barrysumpter
12th December 2001, 07:11 AM
Hi all,
Just thought I'd pass on my trials an tribulations regarding getting the best price for the Merbau.
I always start at Taits Timber and Hardware here in Glen Iris. They've been helping with the not only the structural design for my Octagon deck for months now, but also discussing the ins and outs of woodworking in general.
Once Taits knew I needed 460 lineal meters. They offered me $3 per lineal meter.
I thought I'd shop around a bit by phone and see what I could find.
As always my search started with the trading post.
Tile Importers had Merbau prices at 2.40 / LM.
I went down to take a look. The yard and warehouse was huge and very busy. They had signs about an automatic $20 fine for leaving the bins not stacked properly. No return and no refunds. Didn’t think to ask if they took credit cards since I wasn’t buying anything yet.
I overheard someone ask for a better price. The salesman just said 'leave it, someone will buy it'.
I had a decent look around the yard and warehouse. Heaps and Heaps of supplies.
Finally found the Merbau. Looked like it was a 1000 LM stack broken up. The sign said 2.30. And 2.4 lengths and greater 2.40.
I had a look thru and some were really rough and lots had this goo on them. Some were warped either horizontally or vertically.
And they had been stored outside. On racks.
Wanted to ask some questions. But no one to be found to help. Finally someone said 'that’s the way they come, you have to pick the ones you want'.
Returned to Taits after my disappointment.
Taits said all Merbau comes from the same place. All being 'A' grade. Every reseller received the same type supply.
The goo is the moisture from the Merbau sapping out. The Merbau sap will stain a swimming pool. Make sure the ground underneath is protected if you don't want it stained.
I then asked Taits for a better than Trade price hoping they could match or come close to the 2.30 LM.
They said the 2.30 is a ludicrous price.
And that Taits offers better service.
Proper staking, under cover, encourages customers to pick what they want, cutting available (at a price), $3 / LM until the project is completed (not a one off price), advice, plenty of personnel available, delivery available (at a price).
Their advice was a very confident pre drilling and using twisted shank nails hammered by hand. No other advice was given for this topic nor would discussed.
So convinced I purchased my first 43 lengths of 1.8 lm of 40mm Merbau.
Got home and realized that a lot were really rough or warped. Luckily there were 24 perfect and 1 slightly rough at one end. I had also realized that I had paid for 43 and got home with 38. (I had gone inside to ask one of the customer reps to help calc 40 mm widths into my decking area I needed to cover. At the time, I had returned to find the yardman finishing the paper work. And had specifically asked him if he had placed all 43 in my vehicle.
He confirmed and I thanked him for being so quick in not only loading my vehicle for me but cutting the extra 6 1.8 that were NOT in the stack. )
Luckily there were 24 perfect and 1 slightly rough at one end.
So returning to Taits explaining not only did I receive only 38 out of my purchased 43 but that when asked to calculate 40mm widths they should have said that Merbau only comes in 70 mm widths. And that I only really needed 25 1.8 lengths.
So the customer rep just had to case down the yardman. With me trailing behind telling him it doesn't matter just to fix me up so I can go on my way. By the time I caught up with the customer rep the yardman was in defensive mode and told me I should have stayed out at the car with him.
I told them both it didn't matter to just fix me up so I could be on my way. The customer rep and yardman argued about what to do for a few more moments.
The disgruntled yardman removed the 13 Merbau lengths from my car and didn't speak to me at all. The customer rep refunded me price for the 43 and charged me for the 25.
I then ran out and rented the Paslode nail gun with 50mm gal nails. The results of which are posted on a previous message on this same forum.
So now that I knew I had to nail by hand and selectively pick my Merbau I thought I'd chase up another Merbau retailer for a better price.
Timber Merchants had Merbau for 1.80. I rang and found out it was a 30min drive. Which was OK because I needed to return the nail gun to Bunning’s and the yard was about 10 mins from there. I also asked if their quality was high. They just kept repeating 'Its all A grade'. I asked if I could look thru it. They said 'Yes'. I asked if they had plenty in stock. 'Yes'. And does the price include the GST. <cough><cough> Yes it does. Fantastic I'll see you in a few minutes.
Got there. Just a 6 car shed. With packs of wood. Walked up to the counter. Signs of 'No check', 'No cards'. I believe that to be cash only. And 'No refunds' and 'No returns'.
