Cheapest place to buy tools online?

[alexclark]

Hey all, where do you buy your tools from?

I have recently used Tools4Trade Makita,Dewalt,Trend,Dormer,Draper,Festool,Marshalltown,3-in-1,A.E.G. Tools,ABS,Abus,Abus Spares,Advent,Aerosol,Allen,ALM,Bahco,Bailey,Bakers,Bessey,Black & Decker,Blackedge,Bosch,Bostik,Bostitch,Brennenstuhl,Britool,Briwax,Brummer,Bulldog,Byron,Campi

they are the cheapest place i have found. however, i have found their service to be shocking.

the first batch i ordered they advertised as 24-48 hours delivered....they came 11 days later

the second batch i ordered 8 items, 1 item was heavily advertised as including a free junior hacksaw which i needed (after you click into the description it says in very small writing free tool may vary) so i stupidly assumed this would come, but no a set of cheap grips came instead, they gave me rad bleed keys instead of a rad spanner key and they forgot to send 1 of the items out of the 8. and they are so slow to reply to emails.

needless to say i wont be using them again, where are you buying your tools from?

Alex

 

[Ray Stafford]

That's good Ray, so you'd take it onboard if a customer told you Rothy tools are carp??
And the high margins & rebates would not cloud your judgement?

Do a search on this site for "best boiler". You will find a complete range of opinions, with skilled and experienced blokes saying that such-and-such a brand is rubbish, and they only fit x-y-z. Then the next bloke says the complete opposite.

So which of these customers do you believe? Do you stock everything, or nothing? I've learned that its not so important to watch what people SAY, its what they DO that counts.

If we stock a completely rubbish product, no one will buy it, so it doesn't matter what our margin is - 100% of £0 is £0.

If we stock a brilliantly popular product, on which we can't make any margin, then is doesn't matter how popular it is - 0% of £1million is still £0.

Like most things in life, you have to find a balance. In some product sectors, there simply isn't a balance to be found, so we don't stock them at all.

 

[Gas]

A lot of the guys and gals on the counters around here are part time staff, doing Degrees/Masters and PHDs in the local university, you give them the number of the product and they will go get it for you, they are not paid, nor is it within their job description to start giving technical advice on products and start advising anyone on what them may or may not need for any given job.

Calling them rats just show massive contempt for your fellow man and that is nothing short of disgusting behavior.

 

[tamz]

A lot of the guys and gals on the counters around here are part time staff, doing Degrees/Masters and PHDs in the local university, you give them the number of the product and they will go get it for you, they are not paid, nor is it within their job description to start giving technical advice on products and start advising anyone on what them may or may not need for any given job.

Calling them rats just show massive contempt for your fellow man and that is nothing short of disgusting behavior.

You don't get students working part time in merchants (well none that i've ever been in) and you don't give them product numbers.
World of a difference between a merchant and a stock shifter like screwfix or the likes.

 

[Gray0689]

Ah, keeping customers & keeping customers happy getting in the way of running a successful business, eh Ray???!! Yes, sounds like the typical merchants' mantra!!
A close personal friend of mine is a Director of the best indie Plumbers' Merchants in Scotland, he asks his customers what he should stock & you can go into any of their trade counters at any time, it'll be 5 deep. A wonderful supplier & very highly respected staff. Not too strange to say they don't stock Rothy tools.

If I went to one of my customers with no choice of products, a Henry Ford model T approach to business, I'd be quickly shown the door!!!

Your telling ray how to run a plumbing merchants now
My god you really are a stupid dickie

 

[Deleted member 32524]

One thing that gets on my nerves is the fact that merchants try and pull your pants down sometimes. They give you a good price on some things then the next thing you are asking for is twice the price as a competitor. So, shopping around is a good idea. I understand the loss leader idea of the merchants and some will sell some stuff at cost or a loss to get you in and obviously buying power has a lot to do with it. Recently when I phone my local independent he gave me a quote twice the prices I paid at a national. Then today it was the other way about? Shopping around makes sense and I am sorry if it upsets the merchant me price checking them, but it is tough the now and I need to be as competitive as I can be and my bottom line has been cut and the merchant prices have only gone up!!

What about the idea of a buying co-op with the guys on here by post code and take our collective buying power to one merchant who can be trusted to offer us the best possible price or we go somewhere else.

