Amazon for components

[simpsons]

Purely by accident, I've just discovered that Amazon also "supply" electronic components.

WHY? Because in trying to obtain a range of Panasonic electrolytics, with Ebay, I spent so much time trying to find the parts from a range of suppliers, using the watch list to list them and then for each supplier to order it was a pain.

I tried CPS and Farnell only to find that as a individual buyer my purchase was too small and incurred additional charges and so on.

I say Amazon supply but in fact what they did was to allow me to enter, in this case Panasonic part numbers and, I was offered a range of suppliers. Many I recognised but unlike Ebay, only one basket was needed . Amazon prices were good but most of all, they did the legwork.

Having spent hours looking up the parts in question just to find a supplier, I wonder if other members had a similar experience or know better!

Chris
PS They were M range 85C Automotive quality parts

[SiriusHardware]

I order components from 'Amazon' - or in reality Amazon 'marketplace' sellers - as often as anywhere else.

As with anything else you buy -Through- Amazon rather than -From- Amazon, there is an element of 'see what you get'.

I recently ordered a new Pixar Blu-Ray which was 'Fulfilled' by Amazon and when it arrived it was a sealed (shrink-wrapped) item, but inside the Blu-Ray box I found a heavily scratched and fingerprinted DVD version of the film.

I fired off a rocket to Amazon complaining that I had been supplied with a substandard item fraudulently disguised as the item I had ordered and they instantly sent me the correct, brand new item from their own direct stock to replace it. They didn't even ask for the original junk item to be returned.

So - never any problem with Amazon themselves, in my experience, but Amazon 'marketplace' is basically just the world's biggest car boot sale, rather like that other place we don't talk about. Usually what you get is perfectly OK, but sometimes not.

[Electronpusher0]

Not components but an example of not getting what you expect, I ordered a box of disposable gloves from Amazon (as I thought), they took 6 weeks to arrive and came direct from china.

Peter

[Ambientnoise]

I ordered jfets from Amazon Marketplace and got npn bipolars with jfet labelling. My review using words like “Probably faked” and “relabelled” was rejected but another using less blatant (but those aware of the faking problem would know exactly what was going on) was accepted. I did get an instant refund and apology for the error, from the seller.
I have had mostly good service from Amazon Marketplace but it’s a jungle out there.

[merlinmaxwell]

Finding where stuff comes from on Amazon can be a right pain, using their "Prime" service ensures it is delivered in day or two. Found this https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=bc184&r...f=sr_nr_p_76_1 I would get one but I have many transistors in stock.

[Andrew B]

I opened accounts with Farnel and RS, seem to remember I get free next day delivery.

[merlinmaxwell]

Years ago I opened a Farnell "trade" account, free delivery for anything, even a 1p resistor. £20 minimum for casual customers. I didn't realise for ages I had the posh account and kept adding little things to make the £20 minimum, all good fun.

[lesmw0sec]

I've obtained quite a bit of stuff through Amazon, including chemicals. Never had a problem with any of it. The only problem is that you rarely get a good technical description of the items (or dimensions).

[electronicskip]

I also use Amazon for components and other stuff including Laserdiscs from 3rd party sellers .
Never had a single problem ever.

[mark_in_manc]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

Years ago I opened a Farnell "trade" account, free delivery for anything, even a 1p resistor. £20 minimum for casual customers. I didn't realise for ages I had the posh account and kept adding little things to make the £20 minimum, all good fun.

Farnell-CPC min order is £10 for free delivery these days. As I slowly move over from compact fluorescent lamps I have been making up the weight with budget LED 'filament-looky-likey' lamps, and now I am doing the same for a church it looks like this strategy will do me for a long time!

[vidjoman]

CPC min order is now £17.50 plus VAT. for free delivery.

[broadgage]

I have made a few purchases from/via amazon but try to avoid so doing.

The main problem IME is not the actual goods, but the difficulty in finding exactly what one desires, the search feature is in my view inferior to that offered by ebay.
Many results seem to be sponsored or adverts for items having little connection to that being sought.

ebay has the merits IMHO that one may readily ascertain the physical location of the goods, and avoid overseas vendors if time is important.

