Thanks Thanks:  0
Likes Likes:  0
Needs Pictures Needs Pictures:  0
Picture(s) thanks Picture(s) thanks:  0
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 18
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Artarmon, Sydney
    Posts
    31

    Angry Bunnings Price Guarantee

    Hi all,

    After being inspired by others to take advantage of the Bunnings Price Guarentee, I went into Artarmon Bunnings (in Sydney) armed with Mitre10's 15% discounted prices and tried to get the guarentee.

    Guess what, they knocked me saying that the guarantee does not apply to sales (including Mitre 10's). I explained to them that other Bunnings stores (I rang Belrose and went to Mascot) did not see it that way, but they stood their ground telling me that this was the policy for all stores.

    Does anyone have any tips, am I wrong or have Artarmon Bunnings got it wrong?

    I'm going to try Bunning's Perth admin number on Monday, but by that time, Mitre 10's sale will be over.

    If I am right and I should receive the discount, I think Bunnings should have another guarentee that guarentees that I get the original guarentee.

    One of the reasons why I think I am right is that I find it hard to believe that the other Bunnings stores would have collectively stuffed up by selling you guys cheap Triton products without reason.

    Graham

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    geelong
    Age
    88
    Posts
    773

    Default

    Bunnings are a rip off .Acouple of months ago Harris Scarfe had routers on special for $59-95 . Bunnings had the same router on display ,on asking for the 10% discount they told me they had none in stock .When will they be avaiable? in x number of days .Guess what, after Harris Scarfe sale was over.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 1999
    Location
    Brisbane, Qld.
    Age
    47
    Posts
    1,260

    Default

    I believe it is there policy that the price match does not apply to competitors prices when the competitor is having a sale. Same goes for trade quantities they won't price match.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    ...
    Posts
    7,955

    Default

    I thought it was cheaper advertised price, irrespective of being on sale or otherwise.

    I have taken in catalogs showing specials and received the price match in both their Nunawading and Mitcham stores without problems. They even matched print outs of interstate webspecials without any query.

    I suggest you try again and this time ask to speak to whoever is in charge and if they refuse to give you the price guarantee ask their name and inform them that you will take it up with their headoffice as well as the ACCC for misleading advertising.


    Peter.

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Riverhills, Brisbane
    Age
    64
    Posts
    1,216

    Default

    Bunnings at Oxley (Brisbane) honoured Mitre 10's 15% Discount for me earlier this year. I even told them it was a discount sale at Mitre 10 and they said it dosen't matter..they still gave me the 10% off the Mitre 10 Discount.


    Go back and demand they hounour their policy...I believe their policy only is negated by liquidation sales.

    Go for it!

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Kentucky NSW near Tamworth, Australia
    Age
    85
    Posts
    3,737

    Default

    I think it may be a policy of the individual store. I have had the price matched by the Tamworth branch even when they were on special at other stores. Including Mitre 10, Big W and Gasweld.

    Normally they check around and see who has specials on and go a dollar under the prices so you can't price match but sometimes they aren't quick enough and they honour the price.

    I 2nd what Sturdee says and take it further.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    hobart
    Age
    58
    Posts
    44

    Thumbs down

    Hi all,

    Well I for one am glad that they knocked the extra 10% discount back.

    Though it may be great as an individual to get something cheaper the pressure it puts on small business is intolerable. The huge companies that do this can afford to absorb the discount (or up the prices on stock that most wouldnt notice to cover it) however the small guy cant.

    My mate owned a mower and chainsaw sales and repair shop and provided a personal service to a country town and made enough to get by. Just enough. Along came one of the major huge hardware chains and of course discounted to below my mates prices.

    Of course people would come in and price shop and my mate would drop his a little lower and his small profit margin would drop with it and then the hardware chain would give a larger discount and they would by it off them.

    My mates business couldnt cope and went broke. This didnt effect just him but his two employess were out of jobs, one less business in town for all the associated other small business (accountants, banks, security etc) who all take a hit along the way. The other mower chainsaw place went broke 8 months later.

    So everyone got thier cheaper mowers and brushcutters but now theres no-one in town to fix them! The big store can send em away for you-very convenient.

    Oh and guess what the mower prices have gone up now!

    Great system hey!


    cheers

    drago

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Artarmon, Sydney
    Posts
    31

    Unhappy

    I get your point about being bad for small business. But I believe it is good for small business if people like me go in an get the price guarentee and question their "lower prices". If enough of us did it, then Bunnings would have to withdraw their marketing campaign as they would be loosing too much money. Don't forget their whole point of their marketing campaign is to create the perception that they are cheaper than anyone else while charging the highest price that they can.

    I think small businesses need to compete in areas that they can win. These areas include
    1) Specialised items that are not worth Bunnings to stock.
    2) New and inovative items that take Bunnings ages to get onto the shop floor.
    3) Items that have supply problems. Bunnings never stocks any good or interesting wood.
    4) Building a genuine and honest relationship with individual customers. I use the local green grocer even though I know that they are more expensive. this is except for garlic - their garlic price is 600% more than coles.

    Anyway, for the record, I use to own and run a bookshop (small business). It did ok, but I could not get any supply of latest books. Note, as you probably guessed, I know nothing about running a hardware store.

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Endeavour Hills, Melbourne
    Age
    71
    Posts
    283

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamC
    I think small businesses need to compete in areas that they can win. These areas include
    1) Specialised items that are not worth Bunnings to stock.
    Bunnings have that covered - they own other outlets ie. Blackwoods
    2) New and inovative items that take Bunnings ages to get onto the shop floor.
    Risky - being innovative and new, would probably indicate a higher price as volumes sales not established, product may well fail.
    3) Items that have supply problems. Bunnings never stocks any good or interesting wood.
    Probably covered by another Wesfarmers business - Sotico
    4) Building a genuine and honest relationship with individual customers. I use the local green grocer even though I know that they are more expensive. this is except for garlic - their garlic price is 600% more than coles.
    Good business idea for anyone.
    "It is this clear purpose that turns price cutting by a company with substantial market power into predatory pricing. Once competitors are eliminated the likely results are that the company can raise its prices, recoup its losses, and exploit consumers."

