How much cheaper are trade prices?

Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea (%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

Yes I know I should open trade accounts with suppliers to get price lists,
but I'm not VAT registered yet which seems to be a problem for most trade
suppliers. Plus I applied for a subscription to CTO about three weeks ago
and I haven't heard anything from them yet - do they usually take this long
or should I assume they've rejected my application?

Thanks, Tim

Tim wrote:

will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average
....
but I'm not VAT registered yet

If you're ordering that amount per month, you'll soon cross the
threshold for compulsory registration, so you might as well do it sooner
rather than later.

Cheers

mark-r

--
I put ten different puns in my .sig
I hoped that at least one of them would make you laugh
No pun in ten did

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 15:50:50 +0100, "Tim"
wrote:

Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea (%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

Yes I know I should open trade accounts with suppliers to get price lists,
but I'm not VAT registered yet which seems to be a problem for most trade
suppliers.

I don't know the answers to the pricing issues, but if you're ordering
10-15K a month, even if you were selling at a substantial loss your
turnover is going to be well in excess of the mandatory VAT
registration threshold.

Brian

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade
prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea
(%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

Yes I know I should open trade accounts with suppliers to get price lists,
but I'm not VAT registered yet which seems to be a problem for most trade
suppliers. Plus I applied for a subscription to CTO about three weeks ago
and I haven't heard anything from them yet - do they usually take this
long
or should I assume they've rejected my application?

Thanks, Tim



I find the above hard to believe. Your turnover is to high to not be VAT
registered.

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade
prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea
(%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

As nobody has answered your question I'll attempt to - at that level of
spend you'll be hard pushed to get trade prices that are any lower than
ebuyer's retail prices. ISTR an industry insider quoting on this group a
little while back that unless you were spending 20K a week then Computer
2000 and Ingram (the main trade wholesalers) aren't going to be terribly
interested. Of course the only way to find out is to ask them.

As nobody has answered your question I'll attempt to - at that level of
spend you'll be hard pushed to get trade prices that are any lower than
ebuyer's retail prices. ISTR an industry insider quoting on this group a
little while back that unless you were spending 20K a week then Computer
2000 and Ingram (the main trade wholesalers) aren't going to be terribly
interested. Of course the only way to find out is to ask them.


Total crap.

Computer 2000 don't have a minimum spend anything like that level.

You wont find one distie that will satisfy all your needs, some are cheaper
for this, some are cheaper for that. You won't find trade prices without
speaking to trade suppliers. You also wont get reasonable volume pricing
online or from magazine price lists, you'll have to get it by negotiation.

What I find inpossible to believe is that the OP is about to start buying
trade (and you don't currently) and you're going straight to that level of
spend without even contemplating VAT registration. That smacks of someone
talking out of their arse i'm afraid.

If you want trade prices, subscribe to CTO and CTS and phone people with
your level of spend and watch the prices come down, but register for VAT
first. Most trade disties don't deal on bull****, they deal on hard cash.

Cheers,

Ally.

Are you interested in second user systems?

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade
prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea
(%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

Yes I know I should open trade accounts with suppliers to get price lists,
but I'm not VAT registered yet which seems to be a problem for most trade
suppliers. Plus I applied for a subscription to CTO about three weeks ago
and I haven't heard anything from them yet - do they usually take this
long
or should I assume they've rejected my application?

Thanks, Tim




---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003

Tim" wrote in message
...
Can anyone give me an idea how much cheaper computer gear is at trade
prices
compared to the cheapest on-line prices from Ebuyer, Dabs, et al? I'm
talking about components, printers, monitors, etc, and just a rough idea
(%)
will do, assuming I'm ordering around £10-15K per month on average.

Yes I know I should open trade accounts with suppliers to get price lists,
but I'm not VAT registered yet which seems to be a problem for most trade
suppliers. Plus I applied for a subscription to CTO about three weeks ago
and I haven't heard anything from them yet - do they usually take this
long
or should I assume they've rejected my application?

Thanks, Tim


Hi Tim,

TBH, depends on the item some ebuyer prices are cheaper than tade others are
not, 2 examples,

Ebuyer USB Modem either own brand or Lamaqq ebuyer price on 50+ was about
£4.?? + vat ea = v.cheap

Trade price on 100+ was still £13 + vat,

I rang around for ages and no one would offer for less than £13 in bulk, in
the end I made a loss on these as I had orders to fill and ebuyer went out
of stock and havent replaced since. but people were undercutting me @ £7.50
so they must be somewhere

next price =

ebuyer Intel PCI modem = £6.49 @ 100+ or £6.99 for 1

Trade Price = ££5.60 + vat for 20+

Also Ebuyer carry a wider range than most Disties, ie the disties are
usually suppliers foir say a handful of manufactureers, therefore you have
to have about 3 -4 accounts with different companies to have a good range,
then it comes to postage, where you could order 20 items from ebuyer @ one
post rate or 5 from each 4 suppluers and spend loads in shipping,

Most trade suppliers will let you see prices before opening accounts if they
think you are serious abouyt it, afterall they dont want the hassle of
giving you an account if your not going to buy from them.

I could sell to some trade suppliers for less than they buy.

Also dont worry about the VAT thing, I was told this, a load of b*llocks,
get on the phone to them talk a load of crap (or be honest if your taking
£15k a month) and they will do what you want. So long as you have a business
account, then you should be ok.

Im not Vatted and i have never been refused accounts when I have explained
why

andy

"Well-Tech Computer Consultancy Ltd" wrote
in message ...
As nobody has answered your question I'll attempt to - at that level of
spend you'll be hard pushed to get trade prices that are any lower than
ebuyer's retail prices. ISTR an industry insider quoting on this group a
little while back that unless you were spending 20K a week then Computer
2000 and Ingram (the main trade wholesalers) aren't going to be terribly
interested. Of course the only way to find out is to ask them.


Total crap.

Computer 2000 don't have a minimum spend anything like that level.

You wont find one distie that will satisfy all your needs, some are
cheaper
for this, some are cheaper for that. You won't find trade prices without
speaking to trade suppliers. You also wont get reasonable volume pricing
online or from magazine price lists, you'll have to get it by negotiation.

What I find inpossible to believe is that the OP is about to start buying
trade (and you don't currently) and you're going straight to that level of
spend without even contemplating VAT registration. That smacks of someone
talking out of their arse i'm afraid.

If you want trade prices, subscribe to CTO and CTS and phone people with
your level of spend and watch the prices come down, but register for VAT
first. Most trade disties don't deal on bull****, they deal on hard cash.

Cheers,

Ally.

Agreed, It was Ally;'s good advice that got me sorted, although I used to
have an account with Northamber 5yr back I only found them good prices on
software

Many Thanks

andy

What I find inpossible to believe is that the OP is about to start buying
trade (and you don't currently) and you're going straight to that level of
spend without even contemplating VAT registration. That smacks of someone
talking out of their arse i'm afraid.

Ally - thanks for your help.

You (and a few others) seem to have missed the point about the VAT
registration thing though. Yes, obviously, trading at the level I indicated
would require VAT registration. I didn't say that I'm not contemplating
registration, I just said I haven't registered yet. My situation is that I'm
not currently trading at all, but expecting (hoping) to start soon, if I can
convince myself and my bank that I have a viable business proposition.
Obviously the prices I can buy at will be a big factor in this.

I'm just doing a bit of basic business planning and I thought it might be
worth canvassing opinion on this group. But you're right, the only way to
find out about trade prices for certain is to talk to the suppliers
themselves.

Cheers, Tim