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Reflective kit suppliers… I’m seething
One of my long term ambliance customers called me today, as I was giving them the prices they said that they’d been given prices by PVL of burgess hill, I’ve now got the quote forwarded to me… They are either selling to my customer at trade prices or treating me as retail ad they’ve quotes less to my customer than to me.
I’ll wait and see what bluelite tell them before I comment on them too.
I’ve normally used wmsmith but don’t have time to mess with templates on this one of job. Though their prices are similar.
How the hell are we supposed to make money on these jobs? To make any worthwhile profit I’m now pricing myself out of the market,
I wish these businesses would stop selling trade to the end user. I’m no longer prepared to deal with reflective at all any more.
I’ve just about had enough. If the suppliers want all the hassle of dealing with one of vehicles and the customers want to have to take days out and travel 60mile round trips for the template and then the fitting, then let them have each other.
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4 Replies
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I could be completely wrong here Hugh, but is Bluelite not the same company as PVLUK or at least connected in someway mate?
I am with you on so called "trade only" suppliers now going for what "between us and them" should be deemed as our customers. It happens allot, but for them to also "undercut" what they are actually offering as a "trade only" price, is a joke.
On a side note, we do our own kits unless in diamond grade so we dont do allot of buying in of conspicuity kits. but priced against PVL, smiths where nearly half the price. smiths with offering 3M dimaond grade, PVL was Nikkalite i "think" at the time.
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Hi Rob,
I too thought that bluelite and PVL were somehow linked. I may be wrong but I think one (BL) is based in the old building of the other (pvl), I did look into it on google street view but cannot recall my conclusions now!
Bluelite were on a par, pricewise (for complete kits) with smiths, cheaper on some individual bits. Smiths have done good jobs for me but this was worth using BL as they’re locla and it was worth the effort to drive over and get them to do the template etc.
they too will do the same price for small trade orders -which is most of us since we’re only buying one or two kits at any one time- as they will sell to the end user.
PVL were so cheap on the DG3 red that I told my customer to go for it and get them to fit while there. I feel particularly bad as this is a customer i’ve had for 5years and have always bent over backwards to help them out, made their templates / kits and never ever charged the true hours put into the jobs for them. they’d have a heart attack if i started charging just the labour in true terms.
still, just got back from the gym and better get some paying work done now.
Hugh
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I am with you on this Hugh, but most "trade suppliers" will sell to the public at the same or very little difference in cost.
There are quite a few suppliers that sell on ebay to anyone, at no real difference to trade users..
The only way to get a proper trade discount is to buy in bulk, but apart from vinyl not many of us will/do, as its all money tied up in stock. we only buy 1 item when required….
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The only solution here is that they buy the materials in and you fit charging them the true hourly rate and travel so that youre not out of pocket.
But I agree it stinks to sell to non trade at the same rates or less
John
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