Scully Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Well it was for me at least. Workmate priced some roof sheeting fixings (nails basically with rubber grommets around them) at B&Q at the weekend, which were £5.95 for a bag of twenty. The exact same nails by the same manufacturer, in the same bag and the same quantity, priced at a local builders merchants this morning, £2.15 inc VAT. 8mm OSB £9.00 per sheet; B&Q £17.95. Staggering. So all those days my poor old Dad thought he was getting a bargain on Wednesdays (pensioners discount day) he was possibly STILL paying way over the odds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 If you'd have bought those items through B&Q's Tradepoint section they'd have been cheaper, but even then nowhere near the price of the builders merchant. B&Q certainly know how to charge for what are a lot of the time sub standard products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I thought small items were free in b and q? Thats what the bags of sand are for isnt it? Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felly100 Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 I thought small items were free in b and q? Thats what the bags of sand are for isnt it? Lol Or run out with an orange bucket on your head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cant hit rabbits 123 Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 We went on a materials buying session for a recent projects. One of the team members was a graphic designer with little hands on experience (which is reasonable, given his usual tasks), he went off materials shopping and came back with a price list which was double the budget, claiming that it was as cheap as he could get it. Turns out he'd only been to B&Q, didn't know where else to go. We took him to screw fix and a local wood yard, got everything we needed for for no less than a fifth of the original price list. B&Q is genuinely one of the most over charging businesses I've ever come across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiep Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 We went on a materials buying session for a recent projects. One of the team members was a graphic designer with little hands on experience (which is reasonable, given his usual tasks), he went off materials shopping and came back with a price list which was double the budget, claiming that it was as cheap as he could get it. Turns out he'd only been to B&Q, didn't know where else to go. We took him to screw fix and a local wood yard, got everything we needed for for no less than a fifth of the original price list. B&Q is genuinely one of the most over charging businesses I've ever come across. What's even more ridiculous is that Screwfix and B&Q are the same company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 B and Q is for DIYers, who only need 10 of the 20 screws in the packet to fix their garage roof etc, £5.95 to fix your garage roof to the non trades man is a bargain. If your in the building game you will know better than to use B and Q, atb Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 B and Q is for DIYers, who only need 10 of the 20 screws in the packet to fix their garage roof etc, £5.95 to fix your garage roof to the non trades man is a bargain. If your in the building game you will know better than to use B and Q, Fair enough. We're in the construction business and only trade with trade outlets; which is probably why I wasn't aware there was such a huge mark up on B&Q's prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 To be fair to B&Q, they provide shops that are a nice experience (apart from being fleeced), they are well laid out, they are all accessable in convenient locations and open for extended hours. That convenience has to come at a cost. For people used to using trade outlets they are fine, but for your average punter they are intimidating places. Full of you gnarly builder types who scoff at the ridiculous hapless DIY'ers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 To be fair to B&Q, they provide shops that are a nice experience (apart from being fleeced), they are well laid out, they are all accessable in convenient locations and open for extended hours. That convenience has to come at a cost. For people used to using trade outlets they are fine, but for your average punter they are intimidating places. Full of you gnarly builder types who scoff at the ridiculous hapless DIY'ers I work in a builders yard and we get lots of older people popping in,we treat them way better than b&q,today i had an old boy with a walking stick and his wife, they only wanted a couple of pieces 200x25 pse and a few bits of 2x1 pse,nothing to much trouble for them,chose the wood, cut it, put it in their car for them all the while having a chat and a laugh.Lets see that happening in b&q. We do have some builder characters in but we get a lot women in looking for bits and pieces and couples looking for stuff,they are always happy with the help given ,we can tell them what is the better product,advise what they need(plaster board is not just one size /shape/composition.) and i think most like that there is a person that will pay attention and help them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grrclark Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 My reply was tongue in cheek really, I think that most trade counters are actually really helpful and staffed by good guys. You also typically get good advice, much more than can be said for DIY sheds. I should have made that much clearer. I do genuinely think that some people are intimidated by builders yards, but for no real reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sle Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I find b&q tradepoint prices hard to beat with most bigger items, the independents round here might do some bits cheaper but then fleece you stupid on the little. I get sick of arguing every time I go into a small independent for gear. No one is as bad as tra is Perkins and wolesley companies though, it is there companies policy to try and con people as much as possible. Toolstation is the only place to buy smaller stuff at good prices now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) B+Q started out being a discount operation but those days are long gone now. Homebase is even worse! Thank heaven for Toolstation and Screwfix. although Wickes is not bad. I go to