Identifying myself as the person who had just rang and could I now see the Merbau they pointed to a stack of Merbau called Mountain Ash. When I challenged as to Mountain Ash being Merbau them they became very defensive and asked if I had seen Merbau before. I confirmed just this morning and they said that they would be getting 3000 lm in about 2 hours and to come back then.
Again I reminded them I had just called and had confirmation that they had plenty.
That’s when they said they had 'pricing spies' trying to spy on them.
I confirmed I was a customer looking for 460 LM of hand picked Merbau and just wanted to be treated well.
Them: 'You can look at the Merbau but not hand pick them. You can look at the outsides and ends of the bundle but we won't cut the straps.'
Me: Well look, it sounds like you've got too many 'can't do's and 'won't do's for me. I need to pick the pieces I want to use. I think I'll give it a miss.
Them: 'Well, when you buy a packet of chips would you select them one chip at a time?'
Me: 'I'm not spending $1000 + dollars on a bag of chips that my house guests will be walking on for at least the next 20 years.'
Them: 'Then go back to your $3 a m then'.
Me: 'Plus the quality of service and respect.' G'day gentlemen'
Jeez, what a waist of time and now I feel bad because I had a couple of rough necks trying to team up on me and force me into buying timber I couldn’t inspect.
So I returned to Taits and located a younger yards man stacking more Merbau. Who was happy to help and allowed me to go thru almost every piece of Merbau they had.
I needed about 60 pieces of varying lengths. Some lengths they didn’t have.
It seems they buy the bundles which have whatever varying length to make up the bundle.
So it seems you have to make up your list from what ever is available in the yard.
I found that half or more of the lengths I needed were either rough or warped.
The moral of this exercise:
Even though I get short answers from Taits customer reps sometimes. And get an agro yards man every once in a while (who can't count. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif ). The services they provide far outweigh the abysmal service I received from these others. The lower prices from other vendors is negated by the fact you don’t get to see the product your purchasing.
Taits allowed me to return the extra lengths I didn't need and continue to allow me to purchase at trade prices.
I’m lucky to have Taits just a minutes drive away and will be a faithful timber customer.
------------------
Thanks,
Barry G. Sumpter
Proud Tritoneer
[This message has been edited by barrysumpter (edited 12 December 2001).]
Just thought I'd pass on my trials an tribulations regarding getting the best price for the Merbau.
I always start at Taits Timber and Hardware here in Glen Iris. They've been helping with the not only the structural design for my Octagon deck for months now, but also discussing the ins and outs of woodworking in general.
Once Taits knew I needed 460 lineal meters. They offered me $3 per lineal meter.
I thought I'd shop around a bit by phone and see what I could find.
As always my search started with the trading post.
Tile Importers had Merbau prices at 2.40 / LM.
I went down to take a look. The yard and warehouse was huge and very busy. They had signs about an automatic $20 fine for leaving the bins not stacked properly. No return and no refunds. Didn’t think to ask if they took credit cards since I wasn’t buying anything yet.
I overheard someone ask for a better price. The salesman just said 'leave it, someone will buy it'.
I had a decent look around the yard and warehouse. Heaps and Heaps of supplies.
Finally found the Merbau. Looked like it was a 1000 LM stack broken up. The sign said 2.30. And 2.4 lengths and greater 2.40.
I had a look thru and some were really rough and lots had this goo on them. Some were warped either horizontally or vertically.
And they had been stored outside. On racks.
Wanted to ask some questions. But no one to be found to help. Finally someone said 'that’s the way they come, you have to pick the ones you want'.
Returned to Taits after my disappointment.
Taits said all Merbau comes from the same place. All being 'A' grade. Every reseller received the same type supply.
The goo is the moisture from the Merbau sapping out. The Merbau sap will stain a swimming pool. Make sure the ground underneath is protected if you don't want it stained.
I then asked Taits for a better than Trade price hoping they could match or come close to the 2.30 LM.
They said the 2.30 is a ludicrous price.
And that Taits offers better service.
Proper staking, under cover, encourages customers to pick what they want, cutting available (at a price), $3 / LM until the project is completed (not a one off price), advice, plenty of personnel available, delivery available (at a price).
Their advice was a very confident pre drilling and using twisted shank nails hammered by hand. No other advice was given for this topic nor would discussed.
So convinced I purchased my first 43 lengths of 1.8 lm of 40mm Merbau.
