Support your local tool store?

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Joe and Colin. I too buy a lot of items on the web because many times by browsing I can find the item at a much discounted price and it takes some beating for sheer convenience with many items offered with free postage and pay by PayPal.

The guy at the store today was quoting me RRP. I've just been looking through the Fein "Interior accessories price list" this is one of the items I was quoted for not from the price list but from the store computer; this is a picture of the RRP;

   

Now here is the identical part number on eBay;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FEIN-CARBIDE-S...erTools_SM&hash=item3f11d8f0fe

I also checked locally for a new cement mixer and Wickes charge £245 for a 130L 450W mixer this being their cheapest mixer; I checked out eBay and bought a brand new 140L 650W mixer for £160 delivered. Just going online can save a fortune.

If as you say Lawrence you can buy cheaper locally than going online and find this to be more convenient good on you because you are doing well and keep it up.

I like to check prices of items on the web and even on the web it pays to shop around.

Yes Lawrence you have correctly understood me; I didn't have the full £250 or so on me when I visited the store this afternoon and initially I had visited intending to buy the Fein at £189.99 and with £220 on me I had plenty of money. This was the same store advertising on eBay the Fein at £189.99 which is fair enough and I thought yes I can easily afford this and its local so I'll pop along and buy one. I wrongly assumed the Fein would be cheaper in store because the store did not have to wrap it and print off labels then handle it again whilst having it collected; on top of this the store would incur PayPal costs so I felt justified in expecting a price reduction even if it was only a tenner? Was I being unreasonable?

The guy then distracted me by offering me a more expensive package dressing this up as a genuine bargain but now at home the prices he was quoting for the accessories are found to be RRP. There is a massive saving to be had by browsing eBay and I'm comparing like with like on the above accessory and it can be seen that the item on eBay carries the same OEM part number and is in fact a Fein OEM product.

I will not support local stores when there is such a vast difference in price when I get things so much cheaper on the web and as I say many times with free P&P and the convenience all without leaving my desk.

Screwfix is my favourite store and generally the prices are fair; Screwfix is local and open long hours so for this I don't even mind paying a little extra. Another reason I like Screwfix is that I receive "fliers" through the post informing me of special offers as only a few days ago I bought a brand new Erbauer jigsaw discounted by a massive £40. At Boundary Mills in Colne last week I bought a pair of very comfortable work shoes discounted from £40 to £20.

I don't shop exclusively online but I'll never pay RRP when with a little effort I can shop around and save a lot of money for very little effort on my part. In the three items Fein; Erbauer and shoes I saved £100 so I'll carry on looking for the bargains.

I do feel sorry for larger stores with massive overheads trying to compete with the Internet where many will be selling goods from a spare room or their garage with no such overheads. The store I visited today was selling the item I wanted through eBay so would any Yorkshireman pay the same price in store? I'm not a charity and I do like a bargain; being retired I now have time to shop around and it pays handsomely.

I only ever feel I've got a genuine bargain when I buy like for like at a cheaper price. Does any other member find their local store to be cheap?

I added this thread just to generate interest and gain other views on this subject.

Kind regards, Col.