Small retailers v Tool station/screw fix etc-how do you guys feel?

[MattF]

Anyway, it got to the point that when he went again to collect what was owed, they still didn’t have the cash. He had to take “payment in kind”.

That's not something you tend to hear much of happening these days.

 

[brightspark]

ive had a few offers on late callouts rampant pi ,,,, d women

 

[MattF]

The pi**ed part goes without saying if they offered you, BS. (We really need an evil grin smiley ).

 

[the snooper]

The pi**ed part goes without saying if they offered you, BS. (We really need an evil grin smiley ).

 

[RonA]

My life long interest has been cars & repairing them. For decades we had a shop called Chapmans in my town. The shop was loosely described as a motor factors but the chap who owned it also ran the garage next door. He was very much old school & the concept of changing faulty units just wasn't in his vocabulary. His motor factors had everything in it from single bolts via gasket paper(to make your own) through to the smallest electrical parts, all backed up by him with his immense knowledge of all things to do with car repair. It was an Alladins cave of parts & bits to carry out ground up vehicle repairs. Sadly, when he decided to retire his only daughter wasn't keen to carry on the business & he sold up.
For my part the loss of his shop, which was open 7 days a week was a body blow. Modern motor factors don't even come close to the service he & his staff provided.
RonA

 

[steveo3002]

i do my best to only get meat from a butchers , its way nicer than supermarket stuff

as for local trade outlets , ive been overcharged because im not a trader , so now if screwfix or ebay has it for cheap i use them , im not flush enough to pay double because im not a regular in thier place

local car shop £ 2.50 for 2x brake nuts - ebay i can get 10 or more packed in a bag and delivered for the same ££

 

[TAITSIE]

My life long interest has been cars & repairing them. For decades we had a shop called Chapmans in my town. The shop was loosely described as a motor factors but the chap who owned it also ran the garage next door. He was very much old school & the concept of changing faulty units just wasn't in his vocabulary. His motor factors had everything in it from single bolts via gasket paper(to make your own) through to the smallest electrical parts, all backed up by him with his immense knowledge of all things to do with car repair. It was an Alladins cave of parts & bits to carry out ground up vehicle repairs. Sadly, when he decided to retire his only daughter wasn't keen to carry on the business & he sold up.
For my part the loss of his shop, which was open 7 days a week was a body blow. Modern motor factors don't even come close to the service he & his staff provided.
RonA

You should have bought the shop

 

[RonA]

You should have bought the shop

If I'd had the money I would have, it had a constant stream of vary satisfied customers!!
RonA

 

[rosinante]

We Had a shop in Rainham Kent that has now sadly closed due to Screwfix etc,I needed 4 x 3/8 x 3 inch unf set screws on a sunday ,went to Johnsons, asked, the guy didnt even blink ,went to stock room came back with exactly what i asked for,-- cant do that in bodge and screwit or toolstation,ok expensive but less than a fixing supplier who would only have sold a box full. I the same shop you get just about any tool, gas cylinders,cooking utensils and a thing for getting stones out of horses hooves, and probably "something for the weekend Sir" as well.
Chris

 

[Kayos]

I use screwfix or plumbfix if it's during the week, they are cheap and local plus some nice staff too

There's a shop in Halifax I think I've mentioned before, old fashioned engineering surplus shop, sells lots of random stuff but the price largely depends on the owners mood

 

[ukracer]

i do my best to only get meat from a butchers , its way nicer than supermarket stuff

as for local trade outlets , ive been overcharged because im not a trader , so now if screwfix or ebay has it for cheap i use them , im not flush enough to pay double because im not a regular in thier place

local car shop £ 2.50 for 2x brake nuts - ebay i can get 10 or more packed in a bag and delivered for the same ££

Problem is its expensive enough in a supermarket (even Aldi) I dare t think what a butcher charges. That said my dad has always used a Butcher, one that even kept his own cows, and Sunday lunch never tasted better.

 

[ukracer]

If I'd had the money I would have, it had a constant stream of vary satisfied customers!!
RonA

problem is you cant buy experience and knowledge where to buy stock etc. I went into my local independant DIY shop today based on this thread to get an 8.5 mm drill at £8.90 I just could not justify it.............the fact I know he uses the same Trade warehouse I have access to, means I know the prices he pays for his cheap stuff as well so not overkeen on buying cheap chinese crap from him either.

