Well somebody must, they've been going for donkey's years. I am sure they are perfectly good wardrobes, but like lots of these companies with a massive budget for national media advertising, expensive showrooms and endless sales and special offers, it's their smoke and mirrors pricing that irks me. It happens with bathrooms, kitchens, double glazing, driveways and all sorts.
They have commission earning sales staff who price things high and do a hard sell on you in your home. They will give you all sorts of nonsense about something being 40% off but only if you sign immediately. No time to look around at comparable companies and differing quotes. They prey on people who are if not vulnerable exactly, very naive about how these things work.
You can always find smaller independent companies who will give you a no-nonsense, no pressure up front quote which you can think about and do comparisons to. They are inevitably cheaper because they don't factor in the sales commissions and huge advertising budgets of these companies.
An example of the sort of thing that will happen with these companies, is that they will give you a price for a 'dry fit' kitchen which doesn't include for example removing the old tiles or patching up any dodgy bits of plaster. So all they are quoting you for is literally the fixtures and fittings they are selling you and the labour costs to fit them. It might sound reasonable until you realise AFTER you've signed, that it won't result in a properly finished kitchen and you've probably got that much to spend again on associated costs from other tradesmen.
When I got a quote from someone similar to Sharps for wardrobes, the quote came out reasonable and I was happy to go ahead, but I asked a few pertinent questions and it turned out that they were only supplying a generic carcass in light, dark or medium wood finish depending on what colour door you'd chosen, but it wouldn't match the door exactly, unless you paid extra to have the carcass laminated on the edges with the same finish as the doors.
Of course I guess what would have happened is that they'd get me to agree to the price then phone up just before my order was factory-produced and say 'by the way, the price you were quoted was for the standard light coloured carcass and fascia boards, but would you like to upgrade to the one where the edges on show are finished to match your exact door colour? It really does look so much better and it would be a shame to spend all these thousands and not go that extra mile, wouldn't it? Then Bam! That's another grand on your bill.
Work on the basis that the first price they give you is ALWAYS a long way off their final price.
Don't ever believe that a 'special' price is only for today. If they can do it at that price today they can do it at that price next week.
Don't believe in half price sales. Unless they are getting rid of old and discontinued stock on specific styles or lines, there is absolutely no such thing. They put their prices up and down all year to comply with the law that says in order to be a genuine sale price, it has to have been offered at a higher price for so many days in the last few months or whatever. They know absolutely nobody but the world's biggest fool is buying when the price is high. Everyone waits for the sale, when the price is still high, but seems really reasonable in comparison.
Don't ever believe things like 'book this week and get a free dishwasher.' There is no such thing as free. They have the margin they aim to make on your overall order, then they have their absolute bottom line. All numbers in between are possibilities that are up for negotiation.
Don't EVER agree to a price without a) driving a hard bargain b) making comparisons to other quotes from other companies c) demanding time to think about it for a few days before you commit. d) making sure you understand every aspect of the job that is covered and what is not covered, and at least a partial breakdown of how the costing works.
Any company that is reluctant to let you have this information and to leave you a proper quote in writing with time to think about it, is overcharging you.