Electronics shop

[timsabre]

Yes, understood, but my RS account seems to have free delivery with no extra fees even for a 10p component. So what did they tell you, if you open a new account then you wouldn't get that?

Farnell have oscillated between having a small order handling charge / no handling charge for account customers several times, as have CPC. CPC currently does have a charge and Farnell doesn't but no guarantee it'll stay like that.

 

[indyld]

Yes, understood, but my RS account seems to have free delivery with no extra fees even for a 10p component. So what did they tell you, if you open a new account then you wouldn't get that?

 

Yes. I realised last autumn that I needed my own solution instead of ordering odd bits through a company that the industry closure meant I never visited. I also had an increased demand for fast delivery of repair components directly to me. So, I made a new RS account (or applied to have an existing one become a Trade account, can't remember exactly). Put first order together, noticed that I was still getting charged the handling fee even though I was expecting not to be. I rang RS as couldn't make head nor tail of the information online and asked, saying that I wasn't used to seeing the charge on the trade accounts I'd worked with and had I not signed up for the right thing? Looking through the emails, it's actually a credit account rather than being called 'trade'. But either way, all of the benefits mentioned don't include free delivery.

 

She was a bit sheepish and mumbled something about 'no longer available for new accounts' and although I can't remember the exact conversation the main take away was that I wasn't gonna get to avoid the charge. So, the account has remained unused.

Edited March 18, 2021 by indyld

[timsabre]

Well that's worth knowing, thanks.

[indyld]

OK, so update on this as it made me curious regarding the information I was given. I thought I'd log back into the account and start the order process again. I did this on the basis that my experience with Farnell was that in order to remove the handling charge, one had to move through to Payment and select the credit account. Until that point, it was applied to the basket even when you are logged in.

 

Logged into RS, added something to basket. I've not actually finalised the payment, but having chosen the credit account payment option, the charge disappears. So, without actually buying something, it would seem that the information I was given last time wasn't correct and that it is still possible to get free next day.

 

I might try it for real for the next order.

Edited March 18, 2021 by indyld

[IRW]

Farnell may offer free delivery (at the moment) but their individual prices are really high and getting higher.

This is the case but it depends on the user. Ordering 1 or 2 of a completely different components on a daily basis and then paying a shipping / handling fee each time is not cheaper than paying a larger unit price and no charge. There is lots I prefer about using RS when working with other companies, but paying a fiver handling for a couple of capacitors or a MOSFET isn't gonna work.

 

Similar situation for a hobbyist or someone that has the occasional project: Unless one can wait build up a significant order of other things or decide to 'stock' items and buy larger quantities, then the handling charge is a no-go.

 

FYI, that's exactly what I've been doing the last few weeks, and been getting free delivery...!

[indyld]

FYI, that's exactly what I've been doing the last few weeks, and been getting free delivery...!

 

Well, the bonus benefit of this thread has been that I was apparently misinformed and without the discussion I would not have even revisited the RS account to find out.

[timsabre]

Result!

[kgallen]

I'm annoyed with Farnell. Having been a regular ("non trade") customer over many years and having made quite a few orders over the past year especially, I find they've now slapped a £9.95 charge on web orders under £40 (ext VAT). This is a pain since CPC's "general component" stocks are a bit here and there - not many ICs especially, and RS seems to have gone downhill in some stock categories. I find both RS and Farnell pricing can be a bit breath-taking sometimes - and also wildly at odds to CPC which as mentioned above is a Farnell company. Mouser and Digikey are non-starters for the volumes of parts I need (although I did have to suck up their charges once for a component not available from any of the above - might even have been Bluecom!). I can usually string enough together to avoid CPC's <£17.50 small order charge of £4.99.

 

Kevin

Edited March 21, 2021 by kgallen

[musht]

Rapid are free above 25 , 3.99 below.

