# Are Travis and Perkins having a laugh



## Richard S (30 Oct 2007)

Called into Travis and Perkins Northampton today and for two boards of planed Meranti 210mm x 19mm x 5.1M I was quoted ..................................£364 PLUS VAT!!!!, now i realise I was in my work clothes and therefor somewhat smarter than my woodworking clothes, so I probably looked like a good victim to the irk behind the counter. However by my calculations that works out at £250 plus vat per cubic foot. Are you sure says I, "yeah" grunts the kid behind the counter.

I know I should have followed my own instincts and kept away from the place, I've never received good or even satisfactory service here, I know its aimed at the trade but they open the doors to the public and are prepared to take my money, only not on this occasion.

Sorry to rant on but this episode has left me somewhat aghast and almost, as I'm sure you can tell, lost for words, or have I got it completely wrong.

Richard


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## Lark (30 Oct 2007)

the travis perkins from daventry seems ok dunno about prices but for what i wanted was ok....


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## Slim (30 Oct 2007)

Richard S":21h03ugr said:


> or have I got it completely wrong.



No, you are right, that is £250 a cube. That price cannot be right. It is probably expected to pay a premium for a piece as long as 5.1m but that is ridiculous.


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## WellsWood (30 Oct 2007)

Clearly an error somewhere in there, there's no way that can be right.
I find TPs prices generally quite good, although they can vary subsantially from branch to branch depending on who you talk to, what mood they're in, and how much discount they feel like giving you on the standard price shown on their computer. I have adopted a policy of ringing round a few branches for prices, then quoting the lowest one to my nearest/most convenient branch - usually it's a case of "yeah I can do it for that".
£36 a metre is just ridiculous though, I think I would have asked a more senior member of stafff to check it.


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## JPEC (31 Oct 2007)

Travis tend to price stuff by the hundred metre. I think that must be what you were quoted.
Travis Perkins are not cheap for hardwood because they have it supplied by local hardwood merchants and mark up the price, but that seems a tad over the top!! :shock: 
Julian


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## BradNaylor (31 Oct 2007)

JPEC":1f7k903d said:


> Travis Perkins are not cheap for hardwood because they have it supplied by local hardwood merchants and mark up the price



That's right.

A timber merchent I use occasionally in Manchester supplies TP depots all over the north west. I pay the same as they do!

So don't buy hardwoods at Travis Perkins - find their supplier.


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## Kane (31 Oct 2007)

Telling us who you buy from would be a step in the right direction


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## Another Dave (31 Oct 2007)

We are only a couple of miles from the local Travis Perkins, and on one order they wanted £20 to deliver some hardwood to us, they normally did it free.

I asked why, and was told that it was because we lived more than 20 miles from the depot! I pointed out where we were just up the road and the guy said that was more than 20 miles from the depot where the timber was coming from! Apparently it is not charged out via the nearest one.

After some discussion they were told to keep it and another local supplier got the order and subsequent ones.


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## ByronBlack (31 Oct 2007)

TP IMO have never given me a valid reason to buy from them, hence I go to a smaller more local company who can use my business. I think that price they got their decimal points wrong, it seems they have added an extra '0' on the end. £25 per cube would be more reasonable.


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## jasonB (31 Oct 2007)

Travis website lists 25x225 meranti at £28.63/m, as the size you want is possibly not a stock size they may have added a bit more for machining.

A 21x220 finish size window board is only £13.45/meter so would be a better buy.

BTW they list Meranti at £4736/m3 :shock: but their full list price is usually heavily discounted, you were being charged full price.

Jason


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## chippy1970 (31 Oct 2007)

People in the trade like me don't really get treated much better in places like TP or Jewsons etc. Every now and then they might have a really good price on a certain thing but most of the time they are too expensive.

ie I once went in Jewsons and found a 5 litre tub of pva marked up for £48 + vat wow :shock: talk about mark up.

Do you not have a proper timber merchant near you ?


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## mr (31 Oct 2007)

This reminds me of the time I went into Jewsons and found Pine at £19 a metre, it was nice pine though. :roll: 

Cheers Mike


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## Richard S (31 Oct 2007)

Thank you one and and all for your replies, I think this just reinforces my dislike and distrust of this particular outlet, I would not usually use them but this was something I needed for work and I didn't have the time to go searching around, as it was I used pine instead as it was only for some battens to support some display merchandise in the office, I just thought hardwood would look better, any way the jobs done now.

I have been told that Travis Perkins now own Wickes and that the reason they bought them was because the general public found their TP outlets intimidating and therefor they could not break that market. I'm not surprised when the price you pay for something is based on how the salesman feels that day or whether he likes the look of you etc. 

I have used the Timber Centre in Daventry for ash and oak, good prices and good service and also Good Timber seem ok.

Richard


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## dirtydeeds (31 Oct 2007)

i dont use travis perkins unless everybody else is shut ( had the misfortune on saturday of finding mertons shut for stocktaking)

their prices are 30% above merton timber (and i have an account with TP)

TP are even more expensive than jewsons and that takes some beating 

AND TP product quality has recently been reduced (6 - 9 months or so) 

their standard softwood used to be "best unsorted redwood" 

now its down to 5ths, even jewsons dont sell that rubbish



from the looks of it 5ths means mainly knots shakes bends and twists


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## woodshavings (31 Oct 2007)

I have found you have to negotiate a price - their "list" prices are ridiculous. - so far they have matched the Wickes prices without a problem and given free delivery.


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## TrimTheKing (1 Nov 2007)

Dan Tovey":2vhe1ule said:


> JPEC":2vhe1ule said:
> 
> 
> > Travis Perkins are not cheap for hardwood because they have it supplied by local hardwood merchants and mark up the price
> ...



Which is the one you use in Manchester, if you don't mind me asking? I am am new to all this woodiness and am looking for a decent supplier around Manc.

Cheers

Mark


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## JPEC (2 Nov 2007)

I don't know about the manchester one, but the Travis in Halstead use E O Burton in Brentwood.
Try asking your local travis where their hardwood comes from, and go straight there!

Julian


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