A fool and his money

[Neil]

Went to buy some timber today from our local branch of Travis Perkins. These days it's either impossible or a huge faff for non trade customers to check prices. I'm not unfamiliar with buying timber (too many diy projects to be unaware of what's what) and had expected the total to be around fifty quid. Imagine my surprise to find it was double that. I was so gobsmacked/flustered that I didn't have the nous to say put it back. When I got home I checked with the Wickes website, a paragon of clear descriptions and accurate pricing, and was more than a bit peeved to find that my original estimate would have been close if there had been a branch of Wickes within striking distance. can you tell i'm a bit cross with myself.

Several morals to this sad tale; one would be check the price before buying, another might be don't shop at Travis Perkins.  Grrrrrrr.

 

[Phill Dyson]

Sorry to hear that Neil........my motto tends to be (with both trade & private  sales) is  'If they can't be @rsed to price it, then I can't be @rsed to buy it'

 

[Jordan]

Sorry, but I would always check what the price is before letting them ring it through the till... and I always check the price on the shelf too, which has helped me save money twice recently -
...at B&Q I went to get some of those Knauf Extruded Styrofoam insulation boards for my next layout (just planning at the moment, honest Dear!!). The website says they are ?4.98 each. On the shelf it said ?3.48. When the chap on tills "beeped" them ?4.98 came up on the till, so I questioned it. A check with a manager got me the ?3.48 price.
Then in Toys-R-Us before Xmas I got a Lego set for my lad, and the till price came up ?5 more than the shelf price, and I queried it. Sure enough they'd left the 'Sale' price from the previous week up on the shelf by mistake, but that was the price I paid...

 

[iploffy]

Thats the sale of goods act unless there is a notice stating the prices are wrong the price you pay is the price on the shelf, I went into Model zone yesterday and there was a big sign saying they had not had time to change the prices due to the VAT hike, so they are off the hook

Ian

 

[Neil]

In my state of combined anger and embarasment yesterday I should have mentioned that Travis don't have a price on the timber racks, the hard to check I was refering to was its website. However i'm less grumpy with myself this morning as I have a scheme to claw back some of the outrageousness of the price.

 

[iploffy]

Any way Neil I personally wouldn't shop at TP or Jewsons or indeed for that matter any of the local timber or metal working merchants the simple reason is cost I would use Wickes 1st then any one else afterwards this would only change if there was a sale on at any of the others.
Ian

 

[Graham Powell]

None of the local tradesmen we've used over the years ever  bought anything at TP or Jewson's. They nearly all used a firm called Bradfords in Bilgewater. I bought some MDF in B and Q to make a toybox and was horrified at the price. Definitely be shopping around next time.
rgds
Graham Powell

 

[marsa69]

Not quite true Ian, the shelf price can be refused by the vendor if they so wish they don't have an obligation to sell at that 'shelf-price'

I just showed my wife that remark and as she is a line manager in the retail industry this is her view. In her business they are legally obliged to sell at the advertised price whether it is correct or not. Also, if they are subject to a snap check by the trading standards (and she assures me they happen quite regular), if the shelf price is wrong by ONE pence then it is a ?1000 fine for EVERY penny that the price is over,

regards,

Mark

 

[iploffy]

Open black hole step in and get swallowed, Check the EPOS regulations my wife used to work with it all they need is that the description of the item on the shelf matches the description of the goods and the retailer is duty bound to sell the goods at that price if it can be prooved that the price was wrong the retailer can be prosecuted with a fine of ?1000 for every infrindgement, Trading standards courtesy of Ed Doolan BBC WM

Ian

 

[iploffy]

It is all relevant to this topic, many moons ago I fell into this trap about prices on shelves I took pictures (for reference) and when the price diffence came up on the till I showed the store operative that the baby milk was indeed 50p and not ?7.50 as was the normal price description the same as it said on the tins we walked out with 20+ tins for the measly price of ?10+ rather than ?70+ well happy. Amazing how proof overcame ignorance. Stick by your guns ,stand your ground.

Ian

 

[marsa69]

In a nutshell, and I'm no legal expert here, it would take a very mean spirited company not to honour the shelf price. The fear of a negative press would spur 99.9% of firms/companies to honour it no matter what. Like they say, it can take a lifetime to build a good reputation but just one disgruntled shopper to ruin it. When I asked my wife further she informed me that that is what the company training package instructed. They have to honour the SEL (shelf edge label) as per the law of the land (read sales of goods I expect). All I know is, is if I have any disputes over prices I kick up a stink and spout off about SoG and the law and 'oh by the way my wife is a retail manager' and I never have a problem 

I/we could be totally wrong but I dare them to try it  ;D

 

[Simon]

Going back to the op, bad luck to Neil.

It would appear that Travis Perkins are more expensive than a lot of their competitors. Having bought out a lot of indepenents, they are by now effectively the only choice in some places unless you fancy a long drive with MDF etc sticking out of your tailgate.

In Bath they bought out Hill Leigh and prices went through the roof, especially timber. If you look around there are ususually/hopefully better and cheaper alternatives. For anyone near Bath/Bristol I can recommend Avon Plywood in Pixash Lane.

Travis Perkins are taking the p*ss, like a lot of retailers in this country of ours.

How about the "special offer two for more than the price of one" b*ll*cks that a lot of our supermarkets now try to hoodwink us all with? "Office of fair trading" - what a waste of time they are, its all part of the sick joke isn't it? Fuel prices anyone?

Sorry Cynric, back to trains

 

[Neil]

Many thanks for your forebearance chaps; equilibrium and my usual attitude to money, price and cost have returmned. That's not to say a snotty letter won't be heading to the complaints department at TP, but the wind up has now evaporated.

 

[iploffy]

I wouldn't even bother with a letter to vent my Spleen, use the best weapon you have dont got there again for VFM

Ian

 

[Neil]

I wouldn't even bother with a letter to vent my Spleen, use the best weapon you have dont got there again for VFM

Ian

Letter written and will hit the Royal Mail postal network tomorrow. As I'd like to live in a fair world I'm a firm believer of challenging inequity; if I say nothing how can I ever expect  fairness to take hold. I may not have any effect, but then again perhaps I might.

 

[3 LINK]

I have a friend who works at TP but not through choice, and he has told me that their wages are barely above the minimum wage  . So as to your hope of a reply  :scratch:, lets hope they can afford a stamp. 

Martyn.  p.s. you are lucky you did not ask for Birch ply, I thought they had put the decimal point in the wrong place !! And yes I walked away (in shock)

 

[iploffy]

there's a place in Wolverhampton called Carvers (Expensive is the name rip off is the game) you can see the timber stacked up outside in all weathers

Ian

 

[Captain Kernow]

How about the "special offer two for more than the price of one" b*ll*cks that a lot of our supermarkets now try to hoodwink us all with? "Office of fair trading" - what a waste of time they are, its all part of the sick joke isn't it? Fuel prices anyone?

I've often thought that we in this country put up with the kind of sh*t that in other parts of the world would have us manning the barricades by now....

 

[Jordan]

... in other parts of the world would have us manning the barricades by now....

Like just across the Channel..?? What helps the likes of the French farmers and truckers is that AFAIK the Police are in the same Union, so they let them get away with anything. 

 

[Simon Dunkley]

Like just across the Channel..?? What helps the likes of the French farmers and truckers is that AFAIK the Police are in the same Union, so they let them get away with anything. 

It is also a cultural thing: the French police view themselves very much as guardians of The Republic and its values, and joining together in a protest is about as much equality, fraternity and liberty as you can get.
Mind you, I suspect that the fraternity doesn't go much further than their borders, unless you are a native French speaker...