Got home and realized that a lot were really rough or warped. Luckily there were 24 perfect and 1 slightly rough at one end. I had also realized that I had paid for 43 and got home with 38. (I had gone inside to ask one of the customer reps to help calc 40 mm widths into my decking area I needed to cover. At the time, I had returned to find the yardman finishing the paper work. And had specifically asked him if he had placed all 43 in my vehicle.
He confirmed and I thanked him for being so quick in not only loading my vehicle for me but cutting the extra 6 1.8 that were NOT in the stack. )
Luckily there were 24 perfect and 1 slightly rough at one end.
So returning to Taits explaining not only did I receive only 38 out of my purchased 43 but that when asked to calculate 40mm widths they should have said that Merbau only comes in 70 mm widths. And that I only really needed 25 1.8 lengths.
So the customer rep just had to case down the yardman. With me trailing behind telling him it doesn't matter just to fix me up so I can go on my way. By the time I caught up with the customer rep the yardman was in defensive mode and told me I should have stayed out at the car with him.
I told them both it didn't matter to just fix me up so I could be on my way. The customer rep and yardman argued about what to do for a few more moments.
The disgruntled yardman removed the 13 Merbau lengths from my car and didn't speak to me at all. The customer rep refunded me price for the 43 and charged me for the 25.
I then ran out and rented the Paslode nail gun with 50mm gal nails. The results of which are posted on a previous message on this same forum.
So now that I knew I had to nail by hand and selectively pick my Merbau I thought I'd chase up another Merbau retailer for a better price.
Timber Merchants had Merbau for 1.80. I rang and found out it was a 30min drive. Which was OK because I needed to return the nail gun to Bunning’s and the yard was about 10 mins from there. I also asked if their quality was high. They just kept repeating 'Its all A grade'. I asked if I could look thru it. They said 'Yes'. I asked if they had plenty in stock. 'Yes'. And does the price include the GST. <cough><cough> Yes it does. Fantastic I'll see you in a few minutes.
Got there. Just a 6 car shed. With packs of wood. Walked up to the counter. Signs of 'No check', 'No cards'. I believe that to be cash only. And 'No refunds' and 'No returns'.
Identifying myself as the person who had just rang and could I now see the Merbau they pointed to a stack of Merbau called Mountain Ash. When I challenged as to Mountain Ash being Merbau them they became very defensive and asked if I had seen Merbau before. I confirmed just this morning and they said that they would be getting 3000 lm in about 2 hours and to come back then.
Again I reminded them I had just called and had confirmation that they had plenty.
That’s when they said they had 'pricing spies' trying to spy on them.
I confirmed I was a customer looking for 460 LM of hand picked Merbau and just wanted to be treated well.
Them: 'You can look at the Merbau but not hand pick them. You can look at the outsides and ends of the bundle but we won't cut the straps.'
Me: Well look, it sounds like you've got too many 'can't do's and 'won't do's for me. I need to pick the pieces I want to use. I think I'll give it a miss.
Them: 'Well, when you buy a packet of chips would you select them one chip at a time?'
Me: 'I'm not spending $1000 + dollars on a bag of chips that my house guests will be walking on for at least the next 20 years.'
Them: 'Then go back to your $3 a m then'.
Me: 'Plus the quality of service and respect.' G'day gentlemen'
Jeez, what a waist of time and now I feel bad because I had a couple of rough necks trying to team up on me and force me into buying timber I couldn’t inspect.
So I returned to Taits and located a younger yards man stacking more Merbau. Who was happy to help and allowed me to go thru almost every piece of Merbau they had.
I needed about 60 pieces of varying lengths. Some lengths they didn’t have.
It seems they buy the bundles which have whatever varying length to make up the bundle.
So it seems you have to make up your list from what ever is available in the yard.
I found that half or more of the lengths I needed were either rough or warped.
The moral of this exercise:
Even though I get short answers from Taits customer reps sometimes. And get an agro yards man every once in a while (who can't count. http://ubb.ubeaut.com.au/ubb/wink.gif ). The services they provide far outweigh the abysmal service I received from these others. The lower prices from other vendors is negated by the fact you don’t get to see the product your purchasing.
Taits allowed me to return the extra lengths I didn't need and continue to allow me to purchase at trade prices.
I’m lucky to have Taits just a minutes drive away and will be a faithful timber customer.
------------------
Thanks,
Barry G. Sumpter
Proud Tritoneer
[This message has been edited by barrysumpter (edited 12 December 2001).]