B&Q kitchen sales tactics - discounts etc.

[DueinSeptember]

Went to B&Q on Monday night to have a kitchen planned. The guy said our cooker would be in the wrong position so we've had to consult electricians and gas fitters to see if we can move it over to the other side. This is before I can get my kitchen fitter to quote as I want to know that it's all possible. I've been into B&Q twice to chop and change things because of this cooker issue.

Anyway. We had a phone call this morning asking when we would be putting our order in. I said I still had to get a quote off my fitter and see when he's available. They said that the 20% discount they offered is only valid until the 4th June. Well I doubt if I'll get the fitting quote back by then.

Is this a normal tactic they use? It's annoyed me a bit to be honest.

there's no sales in the kitchen world, same as sofas.
My dh worked for many kitchen sale companies (not sheds) before starting up.
and its a bum on seat operation.
If anyone buys a full price kitchen from a shed then that's there fault.
If you go in store after that date and say i want and they say cant do.
just start to walk off, they have 2 options. many other people out there will want your business and could offer you the better quality for the same cost if you looked... esp at independents

Thanks annalouise - I'll try that then if I still want it after that date.

The only reason I'm tempted by B&Q (and Howdens) is that they are relatively close to us and the kitchen I have picked you can buy in the shop if there are problems with the delivery.

With an independent business would a small(ish) budget be ok? I'd like the whole kitchen to come in at under £5K including a freestanding cooker, integrated dishwasher, tile splashbacks, floor fiitting, electrics, gas and fitting. I'd hate to go in and waste anyone's time if they are a small business, but think I can come close to this if I arrange most things myself.

We had a quote from b and q and they rang every week to see if we'd decided to go with them. It really put me off. In the end i told them that if we wanted them we'd be in touch with them. We have gone with Howdens in the end.

Thanks Babysamrocks. It's annoyed me today really. I mean from getting the initial quote on Monday night to this morning (Friday) is not much time to decide on a massive purchase, especially when theres other things like fitters to sort out first. The howdens quote is apparently in the post, so we'll see how that looks. Did you find Howdens and B&Q a similar price?

Look at Benchmarx or Wickes.

Thanks pannacotta, unfortunately no benchmarx near us. The nearest one is more than 2 hours away.

We had quotes from B&Q, they will keep the offer for ever it would seem! Don't be rushed! They will honour it, or even have a better offer on. They kept ringing us for months offering even better deals!

Don't forget how dens offer different prices according to the discount yr fitter/builder gets. Anything from25-75 % discount

My B&Q kitchen is just 6 years old and fit for the bin. I have been talking to them for 2 years about my drooping cabinet doors, before one fell off completely and cannot be re-attached. I now have gaps in my kitchen. B&Q told me to get independent kitchen company reports on the problem. I did. The reports said the big cabinet doors were too heavy for the rubbish MDF panels provided by B&Q for the doors to be hung from.

The problem took a few years to present itself as the cabinet doors were used over time. As soon as B&Q received my independent reports they replied saying they were going to do nothing because I was the only person to have complained about this problem.

I want to find out if anyone else has in fact had this problem - I can't be the only one. Do tell me if you know someone who has experienced this.

Other B&Q problems to note: their phone people give you different information and change their stories about guarantees etc. And, your kitchen guarantee starts from the moment you place your order - before your kitchen is even built - so your guarantee can be 3 months old or more before you even see your kitchen.

B&Q staff are very OTT helpful before you pay - then bam - B&Q washes its hands of you once it has your money. I now know - if you buy cheap - you buy twice. I will never buy anything from B&Q again.

We had a B&Q kitchen in our last house. The kitchen was fine - we put it in ourselves but we found fixtures and fittings were cheaper on line as was the work top.