To not buy new kitchen over a tap

[Kubricklayer]

DW and I are close to pulling the trigger on a £30K kitchen. Spent last month back and forth agreeing specifics.

A few days ago DW saw on their FB page a deal for new customers in Feb to get a free £1K Quooker tap if they spend min £15K on a kitchen.

We then sent an email to chase up our kitchen stuff and asked if we’d get the tap since the sale will likely go through in Feb.

They said it’s for new inquiries and as we inquired late Dec we wouldn’t qualify for the tap.

At this point in time we’ve not paid a deposit, or signed anything and they’ve spent significant time designing our kitchen. All that effort will be for nothing if we decide to walk away.

Surely it’d be worth throwing this tap in so not to risk losing the sale? I’m not fussed about the tap tbh but part of me is a bit annoyed because we’re spending over double the money needed to qualify for the free tap and the sale will now be finalised in Feb, the qualifying month.

would you push back and insist on getting the tap if you were in my position?

It sounds like a small company that doesn't have a particularly pushy approach to sales. If they focus more on kitchen design and fitting rather than sales it might not be such a bad thing.

I was coming on to say that too🤣

You are unlikely to take a plan to another kitchen company as they're not likely to let you use it elsewhere.

Either just accept you've already got it good or start the process all over again with another company.

This changes things a bit in the equation. If I knew they were local and good I'd prefer to stick despite the tap. It's not like a cookie cutter chain. If you want get quotes elsewhere but don't pull out yet as they might refuse your business if you mess them around and they sound great.

I'd tell them thats fine - thanks for clarifying, thats helpful.
You arent going to progress with the sale for now so can they put it on hold. Youd like to talk to other suppliers but Youll let them know if you do want to go ahead in the mext couple of months.

Then stop talking.
Go and see other suppliers and get quotes.
benchmarx and DIY kitchens are good. I don't love Howdens tbh.

that gives you time and space for them to come back and offer you the tap or b for you to come back after a month or so and say okay we would like to progress.i think those taps are horrible but...

It’s not that hard. We did it and got a much better kitchen. All it is a bit software you type measurements into. Op will know what details and cupboards she wants now which all companies do.

Interesting they didn’t give you the plans. Both of ours did by email in the last sum up before paying the deposit. They also gave us print off pictures throughout to help us decide on details. The compay we ended up with squeezed us in to a Neff offer technically they didn’t have to- saved us £500. Also got us £1k off quartz.It was that kind of help that swung us - and the better design.

You definitely should have another quote and design anyway when you spend that kind of money.

Yes and be careful what sink you get with a Quooker.

They could just take £1k off to be nice if you didn’t want one.

You clearly don’t understand business. They put the deal on in Feb to encourage new customers. You put your order in before this so didn’t qualify for the deal. Tough titties. I can’t believe you’re that bothered to consider going through all the stress of going elsewhere and the palava that comes with it.

i have one of those taps by the way and they’re great. Come on just look forward to your new kitchen, you’re sounding very grabby.

Op all places do a mock up for uou that you can share ? I went to lots of places and in the end found the same kitchen at DIY kixthens .

Which was brilliant.

I used others mock ups to help and it comes assembled each piece.

Comfortably cheaper id say better quality ...

And I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole re tap
You probably got someone lower down ,manager should be horrified by this .

My plumber for instance when we were chatting about kitchens told me how he got about 10 grand off his wicks kitchen by simply demanding a reduction saying ....whjch is true...it's plyboard!

MDF etc ...

There is a excellent u tube man who breaks down each places sales techniques like Howdens and the old...your special I can get you a discount...ruae...wicks and all the rest.

DIY is excellent.

I certainly would!!! Say thanks but no thanks. Say the tap is a deal breaker.

I was wondering that too😂

Oh and if it’s wren avoid! DIY kitchens were much better. I went independent in the end who but they were local to me.

Yes go elsewhere. They're greedy. Bad feeling

lol, I was wondering that as advice from her so far has been helpful and balanced.

@40andlovelife what a load of nonsense .

That's no way to do business when someone is spending 30 thousand on plywood and MDF and it sounds like didn't even try to negotiate to get the price down.
Op is already being massively ripped off.

Who in their right minds would risk 30 grand of business over a tap.

I hope this give op massive pause for thought and the courage to look elsewhere like DIY.

The German kitchens are in a completely different league to howdens / DIY kitchens etc. The £30k sounds about right. Unless you’ve got other German suppliers I wouldn’t pull out but I would also kick up a bit more of a fuss about the hot tap once yoh have one you’ll never go back to a kettle and in a high end kitchen it’s pretty much a given

I’m clearly not too fussed on the tap as folk saying take the emotion and tap out of the equation are you happy with the kitchen and price and I’m like yeah.

But then again those saying it would annoy them and surely for the cost involved they can chuck in the tap, I then think ‘yeah they should be breaking sweat to win over my business’.

🤷

Agree with tooth person up threads.

Good practice is to always get a few quotes we had about 5 or 6 in the end and all the designs and quotes and pics .

Ridiculous comment. “ grabby” 😵‍💫

@Kubricklayer are you insanely rich ? Is this kitchen going on a plan ,money plan ( because that's another huge bonus for them ).

If your extremely well off ignore otherwise wall away.

It's a dreadful way to do business.

How many other quotes do you have ?
Why didn't you negotiate get other quotes ?

Even the richest people I know wouldn't get a new kitchen like this.

You want this kitchen and like this company. You have spent time planning it with them. Why start again elsewhere because you are miffed at not getting a free tap you don't want anyway?

Oh come off it. It’s just a negotiation, nothing “grabby” about that.

She really isn't and it’s not tough titties to the op but to the company that is losing her business. She can walk very easily and should. She knows exactly what she wants and where in her kitchen now. New company comes in takes pictures and measurements in an hour appointment which they then upload. They will have the same colours and the same fixtures and fittings an be bought anywhere. It’s zero stress.

If you tell them your previous quote they’ll bite your hand off to better it op. I’d be wary of any company so inflexible with that kind of money. One wonders what they’d be like if there were any problems during fitting.

@Kubricklayer i agree, it’s an enormous amount of money and it would really piss me off.

you should definitely go to some other places. When we had our kitchen done when we had our extension built our builder was able to get the kitchen Magnet had priced up for us at about half the price through his trade account. Have you looked at that?

Tbf we have have sent our requirements to one other, a local family run kitchen supplier and waiting for their proposal to us.

although we’ve not really shopped with many companies we have being comparing what family members and friends have been spending for equivalent size and quality.

the fact is if DW hadn’t noticed the online offer inquest have batted and eyelid but also the point is it’s a wake up call to not just hand over 30K without any kind of negotiation bf whatsoever.

How often do I have a £30K carrot to dangle to try and get the most for my money?

@rockingroller becsuse that's the normal thing with buying a new kitchen .
I sat with homebase ,b and q, IKEA , independent...WREN....etc that's what most people do .