 

Still competitive , usually, now part of Conrad.de

 

https://www.rapidonline.com/

[indyld]

Well, I thought I'd give RS a bash on the next item. However, 'thing' may be half the unit price at RS when compared to Farnell but on this occasion it would involve buying 'thing x 5' for an item that I may well need #2 of 5 in perhaps 10 years time or never need another 'thing' ever again. Life is such a lottery, huh?

 

 

So 1 x thing ordered and charged to customer.

Edited March 22, 2021 by indyld

[IRW]

Well, I thought I'd give RS a bash on the next item. However, 'thing' may be half the unit price at RS when compared to Farnell but on this occasion it would involve buying 'thing x 5' for an item that I may well need #2 of 5 in perhaps 10 years time or never need another 'thing' ever again. Life is such a lottery, huh?

 

 

So 1 x thing ordered and charged to customer.

 

I really don't understand how there can be so much discrepancy on some items. Following on from my earlier post, I needed an uncalculated quantity of 100 Ohm resistors, but I knew if I got 200 or so I'd have plenty. RS was £0.127 EACH for a pack of 10, or £0.004 each for a pack of 5000. Therefore either costing me £25 for 200 or £20 for enough to last me (and probably my descendants for the next few generations) a lifetime. Not to mention the fact I'd need to dedicate a few more component drawers to them. Hop over to CPC however, and it's £0.55 for a pack of 100, with £4.99 handling, making a grand total of £6.09!

 

Some basic NPN Transistors however, are £0.116 each (in a pack of 10) from RS, so a quantity of 10, including free delivery, come to £1.16. Back in CPC land, the same transistors are £0.06 each, buuuut you have the £4.99 handling charge, so suddenly RS is cheaper.

 

 

It takes a bit longer, but I've taken to running simultaneous baskets when I have an order to place now. Especially if it's something I can wait a few days for, and whichever comes out cheaper gets the order. In normal times when I have money coming in (and less time on my hands), I suppose I'd probably just find a tool I need to add to the CPC order to make it up to the free delivery amount!

Edited March 22, 2021 by IRW

[sunray]

Are you logged in? I thought that as well, but then realized I wasn't.

Ah yes. It seems I'm unable to log in too.

All sorted, as I haven't placed an order with them for a while my account had to be reset over the phone. The card registered with them had an expiry date of 2014. She made some comment about new trade account rules, so I imagine more vetting now.

My order of £1.74 placed.

 

 

Thanks for the pointer.

 

My order arrived promptly as expected and the statement arrived yesterday showing £7.74, that's 2x 74p + £4.95 + VAT.

 

I phoned and she seemed adamant I was not entitled to free delivery, however has said she will reimburse the postage.

 

Today I've loaded the same items in the basket and gone as far as 'Place Order' page which clearly shows 'Free' against postage and a total of £1.78

 

 

[indyld]

One thing that seems fairly insignificant but has quite an impact for me here is that RS seem to have a decent recyclable packaging policy. Stuff is wrapped in paper/card and the 'Jiffy' bag equivalent is also all paper.

 

Farnell has more traditional poly bubble wrap and paper combo bags (and always seems to send more distinct packages per order!). Granted, these are designed to be split into their component materials unlike the old style but it's an extra faff and I don't have quite as easy methods of recycling the bubbles and it tends to pile up.

[Stuart91]

Farnell has more traditional poly bubble wrap and paper combo bags

 

CPC, on the other hand, supply their orders in boxes that are halfway through the process of getting pulped and recycled by the time they reach you...

[IRW]

One thing that seems fairly insignificant but has quite an impact for me here is that RS seem to have a decent recyclable packaging policy. Stuff is wrapped in paper/card and the 'Jiffy' bag equivalent is also all paper.

 

Farnell has more traditional poly bubble wrap and paper combo bags (and always seems to send more distinct packages per order!). Granted, these are designed to be split into their component materials unlike the old style but it's an extra faff and I don't have quite as easy methods of recycling the bubbles and it tends to pile up.

 

Good point, but does anyone else end up completely obliterating the paper 'jiffy' bags trying to find their item within?! I can never seem to find the right bit to open!