Screwfix web vs trade counter pricing

[Mike]

I misplaced my box of wallplugs a few weeks ago and so decided to put one of the buckets of Rawlplug Uno's on the list to buy next time I passed Screwfix. I called in a few days back and they were short on a couple of higher value items but the computer said they had the wallplugs so they charged me for them. Waited for my order to be picked and they then said they couldn't find them on the shelf and they must be in the shop. None in sight so they gave me a refund. What shocked me then was the level of the refund, £8.16 when the website price before I left home was definitely £3.99. Sure enough they had refunded me exactly what they had charged me a couple of minutes before.

Came home and ordered via the website the missing bits the trade counter didn't have and found the wallplugs still in stock at £3.99. They arrived next day and were invoiced out at £3.99 - just checked and they are now back up to full price on the website. One thing for sure I'm adding up my list before I visit next time.

Anyone else been overcharged at the Screwfix trade counter?

[Mr Benn]

I have also noticed a discrepancy between their website and counter prices.

[A.Lee]

It isnt over-charging, they state somewhere on the website that the web prices may be different to the shop prices.

It is rare for me to go to the shop, as even if I dont want £50 of items for the free delivery, it is worth paying the £5 postage for the convenience of driving the 5 miles, then being told "we havent got that in stock".

Alan.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I notice the Luton one now has a separate trade counter for trade body members (NICEIC, etc) and C&G holders, from the main public counter.

[JoeJoe]

Last time I ordered online I simply added some gift voucher to make it up to £50. You simply use them the next time you need anything.

[The Medway Handyman]

I bought a Site angle grinder in store last year, then noticed it was £10 cheaper online. I bitched and the sent me a voucher for the difference as a 'one off goodwill gesture'.

[michael adams]

I had their leaflet through the post with a price match promise on it. The Mytoolshed website price on a particular DeWalt router was around £10 cheaper than the Screwfix web price. I took along the leaflet and the address of the Mytoolshed web page and after about ten minutes checking around the back they sold me the router over the counter at the cheaper price - I had to collect it next day as it wasn't in stock.

Having just checked up on this - just to see if they still do the price match - or "price promise" as they call it, apparently over the counter they only price match other peoples web prices, not necessarily their own

michael adams

...

[dom]

Happened to me several times, though I think they've all been special offers or end of line discounts.

The shop has always given me the online price straight away, once I mention the discrepancy.

[JimK]

no doubt with better pricing than the "anyone welcome" counter.

More of their somewhat obvious market fragmentation in action. All in order to extract the max $ from DIYers whilst being able to (secretly) give sufficently better prices to "genuine" tradesmen to be able to compete with other local traditional trade outlet/factors/ merchants.....

Toolstation!!

Cheers JimK