BTW Dickie your attitude is a little coarse. You may be old but you do not know EVERYTHING. An apprentice could teach you a few things and why is that an embarrassment? Everyone learns something new everyday and may need reminded at a later date that they already knew it.

 

[Ermintrude]

Collective good idea but how do u control credit? What happens when some one ruins it?

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Cash only. No credit. The merchant would probably have to keep records of each persons purchases. Probably a bit of work for them. However, if they want the extra business they can do something, I am sure.

If you need money for material (i.e boiler swap) get customer to phone and pay merchant. This also helps keep small independent guys under the VAT threshold cos it is not money T/O through your business.

 

[Dickie]

Duncan dear boy, thanks for your valuable input. But please don't make assumptions about me, of course we learn something new every day, and I've just learned something about you today.

 

[Dickie]

A lot of the guys and gals on the counters around here are part time staff, doing Degrees/Masters and PHDs in the local university, you give them the number of the product and they will go get it for you, they are not paid, nor is it within their job description to start giving technical advice on products and start advising anyone on what them may or may not need for any given job.

Calling them rats just show massive contempt for your fellow man and that is nothing short of disgusting behavior.

Oh don't get me wrong I call them even worse than that if some spotty yoof puts the wrong fitting in a bag & it holds up my installs!!
In fairness, it's not their fault. They are poorly paid, trained & running on a low IQ.
The indies always have the best counter rats in my view.

 

[Deleted member 32524]

Duncan dear boy, thanks for your valuable input. But please don't make assumptions about me, of course we learn something new every day, and I've just learned something about you today.

What is that then dickie boy?

 

[Dickie]

What is that then dickie boy?

You clearly are giving your procurement very close scrutiny. While your idea is good, I'm sure the VAT man may not share my views?
My advice: build up a better relationship with your indie merchants, with the nationals you're just an account number.

 

[Dickie]

Your telling ray how to run a plumbing merchants now
My god you really are a stupid dickie

No dear boy it's called a debate, I think the Greeks invented the concept & extensively use by the Romans. Perhaps the concept is lost on you??

Ray is clearly receptive to other people's views & will be very successful as a result.
Good luck to him is all I can say, as the Plumbers' merchants service in the UK is generally shocking!!

 

[Ermintrude]

No dear boy it's called a debate, I think the Greeks invented the concept & extensively use by the Romans. Perhaps the concept is lost on you??

Ray is clearly receptive to other people's views & will be very successful as a result.
Good luck to him is all I can say, as the Plumbers' merchants service in the UK is generally shocking!!

Have you ever tried working in France or Austria or any part of Europe excluding uk? Our merchants are far superior ! They are miles ahead on green energy but 30 years behind with merchants !

 

[Ray Stafford]

Ray is clearly receptive to other people's views & will be very successful as a result.

Well thank goodness for that vote of confidence. I was thinking of packing the whole thing in, but now I know that Dickie approves, I have the confidence to go on.

🙂

 

[Gas]

You might want to exchange numbers, just in case there is a critical business decision, then you can always run it by dickie, a 70 odd year old OAP, if we are to believe him :lol:

 

[Dickie]

Well thank goodness for that vote of confidence. I was thinking of packing the whole thing in, but now I know that Dickie approves, I have the confidence to go on.

🙂

Good man, carry on & if you need any further advice, just send me another PM. As before, I'm always happy to help.

 

[Dickie]

Have you ever tried working in France or Austria or any part of Europe excluding uk? Our merchants are far superior ! They are miles ahead on green energy but 30 years behind with merchants !

I live part of the year in France Trudy dear boy & have business interests in Germany also.

 

[tamz]

Go to the cote d azur for the fair and have a volkswagon van :wink:

 

[Ermintrude]

I live part of the year in France Trudy dear boy & have business interests in Germany also.

Ahhh France.... So ignorant stuck up and hate the English aswell? I have business interests in Germany too...... My next SL500. So why do u bleat on about our merchants ?
Crouts have very well organised "independents" ( not really independent as all partly controlled by mrs merkel.)

 

[Dickie]

Go to the cote d azur for the fair and have a volkswagon van :wink:

Very perceptive tamz dear boy....LOL!!