[Skywave]

About one year ago, during my monthly analysis of my bank statements, I noticed a payment that I did not recognise. I looked at previous monthly statements and discovered same entries. An investigation revealed that these payments were to Amazon. Apparently, when I had purchased an item from Amazon, I had failed to spot a small print entry in their terms of purchase that asked me if I wished to join their 'priority shipment' scheme - of some such similar named scheme. The question required me to 'tick' a box for 'no': the 'usual trick' - so this I failed to do. When I discovered what had happened, a bit of research on the 'Net revealed that many other people had been caught out this way. The good news was that these other people complained to Amazon and obtained complete refunds. I then did likewise - with the same satisfactory result.
As a consequence, I have never used Amazon for any on-line purchases since - and have no intention of ever doing so.

Al.

[SiriusHardware]

You are referring to 'Amazon Prime', yes, they do try to trick you into signing up for prime with a big default 'YES' button and a tiny 'No, I don't want to sign up for Prime, just let me order the normal way' alternative button. I know several people who fell for this but they all got their money back as soon as they asked for it.

While I agree this practice is reprehensible on their part and should be jumped on by trading standards, you won't get caught by it twice, so it seems a bit extreme to never use them again for that one reason.

[dodgy-dxer]

Originally Posted by Skywave

About one year ago, during my monthly analysis of my bank statements, I noticed a payment that I did not recognise. I looked at previous monthly statements and discovered same entries. An investigation revealed that these payments were to Amazon. Apparently, when I had purchased an item from Amazon, I had failed to spot a small print entry in their terms of purchase that asked me if I wished to join their 'priority shipment' scheme - of some such similar named scheme. The question required me to 'tick' a box for 'no': the 'usual trick' - so this I failed to do. When I discovered what had happened, a bit of research on the 'Net revealed that many other people had been caught out this way. The good news was that these other people complained to Amazon and obtained complete refunds. I then did likewise - with the same satisfactory result.
As a consequence, I have never used Amazon for any on-line purchases since - and have no intention of ever doing so.

Al.

So your incompetence is their fault?

Strange

[Hartley118]

I made the same 'guided error' myself some time ago, but actually find Amazon Prime rather useful, particularly over recent 'lockdown' weeks.

In our case, I'm confident that the Prime free postage more than compensates for the annual fee and the next day delivery works very reliably. I haven't yet made much use of the free music etc.

The only challenge is recycling all that Amazon cardboard packaging!

Martin

[merlinmaxwell]

So your incompetence is their fault?

A shade harsh I think, the sentiment is there though, always read the small print! Amazon have been a good supplier for me, no quibble refunds, instantaneous 'phone back (not so during this current upset*, fairly rapid internet "chat" that works reasonably well instead) and next day Prime (again, not quite so just now*).

*The Corona virus pandemic 2020, for people looking at this thread in the years to come.

[bluepilot]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

they do try to trick you into signing up for prime with a big default 'YES' button and a tiny 'No, I don't want to sign up for Prime

If I remember correctly there's no yes and no. You click your way through the order procedure clicking on "continue" at each step and then sometime during the procedure a page appears with "continue with the benefits of Amazon Prime" and a large "continue" button. Somewhere at the bottom of the page in a colour which almost blends in to the background is a link (not a button!) to continue without Amazon Prime. My wife was a member of Amazon Prime for three months before she asked me why she kept getting weird E-mails from Amazon and I realized what had happened.

For a while I ordered stuff using her account to get free delivery. In the meantime I find that most of the stuff I order is free delivery anyway, even if it's not eligible for Prime.

[McMurdo]

I quoted a customer to repair a Panasonic YSUS board they sent me in a Jiffy bag without asking me first (don't normally do tellies at work these days!). I based the quote on getting MOSFETs from Toshiba, about a month delivery. They sent me a stuffy email saying they could get an entire repair kit from Amazon for me if I wanted it, in 2 days. So I agreed, so long as they undertook any risk re - quality of the parts.

The bits arrived and I fitted them, I never had the luxury of being told if the TV worked but was quite surprised that Amazon did that sort of thing.

[Bazz4CQJ]

I buy things on almost a daily basis from eBay, but I would be hard pressed to recall the last time I bought from Amazon. If quality or speed is essential, then RS is the top of my list.

B