Analysing Water Tank Quotes – 5 things to consider

There are an increasing number of brands and types of water tanks and liquid storage tanks on the market in South Africa.  Most potential buyers like to obtain a few quotations from various suppliers to get a feel for a fair price.  There are some things that every buyer should be aware of when requesting quotes for water tanks or other storage tanks.

If you are reading this then you are probably in the market sector that prefers to obtain quotes and information from water tank suppliers via email.  A written quotation, especially a formal quote for water tanks attached to an email as a document, is generally accepted as binding.  Quotes for water tanks obtained telephonically do not hold much water.

Here are a few things to consider when obtaining water tank quotes via email:

1 How long did the supplier take to respond to your enquiry?   The response time will give a good indication of how efficient and professional the supplier is.  A supplier that takes more than a day to respond to a water tank quote request is either not interested, has organisational problems or shouldn’t be advertising on the internet and has insufficient knowledge of how a business should operate.  Suppliers that respond within an hour or so should be given priority when considering  who to buy tanks from.

2 Does the supplier offer to email a formal quotation?  A formal quotation or pro forma invoice that is dated and has the suppliers full contact details as well as company registration details should indicate a reputable and organised business that you can trust.

3 How much information is included in the quote?  Beware of water tank quotations that have ambiguous statements or too little information.  As an example, if for instance you request a quote for a 10000 litre polyethylene water tank; does the quote include the brand of the tank? Are the type and dimensions mentioned on the quote and is the colour of the water tank specified?  Accepting a quote without such information could lead to disappointment (perhaps you wanted a well-known brand name such as JoJo Tanks but instead received a no-name brand of inferior quality and odd dimensions).

4 Does the water tank quote include extras such as delivery costs and VAT?  Ensure that the quote is clear about delivery costs (are they included?) and does the final amount include VAT?  Some suppliers intentionally do not include VAT to make their quotes look more attractive.  Other suppliers do not specify conditions of delivery which may result in excessive additions to the final invoice.

5 How long is the water tank quote valid for?  This is important to check; with today’s ever-increasing fuel costs and other input costs, some sort of validity period should be included on the water tank quote.  Water tank quotes without a validity period leave the buyer open to extra charges from the supplier.

There are other things that buyers should ask during correspondence with a potential water tank supplier (it is always best to correspond in writing via email; telephonic conversations are difficult to prove in the event of any problems).  Ask the water tank supplier other questions such as whether the water tanks carry a guaranty or warranty.  Also ask about installation as well as maintenance requirements.  Gather as much information about the water tank brand as you can – a well-informed decision could save you money in the future (generally ‘cheap’, no-name brand water tanks do not last very long and could even contaminate stored water).

In South Africa, we recommend JoJo Tanks products – with more than 30 years of polyethylene tank manufacturing experience, JoJo Tanks’ rotational moulding manufacturing process ensures high quality poly water tanks are produced, carrying an 8-year guaranty.  JoJo Tanks also offer aftersales technical advice for installation procedures and they cover the whole of South Africa.  As authorised JoJo Tanks dealers/agents, we are proud to be associated with their high quality products and strive to offer the best service possible.