying best part of a extra £15 a ton more to collect local rather than the quarry for ballast and pea gravel bit was stuck and needed it

 

[bobthebuilder]

every time i ask for a price i get it emailed to me ,you have your copy.100mm conc blocks last week 8.90 a meter

 

[Brendan]

every time i ask for a price i get it emailed to me ,you have your copy.100mm conc blocks last week 8.90 a meter

Literally showed them the price on a receipt that I paid literally couple of hours before and still doubled the cost.
That's a cracking price for blocks I don't know anyone getting close to that

 

[bobthebuilder]

Literally showed them the price on a receipt that I paid literally couple of hours before and still doubled the cost.
That's a cracking price for blocks I don't know anyone getting close to that

castle blocks cardiff

 

[craig]

It cheeses me off when firms close your account because you`ve not used them for x months

 

[bobthebuilder]

It cheeses me off when firms close your account because you`ve not used them for x months

had to renew my jewsons account this week cause i hadnt used it for 12 months ,when asked why ,i said too fluffing dear.

 

[GazCro]

Literally showed them the price on a receipt that I paid literally couple of hours before and still doubled the cost.
That's a cracking price for blocks I don't know anyone getting close to that

Blocks must be similar price to that here now. I got mine in before Christmas to beat 20% increase at £7.25 a meter.

 

[GazCro]

It cheeses me off when firms close your account because you`ve not used them for x months

To be fair they close them as folk prey on unused accounts to book stuff down to (dodgy staff be in on it likely). It's the hassle of reopening that gets me.

 

[fred]

Literally showed them the price on a receipt that I paid literally couple of hours before and still doubled the cost.
That's a cracking price for blocks I don't know anyone getting close to that

9.50 m2 for 7n's

 

[Smiffy]

To be fair they close them as folk prey on unused accounts to book stuff down to (dodgy staff be in on it likely). It's the hassle of reopening that gets me.

I was told that the credit on your account isn't actually with the big merchants. It's with a pending company via them and therefore thy have to pay to register your account. If it isn't being used they still get a charge from the lending company for your account.
Don't know how true it is but was the excuse used by one of the big merchants.