Buying White goods over the web

[Richard]

Looking to buy my (AEG) dishwasher and washer/drier from the WWW because the prices quoted are about £200 less than John Lewis want.

BUT looking at the reviews of the online suppliers left by (dis)satisfied customers I'm wondering if the saving is worthwhile if their experiences of poor or non-delivery are representative. I'm gobsmacked to find that one of the cheapest will only deliver to the CC billing address. (Maybe I should get a CC that is registered at my wife's office?)

Has anyone else bought kitchen machines over the web? Would you recommend (or not) the company?

TIA

Richard

[Mike]

Biasco were alright. Others haven't been so good. Use a credit card and you are protected and the savings are good enough.

Credit card restriction is common for these type of companies - I register a card to any property I'm doing up. If this is a problem some do allow collections, which I assume you'll need to do from the wife's work anyway.

[Bob Eager]

Although this isn't a direct answer...

Locally (East Kent) there's a giuy who operates out of a number of barns on what used to be a farm. He sells white goods at sometimes quite heavily discounted prices. He's been in business for well over 30 yaers, so I guess he OK..free delivery too, at a convenient time on a designated day.

Have a look for a local supplier like that. Ours advertises only with a small panel in the free-ads - and not every week at that. There must be others like him around...

[Peter Crosland]

A perfectly normal, and very widespread, security precaution. Some credit card companies allow you to register a delivery address with them.

I have used Empire Direct and found them OK. Avoid the 24/7 group like the plague.

Peter Crosland

[paul]

I second empire direct, just ordered a dishwasher from them yesterday, 7-10 day wait though as they don't stock the model I ordered, it has to be shipped from the factory.

Moving into a new house so delivery address was the new house and CC address is current house... no probs Saved £250 on list price too (probably more like 50-100 real price)

Delivery charge is £35 though.... don't really know if this is good or bad, if they just dump it then I think its alot but if they lug it up the stairs and plumb it in then its not so bad.

Paul

[Lobster]

are certainly cheap and don't restrict you to the billing address. I'm a satisfied customer, from a sample of 1 purchase.

David

[Alan]

In message , paul wrote

Different company, but I paid £25 for the delivery of a washing machine for a guaranteed 3 hour time slot of my choice for the delivery. They wanted an extra £18 to plumb it to existing facilities (which is an easy DIY job). The delivery charge also included removing and disposing of the old appliance.

I often find that the companies that advertise the cheaper prices for goods also have higher delivery charges.

I have purchased many £1000s of goods over the web in the last few years and have not had a bad experience with any of the supply companies - even though before purchasing from them I had never heard of some of them.

Carriers are another matter :( If a company admits that it uses Parcel Force then I would seriously consider not using them.

[Steve Firth]

Yes.

I would if I could recall their name.

If you want a real world company with a good rep for cheap prices, a wide range and excellent service, I recommend "Hot and Cold Inc" of Golborne Road, London. They advertise in Exchange and Mart and the back of magazines such as Ideal home.

I've bought a lot off them over the years but I live close enough to London to drive in and collect the goods.

[bill]

most of them are just run out of offices, pass the order over to the manufacturer to deliver, hence the price is lower

also the price compare site are very competitive, these companies are making very little profit,

JL will have exclusive deals, so will be cheaper on some products, and they have to run a shop and pay wages

its very easy for a disgruntled customer to post a bad review on such websites, very little monitoring goes on, and these companies don't really care as price is what matters, customers still go back to them, also if a customer has a good or okay experience, are they really going to take time out to praise the retailer?

I'm

if the retailer deliveries to a non card holders address and the transaction is fraudulent, they loose all the money and rarely recover the goods,

[Richard]

For one web transaction I made with a different delivery address the company required me to have spoken to my CC supplier to warn that I was requesting a different delivery address. The supplier then contacted my CC people to confirm that this was OK.

Richard

[Richard]

Certainly. But £200 on a dishwasher seems an excessive markup to me.

Richard

[Zikki Malambo]

Have used both The Electric Shop, and Sussex Appliances. Think I acyually ordered pver the phone rather than off the page. Prices not the absolute cheapest you could get, but they did what they said they would when they would, and I was able to ring and speak to people as and when necessary.

Also used 247 just before Christmas, the goods did come through in time for christmas (This was actualy silver goods - CD MP3 "Walkman", but it was touch and go and they didn't answer emails or phone - frightening experience, wouldn't use them again (were the cheapest I could find though).

[Tony Eva]

A bit surprised at that ... I've found JL often to be the cheapest, and just got a Bosch larder fridge from them because their price was as good as the best web price, plus they offered free delivery and the delivery wasn't entrusted to a flaky third-party company. I suppose it depends on the exact product you want.

However, have you asked JL if they will price match your best web quote? It's worth a try IMHO.

[Hippo]

£1000, on the web from £720

Bought from coop electrical online, was impressed with the delivery (on time, located where I wanted, removed packaging)

One thing to note, if the item is bulky / heavy and is going to a location that is upstairs or has difficult access, make sure the supplier knows. Would definitely use them again.

Hippo

[Brian Sharrock]

Yes; I've bought sinks, washing machine, dishwashers, hob(gas) and timber to make the cabinets using e-suppliers . no problems.

Never used this outfit so no comment

Bought a BEKO frost-free freezer off 24/7 - absolutely no problem, web-site gives a 'status' of your order - "awaiting supply"- turned up on a Saturday morning in a van: two courteous chaps had driven it down from up't'North - refused the offer of tea... too busy... positioned, unpacked and took away the cardboard. What more can one ask? Substantial saving over the one viewed in a multiple seeming to rely on cardboard orange-skinned antiques-dealer to shift the goods - have they thought of cheaper prices?

[Brian Sharrock]

See my previous post about 24/7 ...

I decided to interject something here .... I saw 'something' in one of the multiples while browsing; went home and looked for the spec. reviews and pricing on the web. The item was (say) £500 in the multiple -but £300 from an e-supplier (that I'd not dealt with) so ... few days later ... I'm visiting a local retailer and the assistant 'latches on to me; 'Sir is looking at the XXX?' "Yeah, how much?" "£500" 'Huh-Huh" "Oh, have you seen it cheaper?" "Yes, on-web", "What was the price advertised?" "£300!" "We'll match that!"

I pulled out the plastic ...and while processing it the assistant was mumbling -'we're only making five-quid profit on this' ... but he had a sale - and as far as I know, only Gordon Brown is the poorer losing thirty-five quid odd in VAT revenue..

The conversation is almost verbatim; I didn't haggle, nor ask 'what's your best price?' nor 'anything off for cash?' Nothing so un-English!

I just walked-out three hundred quid poorer or two-hundred quid richer dependant on ones viewpoint.

[Mike]

I think this depends on the part of the country. We're out on the Peak District and seem to be the only lot able to read a map.

[F]

Bought a washing machine and tumble drier (separate occasions) from

365electrical. Lowest prices I could find and no problems...

[norm]

I bought from CoOp Electrical on line and they were excellent.

[Uno Hoo!]

I have found that many local white goods dealers are prepared to match internet prices these days. I have a local dealer who has never failed to do this. In the past few years I have bought a frost-free freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble drier from him. On every occasion I found the best price that I could on-line and then printed it off and took it to the shop. He matched the price every time and provided free delivery. I would much rather deal with a local shop if I can.

Kev