# B&Q trade point counter rant



## tsb (9 Jan 2011)

This is what happened to me, at my local B&Q today. 

I needed a toilet siphon and found one in the trade point catalogue for £4.25 +vat. I went into the store, picked one up off the shelf (there was approx. 2 dozen in stock) but they were priced at £14.95. I went to the trade counter with my trade card in hand, and was told the price was £14.95. I pointed out to the cashier, on the laminated trade catalogue on the counter, the price of the said item was £4.25 +vat. "Oh" he replied "If you want that one, you have to order it and we'll get it in for tomorrow". I pointed out that the one in my hand was exactly the same, same make, same model and there was about 2 dozen on the shelf. Sensing that I wasn't satisfied with the stupidity of the situation, he called a manager over who proceeded to repeat the policy that if I wanted the 'trade counter priced' siphon, I would have to order for collection tomorrow. To which I replied "So what you are telling me is that if I want to purchase a siphon that is the same make and model as the one in my hand at the trade counter price, then I would have to pay up front for it, come back tomorrow and collect the same siphon which would be in a different packet, with a different barcode on, which you would have had specially delivered into store overnight". "Yes" was the reply. 

Now has the world gone completely mad, or is it me? Does this make any sense to anyone? 

By the way, I put the siphon back on the counter, shook my head in despair and left the store having told them to "stuff it"


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## Hudson Carpentry (9 Jan 2011)

Its stupid! should have gone straight to Toolstation first!

I blame you for shopping at a place nicknamed b&poo hehe


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## Jamesc (10 Jan 2011)

I personally would like to boycott them altogether, sadly practicality means that they are local and means that I can get the job done. 

Mind you if I am not in a blazing hurry I will walk out if I have to use the ***!!!??**(substitute your favorite expletive) automated checkouts. What complete numpty came up with that idea, they never work properly. We normally have 4 staff trouble shooting the automated checkouts whilst the staffed ones are left empty. (hammer) 

James


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## Hudson Carpentry (10 Jan 2011)

Them automated checkouts are a pain in supermarkets to. I hate them.


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## whacky (11 Jan 2011)

I think I may have purchased the one for £14 and ordered the cheaper one and then come back and got my £14 refunded a couple of days later.

Beat them at their own game silly ruled game


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## chrisjufootdo (29 Feb 2016)

B&Q should be investigated, some products in the trade book have no discount, when you point it out they tell you not everything in the trade book is trade.

Chris


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## worn thumbs (29 Feb 2016)

I don't have their trade card.I also regard them as the supplier of last resort,partly for the reasons above.


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## blackrodd (29 Feb 2016)

whacky":qnfvnx0d said:


> I think I may have purchased the one for £14 and ordered the cheaper one and then come back and got my £14 refunded a couple of days later.
> 
> Beat them at their own game silly ruled game


 +1 For the above, I like you're sneaky thinking!
Rodders


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## sitefive (29 Feb 2016)

have to agree that store is just terrible, but they sometimes do have some decent offers, just last week I picked up laminate for £3m2 on clearance which turned out to be probably worth at least £6m2 in other stores, along they had some paint & paint sample clearance, picked up 10 samples for total of £1 and in the end got the perfect colour for another £10.

The ''trade'' center they have is just riddicilous tho, why would I waste my time with them when I can pickup the same stuff at toolstation for even less without any messing around.

85% of my shopping is done at toolstation/10% at screwfix and 5% at B&Q for the stuff that others don't stock


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## NazNomad (29 Feb 2016)

The B&Q in Aberystwyth is finally closing down ... and good riddance to 'em.


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## Monkey Mark (1 Mar 2016)

I try to avoid b&poo though i do use screwfix which is the same company. 
Toolstation is often cheaper but screwfix is right on my doorstep.


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## RogerS (1 Mar 2016)

Hudson Carpentry":1timvy07 said:


> Them automated checkouts are a pain in supermarkets to. I hate them.



Oooh, I dunno. I like to play what I call the Nanny Nag game at Waitrose's. You know...Nanny Nag...'Please put your item in the bag' 'Please scan your next item'. The aim of the game is to get through the entire transaction without Nanny Nag uttering a single word. It's tricky. You have to plan ahead with military precision. One false step and up she pops. But the sense of achievement when you manage it!


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## NickWelford (1 Mar 2016)

I didn't think waitrose had those automated self scanning checkouts. I thought they had the self scan handsets that they trust you to scan everything. Much more civilised.


