Special prices for sanitary ware, appliances, etc.?

[OneMoreFarang]

In the next months I will buy lots of items for my new apartment, i.e. for the kitchen, bathroom and more.

In the moment I look at websites from i.e. HomePro, Boonthavorn and others to get an overview what is available in Thailand and how much it cost.

I also look at the manufacturer websites and written and video reviews to get a better idea about the differences.

 

One thing which I see and which, in a way, confuses me, are special prices. I.e. sometime appliances and sanitary ware, and probably many other things, are offered with huge discount, i.e. 50% discount. In your experience, why does that happen? And is there some kind of rule that only the old models from last year (which are maybe very good) are discounted? Or things which nobody wants to buy? Or are these special prices to get customers into the shop so that those customers buy also other things?

And are those special prices often only at certain points in the year or all the time? I.e. does it make sense that I buy now something for a good price because maybe in 3 months, when I really need it, it will be considerable more expensive?

 

At least for me the issue is not to get the cheapest. I want good quality and I pay whatever I have to pay to get good quality. But if I can get one item for i.e. 20k which normally cost 40k then obviously I am happy to take it for the special price.

 

P.S.: I never know where to post questions like this: DIY or property or which section of the forum.

[sometimewoodworker]

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

One thing which I see and which, in a way, confuses me, are special prices. I.e. sometime appliances and sanitary ware, and probably many other things, are offered with huge discount, i.e. 50% discount. In your experience, why does that happen?

Many and various reasons, our tiles were at 75% discount as flood damaged, others discounted at different times for random different reasons. End of line, seconds, over stock, because it’s Wednesday etc.

 

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

At least for me the issue is not to get the cheapest. I want good quality and I pay whatever I have to pay to get good quality. But if I can get one item for i.e. 20k which normally cost 40k

That’s the way to do it. If you see an item you want at a lower price buy it. 
Häfele is having a sale on some items https://www.hafelehome.co.th/collections/home-and-living-sale?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Home+and+Living+&utm_content=หน้ารวม

[scubascuba3]

a rule of thumb here is if there's a discount then there's something wrong with it which you'll find out sooner or later, that relates to everything

[sometimewoodworker]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

a rule of thumb here is if there's a discount then there's something wrong with it which you'll find out sooner or later, that relates to everything

I have bought quite a lot of discounted items, none of them had anything wrong with them, so TIT YMMV I have also avoided buying items that did have something wrong with them.

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I have bought quite a lot of discounted items, none of them had anything wrong with them, so TIT YMMV

Yes just my experience but happens almost every time vs in UK you can get good discounts and good quality every time. Paying full price of course doesn't guarantee quality

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And are those special prices often only at certain points in the year or all the time? I.e. does it make sense that I buy now something for a good price because maybe in 3 months, when I really need it, it will be considerable more expensive?

A friend of mine started building his house up country a couple of months back, a six month project. Right now he is buying everything he will need for the remaining work such as the interior doors, windows, plumbing, electricals, paint and other stuff needed for 'finishing' the construction. He's having to find places off-site to store this stuff. He has already seen prices for steel and cement creeping up and, despite the price of diesel being capped until end of May, businesses are already using the increased cost of diesel as an excuse to inch up their prices. It will probably be worse in June.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

businesses are already using the increased cost of diesel as an excuse to inch up their prices.

Really!
 

Wouldn’t it be more correct to say that steel prices are being pushed up by diesel prices along with other factors?
Or do you actually work in the steel industry so know that it’s an excuse?

 

Nobody likes prices going up but vilification of business on guesswork isn’t helping anyone.

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Really!
 

Wouldn’t it be more correct to say that steel prices are being pushed up by diesel prices along with other factors?
Or do you actually work in the steel industry so know that it’s an excuse?

 

Nobody likes prices going up but vilification of business on guesswork isn’t helping anyone.

No, I don't work in the steel industry but my brother-in-law is very busy in the local construction business and among other stuff, he buys a lot of steel. Like any Thai family, the rising cost of living and staying in business is an increasingly frequent point of discussion.

 

If a business claims that the increased price for the same quantity of steel over the past few weeks, during which time the price of diesel has been frozen, is due to the price of diesel going up, who's being disingenuous here? We've been stockpiling some of his stuff in our yard for about three months already.

 

My advice for the OP remains to buy everything he requires for his home build sooner rather than later.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

If a business claims that the increased price for the same quantity of steel over the past few weeks, during which time the price of diesel has been frozen, is due to the price of diesel going up, who's being disingenuous here? We've been stockpiling some of his stuff in our yard for about three months already.

 

My advice for the OP remains to buy everything he requires for his home build sooner rather than later.

The diesel price in Thailand certainly has been frozen, but in general the stock steel was transported weeks or months ago when diesel was less expensive, so restocking costs more for diesel. Along with the point that the majority of steel isn’t domestic but imported so the transport cost including diesel is not restricted. So all in all it certainly can be a diesel increase that’s a significant part of the increase in price. Your view is rather more short term IMHO.

 

That isn’t saying that stockpiling, if you have the free space, isn’t a good idea, sure it is. We bought a couple of tonnes of tiles months before we started building and saved a significant amount of cash by doing so.