Cut to length Cables - B&Q

[Peter Ramm]

B&Q Stockport today - all been removed - told they are no longer offering cut to your own length cables.

(You'll have to buy the pre-cut and waste what you don't need)

[:::Jerry::::]

I'm just waiting for them to offer 10ft lengths of Cat5.....

[Andrew Gabriel]

I noticed they'd gone from the B&Q Warehouse in Luton a few weeks ago, but that could have been because it's closing down (the warehouse is collapsing and needs to be demolished and rebuilt).

[John Rumm]

Buy a whole reel and then cut what you need to length from that... given the markup they normally charge on "per meter" lengths you won't find it any more expensive!

[Eiron]

Who doesn't understate the length they have cut at the checkout? Or am I the sole cause of B&Q's new policy?

[Andy Hall]

Oh, so it was you.........

[:::Jerry::::]

Now if B&Q employed people who knew what a ruler is for.....

[John Woodison]

I had heard they were being forced to stop selling many electrical items at the end of the year (due to "PART P" regs), and that the staff have already been told not to offer any electrical advise to customers. Has anybody heard about, or experienced this?

[Andy Hall]

The first point is quite unlikely from the "forced" perspective. The legislation does not control what is sold and to whom.

DIYers will still be able to add sockets, light fittings etc. to existing circuits so there will still be a market for all of these items.

It may be for commercial reasons that they decide to stop selling consumer units and that type of thing, simply because the demand could drop. However, I think that that is relatively unlikely because Joe Public probably doesn't know about the new rules. There's no requirement on the retailer to tell him either.

It may be that they stop giving electrical advice - they have with gas for some time. Frankly, I think that that's a good thing because more than once I've had to tell one of their "experts" to sling his hook when he's come over and asked me what I want to do with something I just picked from the shelf.

Hopefully though, the DIY stores will do a bit of a crusade on this. Anything that points out to people that the government is meddling unnecessarily in their lives is a good thing.

[John Woodison]

Maybe forced should read "pressured"

Yes, I suppose that is their best selling stuff anyway.

Makes sense. I thought it unlikely, as I can still buy gas fittings.

I know what you mean,

Agreed,

[John]

Is that not theft, i.e. I've got 10 metres but will only admit to 8? Would you do the same with tins of paint, or are they too easy for the checkout assistant to count and you would be found out and arresred?

John

[BigWallop]

To run the country? ..............."rule".........get it? :-))

[Mike Dodd]

To be honest, though, It's a sign of desparation if you're buying cable from B&Q. As another poster pointed out - it's often cheaper to buy a 50M or 100M drum than buy any significant length from the usual sheds.

(mind you, at 15:35 on the Sunday of a Bank-Holiday weekend... come on, we've all been there)

Regards

[Chris J Dixon]

Gone from Loughborough a few weeks ago. You can't even find the less popular stuff (e.g. 6 mm2 earth, 10 mm2 earth) any more.

Chris

[Andrew McKay]

Unfortunately, unless the language used includes a number of "bah" words I'm afraid the general public won't understand there's a problem.

I mean, part P is about saving all those lives which are lost each year due to electrical fatalities.

Whereas most electrical fatalities are caused by an appliance fault, which of course isn't covered by part P.

According to statistical evidence available from RoSPA there are somewhere in the region of 8 lives a year lost which are attributable to electrical installation work. I very much doubt part P will save even one of those lives, because the stetson and spurs brigade will still do their thing to put themselves and their families at risk.

Indeed, it may actually increase the lives lost each year. After Joe Public has had a sharp intake of breath after being told what the cost of doing an electrical job will be they will either do the job themselves, or find a cowboy who won't respect the wiring regulations.

Part P isn't about saving lives at all. It's designed to put small one-man businesses out of operation so that the big boys can mop up. A big business only has to have one of its people registered for part P, whereas in a one-manner all employees (the only employee!) has to be registered. So the little guy has exactly the same cost for compliance as megacorp.

Andrew

[Lobster]

...that the staff have

So - no change there then...

David

[mike ring]

"Mike Dodd" wrote in news:418dd560$0$2950$ [e-mail]:

You bet, I've got reels of cable in the shed because it actually cost less to buy a 50m reel than about 10m length - you can always sell the other 40m outside the shed; come away with your 10 and a tidy sum..

mike

[Brian Sharrock]

Oldest joke in t'trade;- 'I have a twelve-inch but I don't use it as a _rule_.

Rule / Ruler Gauge / In-charge

[Peter Ramm]

I wanted about a yard of 16mm sq earth (I doubt if I'll be using any more in the foreseeable future) - living about quarter of a mile away from B&Q just seemed like a sensible place to go !!

[Mike Harrison]

Part P says nothing about who can buy things. Most DIYers will ignore Part P, and DIY stores are hardly going to sacrifice profits because of it.