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Should You Stick to Branded Products for your Bathroom Fittings?

We regularly see people in our showroom who are in need of help renovating an existing bathroom. Aside from full bathroom renovations, we’re always happy to help with smaller projects and often find ourselves chatting to people who’ve bought from a bathroom supplier and now have a problem with their bathroom that they’re struggling to fix.

There’s a common trend for bathroom suppliers to use suites, taps, and cabinets that are unbranded.

Why? Well it makes it easier for them to sell and make a good profit on. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that… until it goes wrong.

Many of the people we speak to who have been sold non-branded bathroom supplies are in a predicament because when it goes wrong, they struggle to make it right.

Should You Stick to Branded Products for your Bathroom Fittings? We regularly see people in our showroom who are in need of help renovating an existing bathroom. Aside from full bathroom renovations, we’re always happy to help with smaller projects and often find ourselves chatting to people who’ve bought from a bathroom supplier and now have a problem with their bathroom that they’re struggling to fix. There’s a common trend for bathroom suppliers to use suites, taps, and cabinets that are unbranded. Why? Well it makes it easier for them to sell and make a good profit on. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that… until it goes wrong. Many of the people we speak to who have been sold non-branded bathroom supplies are in a predicament because when it goes wrong, they struggle to make it right. The showroom goes bust… In these turbulent times, businesses come and go. It’s part and parcel of the economic world and a risk with pretty much everything that you buy. We’ve seen competitors come and go in the past 40+ years of business, but we’re still here, focusing on maintaining our family business and providing the excellent service and quality we’re known for. Bathroom businesses come and go just like other companies do. But what happens when something in your bathroom breaks? One situation that will cause issue with a non-branding part of your bathroom is if your bathroom supplier goes bust a few years after they install your bathroom. Sure, you might then lose a guarantee or service but you’ll also be in trouble should you need to replace any of the products – because you won’t know where they came from! Try Googling without a name; it’s a tricky operation! Is the quality up-to-scratch? One of the main reasons to buy a known brand is that the quality is usually better and it’s likely to last longer. Not only will you have a guarantee and somewhere to go back to should you have a problem, but you’re much less likely to have the problem in the first place! Branded products are more expensive, but as the saying goes – buy cheap, buy twice. Generally speaking a non-branded product will be poorer quality and not last as long, leaving you searching for a replacement without a clue where to look for one! It breaks. What now? Head to Google! It’s what most of us would do if we can’t contact the bathroom supplier or we simply want to fix it ourselves. Some bathroom suppliers wouldn’t come out and fix it anyway unfortunately. That’s why we’ve always been proud to offer a great aftersales service. Googling a non-branding item is tricky and unless you’re very lucky and you find a product number or serial number, you’re unlikely to be buying the exact replacement. This is a pain when you need a part, a valve, a hinge for a cabinet, or maybe a light for your illuminated mirror. Most branded parts and products will use branded or easy-to-buy parts too making a faulty part or general wear and tear a simple fix. Non-branded products are cheaper, more likely to fail, and then harder to find and replace - leaving you with no option other than to replace the entire product. This can be a big problem if for example the push button breaks on your WC, but the only way to fix it is to replace the entire WC, not the button! You don’t have a manufacturer to ask for help With a branded product, even if you don’t have good aftersales from your bathroom installer or they’ve stopped trading, you still have the fall back of the manufacturer of the product. Support from many of the big brands is excellent and you’ll often find that they’ll help you purely to remain a trusted business in your eyes. Big brands play the long game and tend to look after you so you choose them again and discuss them positively with your family and friends. Buy off-brand? Who are you going to call? Who are you going to Google? It’s all OK in the beginning… Buying off-brand or being supplied with non-branded suites, cabinets, taps and other areas of your bathroom is OK at the start. They work fine, your bathroom looks good enough, and everyone is happy. But over time your bathroom will need attention. You’ll soon wish you were sold something you could replace if and when it goes wrong and the manufacturers are more likely to be around than the bathroom supplier, too. We always use branded products and are proud to be a recommended supplier and fitter for some of the best. You can view the range of quality brands we use, fit and supply here. Need more help? Contact us now.

The showroom goes bust…

In these turbulent times, businesses come and go. It’s part and parcel of the economic world and a risk with pretty much everything that you buy. We’ve seen competitors come and go in the past 40+ years of business, but we’re still here, focusing on maintaining our family business and providing the excellent service and quality we’re known for.

Bathroom businesses come and go just like other companies do. But what happens when something in your bathroom breaks?

One situation that will cause issue with a non-branding part of your bathroom is if your bathroom supplier goes bust a few years after they install your bathroom. Sure, you might then lose a guarantee or service but you’ll also be in trouble should you need to replace any of the products – because you won’t know where they came from! Try Googling without a name; it’s a tricky operation!

 

Is the quality up-to-scratch?

One of the main reasons to buy a known brand is that the quality is usually better and it’s likely to last longer. Not only will you have a guarantee and somewhere to go back to should you have a problem, but you’re much less likely to have the problem in the first place!

Branded products are more expensive, but as the saying goes – buy cheap, buy twice.  Generally speaking a non-branded product will be poorer quality and not last as long, leaving you searching for a replacement without a clue where to look for one!

 

It breaks. What now?

Head to Google! It’s what most of us would do if we can’t contact the bathroom supplier or we simply want to fix it ourselves. Some bathroom suppliers wouldn’t come out and fix it anyway unfortunately. That’s why we’ve always been proud to offer a great aftersales service.

Googling a non-branding item is tricky and unless you’re very lucky and you find a product number or serial number, you’re unlikely to be buying the exact replacement.

This is a pain when you need a part, a valve, a hinge for a cabinet, or maybe a light for your illuminated mirror. Most branded parts and products will use branded or easy-to-buy parts too making a faulty part or general wear and tear a simple fix. Non-branded products are cheaper, more likely to fail, and then harder to find and replace – leaving you with no option other than to replace the entire product.

This can be a big problem if for example the push button breaks on your WC, but the only way to fix it is to replace the entire WC, not the button!

 

You don’t have a manufacturer to ask for help

With a branded product, even if you don’t have good aftersales from your bathroom installer or they’ve stopped trading, you still have the fall back of the manufacturer of the product.

Support from many of the big brands is excellent and you’ll often find that they’ll help you purely to remain a trusted business in your eyes. Big brands play the long game and tend to look after you so you choose them again and discuss them positively with your family and friends.

Buy off-brand? Who are you going to call? Who are you going to Google?

 

It’s all OK in the beginning…

Buying off-brand or being supplied with non-branded suites, cabinets, taps and other areas of your bathroom is OK at the start. They work fine, your bathroom looks good enough, and everyone is happy.

But over time your bathroom will need attention. You’ll soon wish you were sold something you could replace if and when it goes wrong and the manufacturers are more likely to be around than the bathroom supplier, too.

We always use branded products and are proud to be a recommended supplier and fitter for some of the best. You can view the range of quality brands we use, fit and supply here.

Need more help? Contact us now.

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