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## Phil Pascoe (1 Mar 2016)

I suppose I'm lucky - within a few miles I've a good builder's merchant, a very good plumber's merchant, three electrical wholesalers, a Screwfix - and three independent retailers all of whom are better than those. A few miles the other direction is a Toolstation, a Wickes, a Homebase, a Travis Perkins. A mile up the road is a timber merchant that's excellent for structural stuff. B&Q comes pretty low down the list ... so low, in fact, that it doesn't even get on it.


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## t8hants (1 Mar 2016)

I shall long treasure my wife's first encounter with the DIY checkout, when suggest she use the facility her reply was "I came here for service, not to be an unpaid part-time employee"


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## RogerS (1 Mar 2016)

NickWelford":375iy7xg said:


> I didn't think waitrose had those automated self scanning checkouts. I thought they had the self scan handsets that they trust you to scan everything. Much more civilised.



It depends on the branch. Quick Check (which is the system you're referring to) is only available in some branches. As are the self-scan ones we're talking about. A bit miffed that they changed the Quick Check end-point terminals a while back. So now, if you are buying booze then you have to wait for an assistant to come along to check your birth certificate and dog licence.


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## lurker (1 Mar 2016)

Hudson Carpentry":3hxlgk5u said:


> Them automated checkouts are a pain in supermarkets to. I hate them.



I refuse to use them
If everyone did the same they would soon disappear
However the retailer's know most of the population are a bunch of sheep


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## RogerS (1 Mar 2016)

lurker":38wmdi95 said:


> Hudson Carpentry":38wmdi95 said:
> 
> 
> > Them automated checkouts are a pain in supermarkets to. I hate them.
> ...



Not necessarily. If it's a toss-up between me being in and out quickly as opposed to waiting in a queue for an extra ten minutes then I'll go the self-scan route. And as I said...I play the Nanny Nag game.


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## Harbo (1 Mar 2016)

We use the self scanning hand sets at Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose - saves a lot of time and hassle especially as you don't have to repack.
Downside is when you get pulled in for a rescan but that happens very rarely. 
I do hate the self scanning terminals though - most places only allow that for basket loads?

Rod


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## DiscoStu (1 Mar 2016)

I think you hit the issue with the original post. The bar code would be different. If they sold that to you as the trade item it would screw the stock control. You won't get that issue in a small shop, but I can understand it. I can also understand the frustration.

However it's not always big shops that are bizzare. I recently went for breakfast with a few friends. We were at a coffee shop / cafe that was on a small farm. We had breakfast and decide to go to one of the friends houses. On the counter they had cake slides for sale. I asked them how much it would be for a whole cake. The young girl went off to speak to someone and came back and said that they couldn't sell the whole cake because they would have nothing left for anyone else that wanted to buy it!


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## Phil Pascoe (1 Mar 2016)

Could I have a ham sandwich, please? Certainly sir.
And a sausage egg and chips? Certainly sir.
... and I'll have a ham, egg and chips, please. Sorry, no, sir.
Why not? It's not on the menu.


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## Phil Pascoe (1 Mar 2016)

Stu - that's rather like asking for the last one they've got, which is in the window display. Oh, that's fine, I'll have that one. No problem. Sorry, you can't have that one - it'll spoil the window display.


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## DiscoStu (1 Mar 2016)

I had exactly that with a desk once, it was on display in MFI (many years ago) and they wouldn't sell it to me as it was the last one and if I bought it then nobody else would be able to buy one!


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## Ali (1 Mar 2016)

What was the price of the same item in screwfix? I used to have to go to the next town for screwfix but now they have opened up a branch practically next to the b&q, same stock, completely different prices!! 

I used to work in comet as a student and used to always get aggro from customers when we wouldn't sell the display model. Company policy was that if you sold the display model, you can't sell any of the same model later... Well look where that policy got comet :? :? :lol:


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## Racers (1 Mar 2016)

phil.p":2d5esdpw said:


> Could I have a ham sandwich, please? Certainly sir.
> And a sausage egg and chips? Certainly sir.
> ... and I'll have a ham, egg and chips, please. Sorry, no, sir.
> Why not? It's not on the menu.




Only one way to go in that situation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eREiQhBDIk

Pete


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## dickm (1 Mar 2016)

Living out in the sticks, it should be a problem getting supplies. But our village garage is an Aladdin's cave for plumbing, electrical, gardening, cycling and general ironmongery. As well as usually being cheaper than most bar Screwfix. Long may you reign, Jimmy D.


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