Shower Glass Story

[Steve Gontarek]

I need a rant: official long rant warning........

I recently broke a pane of safety Glass in my shower cubicle, so I phoned up the manufacturer (Coram) and asked them for either a replacement sheet (without the trim) or the eaxct size of the sheet of glass used in that particular panel, so I could get it locally.

Anyway, their 1st reply was that they were 'concerned' that I wouldn't be able to get the glass out of the trim 'because it was glued in'. I then explained I spent 2 hours on Sunday doing just that - and very succesfully too without damaging the trim. However, they wouldn't sell me just the glass, and a new panel (with trim) was 173 quid plus VAT plus delivery (>£200). ouch.....

So I said that was too much and asked for the exact dimensions of the glass sheet used in that panel ( I had already measured it myself, but wanted to be sure as there was some uncertainty of how much of the glass actually sat in the trim itself).

They replied that that

1. this would invalidate by guarantee (fair enough I said)
2. they weren't prepared to give me that information beacuse they couldn't be sure I would get the right glass and that it was recommended that I *do* buy a new panel from them.

I did explain that I would accept nothing less than BS6206 Class A glass anyway (which they agreed was the right stuff), but they still wouldn't give me the measurements: just a point blank no. And indeed when I asked them what was so special about their BS6206 Class A glass to everyone else's (apart from the Coram mark) they clammed up. So it was 'Thanks', but 'No thanks'.

So I went to my local glazier, we spent 15 minutes measuring all the bits to confirm my measurements and I was quoted 51 quid plus VAT and a 10 days delivery (complete with kite mark).

Now I know Manufacturers have a right to protect their products. but considering the amount of materials in the trim, which isn't really a lot, how the hell do they justify such a difference between the 60ukp for the standard toughened Safety Glass that I am getting and their price of

200ukp for a panel which is mostly composed of that glass ? As far as I know the trim isn't made of soldi gold or solid silver .............

As I said, I'm not asking for advice here, just getting something off my chest

Steve

[Lee Blaver]

considering the amount of

such a difference

and their price of

the trim isn't made of

It's the perception of "quality" based on high prices isn't it? As well the sound business practice of charging as much as you can get away with ;)

Lee

[Andy Dingley]

They don't. There's an EU ruling in the last few years, aimed at stopping car makers squeezing out pattern part makers. They can protect their products and designs, but spares are fair game.

IANAL...

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

[The Natural Philosopher]

the manufacturer

the eaxct size of the

to get the glass out

Sunday doing just that -

sell me just the glass,

sheet used in that panel

uncertainty of how much

sure I would get the

anyway (which they agreed

point blank no. And

to everyone else's

confirm my measurements

considering the amount of

such a difference

and their price of

the trim isn't made of

Supply chain markup.

The manufacturer gets his glass for 25 quid, and his frame for a tenner. He pumps it out to the distributor via tha marketing company, who are in charge of sales, marketing, and all those pictures of misty scantily clad women peering through the artistically shot glass. They also have to field a teamm of useless c*nts in suits to push this stuff to all the reatils outlets, so by the time he has paid for that its marked up to near enough a hundred.

Then it sits in someone elses ditzy showroom, surounded by more useless c*nts in suits who will try and persuade your wife of the essentially massive quality of construction, and part you from yoir hard earned dosh.

Basically you are paying £35 for teh shower, and £165 for the useless c*nts who sold it to you. Oh and teh useless c*nts who appear in the scantily clad bathing suiits in the brochure, and the UC's who take the pictures and write the garabage.

Not to menton that fat cat UC who runs a 'bathware' company who spends it all on a suitably ditzy surrey mansion and weekend golf.

Yah. Well. No. Fine :-)

Seems to be something in the air today :-) :-)

[Huge]

[26 lines snipped]

considering the amount of

such a difference

their price of

the trim isn't made of

Shower cubicles are daylight robbery. I got ripped off about a grand for the one in our en-suite, which has about £200 worth of materials in it, at retail prices, and seems designed specifically to grow mould in the nooks and crannies, so I'm going to build one out of plain toughened glass in the main bathroom.

As soon as I can find someone to sell me stainless steel hinges, handles and brackets to bolt the glass together, anyway.

[AlanG]

considering the amount of

such a difference

and their price of

the trim isn't made of

Chromed brass any good?

-- Alan G "The corporate life [of society] must be subservient to the lives of the parts instead of the lives of the parts being subservient to the corporate life." (Herbert Spencer)

[Steve]

Chandlers ? Possibly also refrigeration parts stockists. How much does it cost to get glass toughened BTW ?

Steve

[John]

Huge, If you find a supplier, please post here. I`m looking to build my own screen as well but can`t find any suppliers for fixing yet :-(

John

[Steve Gontarek]

You've obviously investigated making your own, so maybe you could give me a bit of advice. What do you recommend as the best glue to use for seating the glass in the the metal trim ? Would normal Epoxy do, or should I use glass\cereamic epoxy ? Or is there something altogether different ?

Steve