 

[hotrodder]

I used to support the small/independant but with one exception i can't anymore... there's several hellfrauds and eurocrapparts within spitting distance while all the smaller car parts shops closed for good years ago, the only competition left for 'em now is S&C motor factors*. Similar deal with decent hardware stores- that's the one exception but whereas they used to have a massive range of quality stuff they've downsized massively and the last time i darkened their door were selling (or at least trying to!) silverline tat for top money. Similar deal with the LWS, used to be good quality gear to buy when exchanging a gas cylinder, nowdays the shelves are full of tat and all the decent stuff is out of sight and the counter is staffed by a monkey so asking doesn't help unless you've got an entire day to kill as he doesn't have a clue

* last time i used them was queuing for sooooo long i could've ordered the parts from Germany and got 'em quicker

 

[Moosevan]

I prefer to shop locally & support local businesses, BUT... I called into my local(ish) welding shop for some advice a couple of months ago - was looking for a gift for my son's birthday - as I wasn't spending big money there & then, got treated like an idiot by bl**dy arrogant staff (one of the owners). Not impressed & won't go back; no matter what! Stupid of them as I'm probably looking at a plasma cutter & an AC/DC Tig over the next year

Also needed to replace my Makita combi drill 2 weeks ago; phoned a local supplier who claimed to have what I was looking for in stock; so off I went to get my new toy (or so I thought).

Got down there to find:

1. not in stock, just display model & I'd have to go back down in a weeks time to collect the model I wanted after they'd ordered it in - burning 40 miles worth of fuel & 2 trips
2. their cost for the drill I wanted (& would have to wait a week to collect) was ONLY 63 quid more than I had been quoted delivered from elsewhere!

Politely thanked them for wasting my time& purchased elsewhere.

I'm afraid, in this county, too many retailers think they're owed a living & rather than 'tickle' the customer & have him come back & even recommend them to others, they'd rather "rape" him once for a quick profit... they don't even seem to have worked out that customers have a choice & don't have to buy from them

 

[ukracer]

My wife wanted a corona side board (it was the only way I could get my plasma cutter I went into local store. They wanted 140. Fair price I thought as its 160 in The Range.

Problem was they only took cash. They order it on a Saturday and a week Tuesday later it arrives. MMMmm when I can order it Friday on ebay for 124 delivered I think not. I even had time to pop down and collect my plasma using the 16 quid i saved...lol

 

[mart]

[QUOTE .........same shop you get just about any tool, gas cylinders,cooking utensils and a thing for getting stones out of horses hooves, and probably "something for the weekend Sir" as well.
Chris[/QUOTE]

I`m guessing that is when you say, "You`ve not got a lawn mower I could borrow have you"?


(It`s ok, it`s an age thing.

 

[Kayos]

A few years ago I wanted a new head unit (car stereo) was looking to spend around £400, as I had a few days of work I rang around a couple of dealers and 2 completely seperate shops both said they had the one I wanted in stock then tried to sell me something different when I got there. They both got a shock when they realised I knew what I was talking about and couldn't be fobbed off. A shame as is have rather spent it local but ended up getting it online with next day delivery, and now don't bother shopping local for car audio

 

[mart]

I think that intentionally trying to fob a customer off is the worst kind of customer service. "You`ve got the customer through the door", and then treat him with contempt.

 

[Migmac]

I like TS, suits me fine. We don't have the options here that you guys that live in towns have. We do have Jewsons but they are pathetic, either don't have the stuff you want or the price is way to high. Bought a splitting maul from TS and the handle fell off the first time I used it. They sent me a new one and didn't want the broken one back. Two for the price of one!

 

[norlander]

That also leads onto another point, namely quality. A pie or chop from a good butcher, for example, are worlds apart from any tosh you can find in a supermarket.

My view is you buy MEAT from a butcher, a supermarket sells animal flesh, which usually has not been hung and conditioned to turn it into meat like wot the butcher does.
Could be a chance as well that a butcher sells meat from animals that might have seen daylight and actually eaten grass.