Selco most of the time now. Edited February 5, 2015 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 B&Q is genuinely one of the most over charging businesses I've ever come across. Never been to Halfords or Maplin then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Bu Le Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 We have a place up here called Ability, its a trade and DIY'er place. Everyone pays the same price. They don't have the same range as B & Screwit but what they do have is at least half B&Q's price. For anyone n the area it's on the Leechmere industrial estate in Sunderland, near Emiliy's nursery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Close to where I live is Bishopston Hardware. An up to date version of an old fashioned ironmongers. An Aladdin's cave. You can buy as little or as much as you want, for example one anchor bolt and not a pack of two or four. Paint is mixed and wood cut to size for free. Bags of sand and cement, plastic sheeting, pipe work etc And everything is cheaper than at the B&Q's and larger outlets. Owner occupied with staff who know their business. No wonder it's popular with trade and retail customers alike. Sadly, in major cities such gems are disappearing all too quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubby Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 A pack of 10 M8 steel washers are £1.98 at B & Q.Alternatively you could drill a hole into ten 10p pieces, thus saving 98p.As 2p pieces are now also copper coated steel you could drill & use those to save £1.78.Unfortunately its illegal to deface the currency by drilling into it, but then its pretty criminal charging 19.8p for a steel washer, that's a rate of £2.83 Million/Ton for steel thats worth about £100/Ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Well it was for me at least. Workmate priced some roof sheeting fixings (nails basically with rubber grommets around them) at B&Q at the weekend, which were £5.95 for a bag of twenty. The exact same nails by the same manufacturer, in the same bag and the same quantity, priced at a local builders merchants this morning, £2.15 inc VAT. 8mm OSB £9.00 per sheet; B&Q £17.95. Staggering. So all those days my poor old Dad thought he was getting a bargain on Wednesdays (pensioners discount day) he was possibly STILL paying way over the odds. I noticed these criminal charges with DIY stores in general around 15-20 years ago, in the days when you could still walk into a haberdashery it was possible to ask for pretty random stuff and be able to receive good advice and pay around a tenth of what B&Q charges and have the choice of buying just what you needed instead of whole packs. Places like B&Q are basically the non edible equivalent of your Tesco and Sainsbury which drove out small businesses and then proceeded to look only at growing their balance sheets year on year, the very ugly face of big business. They too will eventually get the Tesco kipper in daface slap, why someone hasn't thought of a haberdashery franchise is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett1985 Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 ive yet to find a local yard that can match the discount i get at B&Q on wood with my tradepoint card. and they are the cheapest by far for kitchen units with my tradepoint card as well. bare in mind that all tradepoint cards are set up differently depending on what your line of work is. i use a merchants for any building bits (blocks, mortar etc) as when in tried using my tradepoint card to get discount on those, the price actually went UP not down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannon Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Brett whoever told you that is talking nonsense. The trade you are associated with is linked to your card, but a plumber or a builder can buy the same items at the same price regardless of their core trade. The reason why the price may have went up is because there is likely to be a Screwfix within 10 miles or so of the B&Q you use. Screwfix and Tradepoint are the same. Even Tradepoints supplies come in Screwfix boxes sometimes. Screwfix and Tradepoint often play off each other to keep custom flowing between the two outlets. One day a drill could be £50 in B&Q and £80 in Screwfix, then the next day they could be reversed. It is also possible that if the Tradepoint sales outweigh the retail sales, the Tradepoint prices are raised above retail prices so that people buy the items without their trade cards, thus increasing the retail sales figures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 i rarely use b&q anymore unless it's the weekend, i always seem to get a better deal from keyline or s&m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Heres my local B&Q Edited February 5, 2015 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett1985 Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Brett whoever told you that is talking nonsense. The trade you are associated with is linked to your card, but a plumber or a builder can buy the same items at the same price regardless of their core trade. The reason why the price may have went up is because there is likely to be a Screwfix within 10 miles or so of the B&Q you use. Screwfix and Tradepoint are the same. Even Tradepoints supplies come in Screwfix boxes sometimes. Screwfix and Tradepoint often play off each other to keep custom flowing between the two outlets. One day a drill could be £50 in B&Q and £80 in Screwfix, then the next day they could be reversed. It is also possible that if the Tradepoint sales outweigh the retail sales, the Tradepoint prices are raised above retail prices so that people buy the items without their trade cards, thus increasing the retail sales figures. it was B&Q who told me that after i questioned why when i bought some flooring in there for £32 a pack with my tradepoint card, i sent a friend to pick some more up as i was running low and needed to get the floor finished and he used his card and got it for £28 a pack. i wouldnt mind usually but 4 quid a pack difference is taking the ****... I guess the lad in B&Q must have been trying to lie his way out of an awkward situation... Got a bargain in there a couple of weeks ago though... 4x2 cls, 2.4 meter lengths, .98p each. Lord knows how it ended up being that cheap... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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