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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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How can I open a trade card/account
Like many people here, I am a big DIYer. I am now doing friends and at
this rate should give up the day job ! No, that will never happen. So I am looking at getting access to trade prices as a 'normal JOE'. It seems everyone has a different trick. So far I've managed to gleem the following - Open a bank account in the name of the company. - Don't bother registering as a Ltd no point - Use bank as a reference - Open you have a card from one, use it to get others. - Visit them during a normal working day. Avoid early AM - Cover your mobile in dust, paint and scratches - Ensure your work clothes are filthy in dust, paint cement The next step for me is to get a trade card. I'm not looking for any 30 days credit. Just the discount. Can anyone recomend a merchant thats the easiest to get one. The projects I need the discounts for are - TILING (Topps Tiles offer %40 off their bulk prices) - Bathroom (seems plumbcenter is what people recomend) - Flooring (carpet..not sure about who/where for this In terms of previous posts, I have already noted the screwfix and wickes can offer good prices depending.. previous posts http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....7eca3409 27d0 |
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#3
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On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:51:18 +0100, Chris Bacon
wrote: wrote: I am looking at getting access to trade prices as a 'normal JOE'. What's a JOE? Joe Bloggs, ordinary man in the street (in this case *not* a tradesman). T i m |
#4
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No, that will never happen. So I am looking at getting access to trade
prices as a 'normal JOE'. It seems everyone has a different trick. I will be doing an extension soon. I was thinking about this yesterday. I would love to get trade discounts. Are there any laws governing all this ? I guess anyone can get bulk discounts, say buying 2000 tiles, haggle a bit etc. I have found that wearing dirty clothes makes me feel like a real builder, but I've no idea if the feeling projects ! Simon. |
#5
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Great to start up a discussion on the topic.
I've since found that there are at least 2 trade cards that I can apply for over the internet that allow me in some case to use anyone of 3000 merchants. And like I say, it seems that once you have 1 or 2 then you can get others from smaller companies that can open trade accounts. We'll I'm off to the bank to open a bussiness account.. |
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#7
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Chris Bacon wrote:
Go into the BM, tell them what you're likely to spend per month, ask for a cash card. TP or Jewson's certainly would issue them to all comers a year or three ago. You might have to fill in a short form. Getting an account is a bit difficult. TP still certainly do a trade card (see http://www.trademate.co.uk/Accounts/TCCInfo.asp) I have one; it gives me 20-30% off list automatically (ie without having to do the "wot's yer best price fer..." dance). However, list prices are so high that this is still very uncompetitive - Screwfix et al are way cheaper. They'll always negotiate on individual purchases, but it's about how much you can blag it, and significantly, how much business you put their way. Catch 22, of course, as I said to the salesman last time I was in; I'm not about to start spending loads of extra cash at TP in the hope that in a few months they might condescend to raise my discount level. The one good thing about a TP trade card is that it affords free delivery. Anyway, I loathe the place and use it only when I can't find something unusual at Wickes or Screwfix (or if I want a ton of sand delivered!). Being a BM of course nothing is priced so you have to ask; and your invoice gives no clue as to the level of discount you've been given. You can get list prices off their website, however. Where else... I have trade accounts at Howden's - just told them I was setting up in business; think they might have asked my bank for a reference (and I only have a personal account). Also Plumbcenter; never use it as it's quite like TP. I get trade at a local one-man plumber's merchant though; just by going in there enough I think I'm just now established as a 'regular'! David The projects I need the discounts for are - TILING (Topps Tiles offer %40 off their bulk prices) - Bathroom (seems plumbcenter is what people recomend) - Flooring (carpet..not sure about who/where for this No idea about them, also I've never used "plumbcenter" as a) I don't know where there is one, and b) the name. In terms of previous posts, I have already noted the screwfix and wickes can offer good prices depending.. Yup. I wouldn't bother with all the subterfuge of getting dirty, it'll get you nowhere. If you are worried you might be refused, go into a non-local branch and ask. |
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Anna Kettle wrote:
Agreed. At my local Jewsons I mutter the magic words 'Cash Trade' and get their standard discount. I don't buy enough stuff there to get any super discounts. What do you classify as "standard" and as "super" discounts? -- Ian White |
#11
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But tile companies offer massive discounts. To be fear I'm not all that
fussed about builders merchants. But to get %40 of tiles is great ! |
#13
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On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:49:20 -0700, wrote:
Like many people here, I am a big DIYer. I am now doing friends and at this rate should give up the day job ! No, that will never happen. So I am looking at getting access to trade prices as a 'normal JOE'. It seems everyone has a different trick. So far I've managed to gleem the following - Open a bank account in the name of the company. - Don't bother registering as a Ltd no point - Use bank as a reference - Open you have a card from one, use it to get others. - Visit them during a normal working day. Avoid early AM - Cover your mobile in dust, paint and scratches - Ensure your work clothes are filthy in dust, paint cement The next step for me is to get a trade card. I'm not looking for any 30 days credit. Just the discount. Can anyone recomend a merchant thats the easiest to get one. The projects I need the discounts for are - TILING (Topps Tiles offer %40 off their bulk prices) - Bathroom (seems plumbcenter is what people recomend) - Flooring (carpet..not sure about who/where for this In terms of previous posts, I have already noted the screwfix and wickes can offer good prices depending.. IME the places which offer 'trade' discount are the ones which put up the prices way above the going rate only to take _some_ of it off for some customers as a discount. For example Topps tiles are easily 40% more expensive than some other tile outlets. Same with TP. Another silly is having theoretical 'retail' prices with ludicrous mark ups and then pretending that those mark ups are being removed just for you (and you) (and him) (and her)... It's a bit like pizza pricing - there are so many discount schemes available that you would have to work hard not to be included in one of them. It would make more sense and save a lot of leaflets to cut their prices and charge a peak time surcharge on Sat evenings, but the marketing would 'feel' wrong. -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html |
#14
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In message , Richard Conway
writes wrote: Great to start up a discussion on the topic. I've since found that there are at least 2 trade cards that I can apply for over the internet that allow me in some case to use anyone of 3000 merchants. And like I say, it seems that once you have 1 or 2 then you can get others from smaller companies that can open trade accounts. We'll I'm off to the bank to open a bussiness account.. What about setting yourself up as a sole trader/limited company and then contracting yourself out to yourself to do any work that needs doing? You would then be a legitimate tradesman and could open up lots of accounts. You could then start claiming lunches and petrol and other bits and bobs as expenses! You then start getting charged for bank transactions, Don't forget your NI stamp as self employed which they might come after you for There are several downsides you have to think about -- geoff |
#16
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Yes I agree with all the points raised.
We all should know that 'list' prices allow for a max of %60 of. However depending on where you buy, ie. How many people buy direct from a factory ? ie. Distribution And yes if I was looking for some plane cheapo tiles wickes might do. However I've found mosaic tiles for =A31.99 a sheet from tops tiles. This is by far the cheapest I've found, so when you suggest that they are not all that cheap, I find that hard to understand. I've been to about 8 other tile shops. None keep any tiles in stock and all just have displays, with a 8+ week lead time, and the prices are more like =A33-4 a sheet. So when you consider a %40 discount on this, it really is a good price. Oh and no delivery cost or waiting |
#17
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Huge wrote:
This is the essence of it. If you're repeatedly asking for "one of those little doohickeys that screw onto a thingummybob", they'll twig straight away. .... or "a length of wood 3 inches by 2" instead of "some threebitoo" |
#18
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Lobster wrote:
Huge wrote: This is the essence of it. If you're repeatedly asking for "one of those little doohickeys that screw onto a thingummybob", they'll twig straight away. ... or "a length of wood 3 inches by 2" instead of "some threebitoo" Pish. I was in at a place a while ago, about to talk to the yardman, when some old bint zoomed in and said "I want a piece of wood". On asking for further details (we were both almost cracking up) about size, etc., she said "Oh, about that big", pointing to some scrap resting up against a bin. He gave it to the (and wrote a ticket). |
#19
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On Thu, 06 Oct 2005 18:07:02 GMT, Lobster wrote:
.... or "a length of wood 3 inches by 2" instead of "some threebitoo" Worse would be not using threebtoo but 75 x 50... -- Cheers Dave. pam is missing e-mail |
#20
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On Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:02:13 -0700, wrote:
Yes I agree with all the points raised. We all should know that 'list' prices allow for a max of %60 of. However depending on where you buy, ie. How many people buy direct from a factory ? ie. Distribution And yes if I was looking for some plane cheapo tiles wickes might do. However I've found mosaic tiles for £1.99 a sheet from tops tiles. This is by far the cheapest I've found, so when you suggest that they are not all that cheap, I find that hard to understand. I've been to about 8 other tile shops. None keep any tiles in stock and all just have displays, with a 8+ week lead time, and the prices are more like £3-4 a sheet. So when you consider a %40 discount on this, it really is a good price. Oh and no delivery cost or waiting Try Tile Clearing House or Tile City - I beleive the first is part of the same group as Topps! -- Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter. The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html |
#21
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In article , says...
Anna Kettle wrote: Agreed. At my local Jewsons I mutter the magic words 'Cash Trade' and get their standard discount. I don't buy enough stuff there to get any super discounts. What do you classify as "standard" and as "super" discounts? Wet finger in the air .. 10% 30% Anna -- ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642 |
#22
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Anna Kettle wrote:
In article , says... Anna Kettle wrote: Agreed. At my local Jewsons I mutter the magic words 'Cash Trade' and get their standard discount. I don't buy enough stuff there to get any super discounts. What do you classify as "standard" and as "super" discounts? Wet finger in the air .. 10% 30% Thanks for that. 10% is what Jewson's offer in their standard form letter about a cash account. However, I'm treating that as only their opening offer, subject to negotiation on the day. Following the golden rule to "Act Like You Know What You're Doing", it's good to know what would be a sensible range for negotiation. -- Ian White |
#23
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On Fri, 07 Oct 2005 00:44:22 +0100, Owain wrote:
.... or "a length of wood 3 inches by 2" instead of "some threebitoo" Worse would be not using threebtoo but 75 x 50... or centimetres. Oh gosh yes I'd forgotten that unit. Now that could cause confusion asking for some 7 1/2 x 5. -- Cheers Dave. pam is missing e-mail |
#24
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Thank you to the poster who suggested the Tile Clearing House. I will
do a google and see if there are any near me. It does appear hard to find a place where I can get tiles at a fair price, while offering a decent range |
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