ᐅ Toilet prices ranging from €27.90 to €500 – objective information on the price differences?
Created on: 17 May 2017 18:58
D
DReffects
Hello!
After receiving a hefty quote for bathroom fixtures of around €22,200 (about €900 for a toilet bowl), I just got back from the ICU recovery room and am now dealing with toilet bowls.
The rimless wall-hung toilet from the company with the +, their own brand, seems to be from Laufen according to my research and has an average rating of 1/5 stars on Amazon. Reason: water splashes out at the front, and quality appears to be mediocre.
I went to the home improvement store (*ahem*) and saw:
- Standard wall-hung toilet €29
- Rimless wall-hung toilet €89
- Brand-name rimless toilet €300
When I asked, the saleswoman said, "Oh, it’s all the same, they all work equally well; you just pay more for the brand name with the branded manufacturers."
The super-premium rimless toilet from TOTO with Tornado Flush I found online for about €380.
In my apartment, there is a roughly 35-year-old toilet, now with many dull spots, but it still wonderfully houses the 'product.' I clean it every few weeks with some cleaner and a brush. So far, no complaints.
So, quite simply: Where on earth is the difference?
Thank you very much for your input!
After receiving a hefty quote for bathroom fixtures of around €22,200 (about €900 for a toilet bowl), I just got back from the ICU recovery room and am now dealing with toilet bowls.
The rimless wall-hung toilet from the company with the +, their own brand, seems to be from Laufen according to my research and has an average rating of 1/5 stars on Amazon. Reason: water splashes out at the front, and quality appears to be mediocre.
I went to the home improvement store (*ahem*) and saw:
- Standard wall-hung toilet €29
- Rimless wall-hung toilet €89
- Brand-name rimless toilet €300
When I asked, the saleswoman said, "Oh, it’s all the same, they all work equally well; you just pay more for the brand name with the branded manufacturers."
The super-premium rimless toilet from TOTO with Tornado Flush I found online for about €380.
In my apartment, there is a roughly 35-year-old toilet, now with many dull spots, but it still wonderfully houses the 'product.' I clean it every few weeks with some cleaner and a brush. So far, no complaints.
So, quite simply: Where on earth is the difference?
Thank you very much for your input!
matte1987 schrieb:
The delivery limit is clearly defined; everything behind or under the tiles should be done by the installer. So you are now doing exactly what I implemented today. I think it’s absolutely the right decision.
A surcharge of about 30-50% in specialty stores for consultation and display is perfectly reasonable—but not 300%, especially not a percentage-based mark-up. Whether the fixture costs €80 or €800, the installation and display effort is the same.
When building a turnkey home with a full-service company, as many do, it generally goes like this. The general contractor doesn’t handle gas or plumbing work themselves. Instead, they subcontract it out. The subcontractors have to offer a very competitive price. For example, our plumbing and heating subcontractor receives 21,000 for the entire project. They are expected to complete all the plumbing installations, underfloor heating, solar thermal system, the boiler, two toilets, two sinks, two outdoor water taps, and one shower. According to a heating and plumbing expert friend of mine, that’s a tight budget. It’s not a profitable job by any means. If anything goes wrong, the subcontractor ends up losing money. So what needs to happen to make it worthwhile? Guess what…
Nordlys schrieb:
When building a turnkey project with a full-service company, as many do, it usually works like this. The general contractor doesn’t have their own gas and water specialists. They subcontract that work. The subcontractors have to offer a very competitive price. So, our plumbing, water, and heating contractor receives 21 (thousand, presumably) for the entire build. They’re expected to provide all the water installations, underfloor heating, solar thermal system, the boiler, two toilets, two sinks, two external water taps, and one shower. According to a heating and plumbing expert friend of mine, that’s tight. Not a profitable deal. If anything goes wrong, it ends up costing money. So what needs to happen for it to be worthwhile? Guess...Uh, and why is that the end customer’s problem when the company bids for work at a price that supposedly isn’t profitable?
I’m also a business owner. I don’t submit offers intending to later nickel-and-dime the client with vague arguments (“Well, the bathroom has to be exactly to the millimeter, oh no, are you scared?”). That’s unprofessional. If a client wants a certain service for a sum X and it’s not profitable, I simply don’t submit an offer or I point out that meeting certain standards would require adjustments.
The problem is when competitors participate in such tenders. Fortunately, in the long run, that leads nowhere.
I agree with you. It was just an attempt to explain why they consistently charge these sky-high prices, not to justify them.
It’s clear why this model works so well, especially for electrical and plumbing work. Almost no one wants a standard option, especially since it can be set so low that 99.9% of the time, it’s not actually followed. That’s a given. Like the base Golf for 18,000 (USD, EUR, etc.), which only care services order. But here’s the point: you’re at the mercy of the subcontractor chosen by the main contractor. That’s just how it is... you have to buy from them, or you take the standard option, or you build it yourself.
We simply got lucky; our plumbing company is one I know personally, and they also want occasional work from me, plus they work for us in other areas. That lays a foundation for a cooperative relationship. Although what he sold us for 1,100 (USD/EUR) is also available online for 800 (USD/EUR). Okay, I’m happy to pay the extra 300 for that, since he also installs everything. Karsten
It’s clear why this model works so well, especially for electrical and plumbing work. Almost no one wants a standard option, especially since it can be set so low that 99.9% of the time, it’s not actually followed. That’s a given. Like the base Golf for 18,000 (USD, EUR, etc.), which only care services order. But here’s the point: you’re at the mercy of the subcontractor chosen by the main contractor. That’s just how it is... you have to buy from them, or you take the standard option, or you build it yourself.
We simply got lucky; our plumbing company is one I know personally, and they also want occasional work from me, plus they work for us in other areas. That lays a foundation for a cooperative relationship. Although what he sold us for 1,100 (USD/EUR) is also available online for 800 (USD/EUR). Okay, I’m happy to pay the extra 300 for that, since he also installs everything. Karsten
I can still accept the 300. However, there is already a bit of a negative impression because, for example, here he calculates the labor time separately.
And those ridiculous mixed calculations really make me sick.
I avoided being ripped off when buying the kitchen just as I did with electrical work involving KNX. For those, I have the most important things done—the absolute cost drivers (kitchen: oak cutlery inserts, etc.; KNX: occupancy sensors and switches). I buy those myself if the price from the provider isn’t right.
And those ridiculous mixed calculations really make me sick.
I avoided being ripped off when buying the kitchen just as I did with electrical work involving KNX. For those, I have the most important things done—the absolute cost drivers (kitchen: oak cutlery inserts, etc.; KNX: occupancy sensors and switches). I buy those myself if the price from the provider isn’t right.
Kitchen... I’ve already vented about this, and I’m not the only one. The only fair one we encountered was the big Swedish company. The worst was a huge German furniture store; in comparison, the mid-sized company at the kitchen studio from Musterrimg seemed almost highly reputable, although expensive.
When it comes to electricals, we are old-fashioned. A lamp has a light switch, a socket is a socket, and KNX does not make sense to me in terms of its purpose.
When it comes to electricals, we are old-fashioned. A lamp has a light switch, a socket is a socket, and KNX does not make sense to me in terms of its purpose.