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jaybirduk
Original Poster
1,458 posts
36 months
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I really can't stand salesman who pitch in way way over the top then make all sort of bulls  t reasons why they are discounting. We're looking to have our soffits and facias done and had a couple of firms round, one was a local small firm and my preferred choice, a much larger outfit. Local guy quoted £2700, all seemed good but I was already set on the major firm doing the work providing the quote was good. The sales guy comes round, does the patter, draws stuff, taps away at the calculator and then says £5600  Then with much more waffle about Olympics restricting their vans into London he sucks in air through his teeth, taps away on the calculator and comes up with £4400 but I'd have to make a decision in a week. Two days later someone from their office calls me, said he's been reviewing my quote and playing with numbers and he reckons he could squeeze some money out of it, he then claims they can make some more discounts because of the jubilee and the price is now £3500 but if I want it I have to call him on his mobile not the sales guy that came to see me, clearly this guy is stealing sales from the guy that came to see me. Final piece of bulls t is when I say I've had a quote much lower than that and he almost immediately offers £3000 (but his manager will kill him!) Clearly this firm was prepared to mug me off to the tune of £5600 if I had said yes on the day and for this they are not a company I want to deal with. Why do firms still take this approach?!
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ATTAK Z
2,039 posts
58 months
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NiceCupOfTea
21,950 posts
120 months
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I can't imagine which national chain you are talking about. Will they Ever take a Rest from these sales techniques?
My dad pretty much had to throw one of their salesmen out of the house. Tehy just wear you down and make you think you are getting a bargain "if you sign up now".
Recommended local firm is the way to go. If you are in the S Birmingham area I can recommend you a good firm.
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fluffnik
17,368 posts
96 months
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Always use local tradesmen, choose on personal recommendation.
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roofer
1,722 posts
80 months
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Must be a big house for £2700.00....
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ATTAK Z
2,039 posts
58 months
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roofer said: Must be a big house for £2700.00.... +1
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Mojooo
7,301 posts
49 months
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And when they find an old person who doesnt really udnerstand much about howm uch things shoudl cost or is going senile they will f k them over for 10-15k. They may even sign them up to credit agreements that are totally unsuitable for them. I've seen it.
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b2hbm
507 posts
91 months
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Yep, this seems standard practice with some firms, we had similar treatment when we were looking for a conservatory. When we said "what ?" at the first offer it was immediately discounted. Still far above anything else so we said goodbye, it just wasn't worth wasting any more time discussing it. They then wrote to us a day later with a lower offer and finally rang up with a "final & best" offer.
I told them I didn't like their sales practice and wouldn't deal with them even if they offered to put it up for free. Sadly, they didn't.....
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jaybirduk
Original Poster
1,458 posts
36 months
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roofer said: Must be a big house for £2700.00.... What should I be looking at roughly then? It's a 4 bed detached with apex roof. Job is to fully remove existing wood and replace with upvc
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silvagod
595 posts
29 months
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Totally agree OP, I wouldn't use them either after that.
Whenever I quote someone if I am way out on price and am asked to try and reduce it, I seriously baulk at dropping my price much even if I end up losing the work.
I don't want to be thought of as trying to rip off my clients.
My price is usually my best offer in the first place, if I'm undercut, then someone else wants to make less money / do the work at a loss.
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pmanson
10,882 posts
122 months
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Place local to us is advertising soffit/gutter replacement for £60 p/meter
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swiftpete
1,713 posts
62 months
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Why were you so dead set on using this firm over the smaller one? It's not the way I do it, I give a good price and that's it. Of course if you'd said yes to their initial quote then they'd have happily taken your money. I'm usually quite happy to hear that one of the big companies have been round as I know that their quote is going to be £1000s over the top and a lot of people don't like this rip off approach to quoting. It must make them a lot from the people that say yes early on though.
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jaybirduk
Original Poster
1,458 posts
36 months
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swiftpete said: Why were you so dead set on using this firm over the smaller one? It's not the way I do it, I give a good price and that's it. Only because neighbours had theirs done by them and friends had windows by them, double recommendation.
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hornetrider
40,803 posts
74 months
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jaybirduk said: Only because neighbours had theirs done by them and friends had windows by them, double recommendation. Were they ripped off as well?
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jaybirduk
Original Poster
1,458 posts
36 months
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hornetrider said: Were they ripped off as well? The neighbours I can't say but my friends had their windows done about 7 years ago and their practice then was to quote once and low - no silly negotiations. I guess their working practices have changed 
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S6PNJ
1,803 posts
150 months
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pmanson said: Place local to us is advertising soffit/gutter replacement for £60 p/meter Do you have a link please?
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pmanson
10,882 posts
122 months
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S6PNJ said: pmanson said: Place local to us is advertising soffit/gutter replacement for £60 p/meter Do you have a link please? I've never used them but there is a big sign on their door saying soffits £60 p/metre. http://www.leightonbuzzardhi.co.uk/fascias-soffits...They came out and quoted an old neighbour of mine and with a bit of negotiation he had them down to around that including the guttering/downpipes
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ColinM50
1,007 posts
44 months
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jaybirduk said: What should I be looking at roughly then? It's a 4 bed detached with apex roof. Job is to fully remove existing wood and replace with upvc Two men three days, so say £600 each labour. Then £500 for materials and another £200 for a small skip to take away the rubbish. I make it £1900. And I can start next Wednesday and be finished by the weekend as long as the weather holds.
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S6PNJ
1,803 posts
150 months
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pmanson said: here is a link Thanks!
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Deva Link
26,934 posts
114 months
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ColinM50 said: Two men three days, Hmm...it took 3 men and a lad 4 days to do my house, a good size 3 bed detached. The gables were a bit of a palava though and the design of the house means there's 3 of them. I paid £2200 10 years ago, but my impression is prices haven't changed much.
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