    Above from the ACCC website and specifically in reference to predatory pricing. Because Wesfarmers (Bunnings) is so large, they can afford to lose a few dollars on the occasional product (and I am sure it's very occasional).

    The local hardware store can't. Even the larger ones have trouble (no more are there any HardwareHouse or BBC stores - Bunnings have them.)

    Gordon.
    Gordon
    _____________________________________________
    Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Artarmon, Sydney
    Posts
    31

    Thumbs up

    Hi All,

    I did it, well at least their Chatswood store would honour the guarentee for the items that they had. They were very nice about it and checked the mitre 10 sale before I got there. Thumbs up for Chatswood Bunnings .

    I got a work centre for $381.74 and a router table for $144.59.

    I'm still going to contact Bunnings on Monday as, the way I see it, I missed out on a cheap saw and blade :mad:.

    For the record, my wife and I do support small business. We have bought $612.86 worth of workshop time and materials at "Yourworkshop" (9519 1234) at St Peters - use to be at Lilyfield. I would heartly recommend them as a good place to learn and get access to big tools. We even went to the wood show and bought $200 worth of wood from a org that would only accept cash (most likely a small business).

    regards,

    Graham

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    hobart
    Age
    58
    Posts
    44

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamC
    Hi All,

    I did it, well at least their Chatswood store would honour the guarentee for the items that they had. They were very nice about it and checked the mitre 10 sale before I got there. Thumbs up for Chatswood Bunnings .

    I got a work centre for $381.74 and a router table for $144.59.

    I'm still going to contact Bunnings on Monday as, the way I see it, I missed out on a cheap saw and blade :mad:.

    For the record, my wife and I do support small business. We have bought $612.86 worth of workshop time and materials at "Yourworkshop" (9519 1234) at St Peters - use to be at Lilyfield. I would heartly recommend them as a good place to learn and get access to big tools. We even went to the wood show and bought $200 worth of wood from a org that would only accept cash (most likely a small business).

    regards,

    Graham
    Hi graham

    please dont think I was having a shot at you personally - just the big predators....I did realise that I do buy petrol at woolies at discount so I fall for it too.

    cheers
    drago

  13. #12
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Surrey Downs SA
    Age
    48
    Posts
    27

    Default everybodys happy

    Recently i was pricing a Triton 2000 centre and accessories, my last stop was Bunnings for their 10% discount which amounted to approx $70 savings. Upon asking for this the assistant gave me grief on having to ring Mitre 10 then was less than helpful when asked if they stocked the power tools i was looking for. On one particularly lazy reply from the assistant i left the store frustrated seconds from telling him where he could place his stock. Immediately i returned to the local Mitre 10 Handy mart which suprisingly had the best price and asked them if i took the goods right then could they tighten the price as i could get the 10% at Bunnings but didnt want the messing around. He dropped the price by $30 and advised that was all he could go. I bought the products, the salesperson had the opportunity to adjust the price for a suitable return and i was happy with my saving, everybody happy.

    I considered speaking to Bunnings management about my dealings with them but somehow believe this is just a strategy of theirs. Anyway if they choose to operate in such a manner they do not deserve my feedback.

    Thanks for reading my whinge, i feel much better.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    ...
    Posts
    7,955

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WISE
    .... the assistant gave me grief on having to ring Mitre 10 then was less than helpful when asked if they stocked the power tools i was looking for. On one particularly lazy reply from the assistant .......

    I considered speaking to Bunnings management about my dealings with them but somehow believe this is just a strategy of theirs. Anyway if they choose to operate in such a manner they do not deserve my feedback.
    I think you were wrong in not speaking to the store management. Any customer, whether you shop at Bunnings or at a small store, deserves to be treated with respect and courtesy. The customer is there to spend money and if a sales assistant is not helpful you should complain to the management.

    A few years ago at my then local Hardwarehouse I was ignored and not treated with the respect I considered was my right as a customer by a register operator.

    Not only did I complain at the time but I also rang their head office and spoke to the manager for Victoria. He appreciated the fact that I brought it to his attention and advised that the operator would be counselled and in appreciation and as an apology sent me a gift voucher for $20.

    Incidently the operator is still working there and is now one of the more friendlier staff. So I do not think it is Bunnings policy to be rude to customers but some insolent staff member and unless you tell management he will continue to do this.

    Peter.

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Hodgsonvale QLD
    Age
    62
    Posts
    251

    Default

    Well done GrahamC, I picked up a GMC biscuit joiner on Friday usingthe 10% thing against the Mitre 10 price, the girl was very polite and had no problems checking the price which was $20 less than I quoted.

    Its funny how the service varies from store to store. At my local Bunnings (Toowoomba) the 2 blokes who usually man (person for the pc's) the tool shop give excellent service. Mind you that could be because they are both woodworkers themselves.

    Yet when I tried to get one of those $40 GMC routers transfered from Oxley both I and my local Bunnings guy had problems. I eventually got one but only after I rang the Oxely store and ducked and weaved around the excuses.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Surrey Downs SA
    Age
    48
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Peter,

    I see what you are saying, but ultimately I think previous replies have it spot on that you need to make your face known to the salespeople at these stores and assistance comes much easier. Unfortunately unless you are a tradie it is virtually impossible to do this at the larger Bunnings stores.

    Anyway enough of my whinge, off to more positive things

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •