Net versus local merchant - Where to buy

[sydneycity]

Hi all,

Without wishing to stir up too much of a hornets nest i would like to ask your views on whether or not you think it makes any difference if a reputable brand of paving is purchased online or not. Prices seem very competitive and i'm not talking ebay either but good sites that come up readily on a google search. Thanks

[GB_Groundworks]

i needed a few pallets of 420x560 in golden brown and my local bm couldn't source them got on the net found a company in the midlands and had them delivered the next day. great.

[Dave_L]

It's dog eat dog out there at the moment; depends if you want to support your local BM who would probably appreciate the business during these lean times - otherwise they might not be around when times get a little better for us all.

[DNgroundworks]

I agree there Dave L, but our local BM was recentley taken over by a big firm so now prices have soared and all there stock has changed which is a pain.

So now i find myself looking on the net, reputable websites and the like and may i say it - ebay! Because not all stuff on ebay is nicked gear, the drainage stuff maybe but the paving and bricks etc are often just left overs from diy projects, Ive bought a bit of stuff before and the guy seemed pretty genuine - plus the new blocked paved driveway gave it away a little!!:D

[Dave_L]

Nicked drainage gear on ebay - I remember scouring ebay a while back and the amount of *obviosuly* stolen drainage bits and bobs astounded me!

[DNgroundworks]

Amazing int it - You could buy 1500 quids worth for 300, most of it ive found (the bulk lots) were from blackpool, obviously come off big sites and the like!

[seanandruby]

the amount of materials that get thrown in the skip because of over ordering on our sites is amazing. there were pipe stoppers and bags from 100 ml up to 375 dia. gulleys.bends pipework of all description. pallets of blocks, slabs you name it. complete kitchens, paint. in fact anything to do with building. so if allowed we can take what we want of the waste. so not everything is "nicked." i just wish i had a few sheds like ian's i would'nt need to work in shite again :;):

[Dave_L]

Yeah, true Sean......all depends on the site manager - we've had some stuff from site towards the end before it gets skipped.

[Tony McC]

Buying guaranteed 'firsts' branded products online is usually not a problem; indeed, there's a couple of quite profitable hard-landscaping supply companies that trade more or less exclusively online, and it's a model many more traders are looking at with envy.

The problem comes with unbranded product, and the biggest problem of all is stone paving. This is rapidly becoming a major part of my day: explaining to people that the shite that's been dropped off at their home is actually what they paid for, namely unnamed, non-specific imported or reclaimed stone. The fact that there are corners missing from some flags, or that you'd need crampons to get across some of the riven stuff doesn't actually contravene anything that was said on the website. And those ball-breaker nasty stained flags that were bought are actually yorkstone: the web'vert didn't say it was good quality yorkstone, or that it was clean, or even rectangular. It just said 'yorkstone' and that's what has been delivered.

Caveat emptor. Before you buy anything sight unseen, check, double check, and then check again!