Tales of shipping...

[(*steve*)]

I needed a chip (a bus tranceiver as it happens) and I looked around. RS had them for 53c, but I had to order 5. So I do so, late on 8th Feb. But, as a bonus if I order on-line it gets delivered free.

So I expect it to come from the local warehouse, or maybe shipped from across Australia. (and I wonder how they'll ship it -- they say courier, but for $2.65?).

I get an email telling me they're out of stock in Australia, but they're available in the UK.

A day or so later I get an email telling me they have been dispatched from the UK by some freight agency I've not heard of.

Today (13th Feb) I get an email telling me they will be delivered, and a courier comes by to attempt to deliver them personally to me.

I'm not at home so I call them. They ask if they can deliver to me tomorrow. I decide to pick them up. An hour later I get a phone call telling me the item is ready to be picked up.

I drive 5 minutes, sign for it, and marvel at the expense RS must have gone to in delivering $2.65 of goods in what was effectively 3 working days from half way around the world.

Will I order from them again? Yep.

 

[GreenGiant]

Wow that's great customer service!!

I am always blown away when I get things from 3 states away (from New Jersey to Massachusetts) next day when I order from Newegg selecting 4-7 day shipping but thats a little nuts half way around the world

Who is this RS? I usually go through Digikey or Mouser for my orders of parts

 

[davenn]

RS = Radio Spares been around since the 1930's

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/

they are in all practical terms a parallel of Element 14 (aka Farnell)

Dave

 

[(*steve*)]

They were also once well known as the supplier of last resort (for the hobbyist market at least).

 

[CocaCola]

Microchip always ships me my free samples from Asia, overnight none the less... I take advantage of my allotment quite often and they have me as a customer...

On that note in the US if you are near an Amazon.com distribution center they will sometimes do same day delivery with local carriers, it blew my mind the first time it happened but it has now happened many other times... And since I'm a prime member all my shipping is 2 day for free, generally same or next day though...

Grainger.com is another company that does great shipping, I ordered something like $5 worth of screws/washers once and each item I ordered came from a different distribution center... I got 3 packages for that one order there is no way they even broke even...

 

[davenn]

They were also once well known as the supplier of last resort (for the hobbyist market at least).

as is Farnell

I use either of them as a last resort as their prices are just so high!!

There is NO FREE SHIPPING with either of them cuz its offset by the prices of
most of the components. The free shipping theme is like peeing in ya pants ... gives you that warm fuzzy feeling haha

Dave

 

[(*steve*)]

Will I order from them again? Yep.

NO FREE SHIPPING with either of them cuz its offset by the prices of most of the components.

I will check the price first

 

[CocaCola]

RS = Radio Spares been around since the 1930's

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/

they are in all practical terms a parallel of Element 14 (aka Farnell)

FYI if anyone cares RS's US operations are done under the Allied Electronics name in the US due to trademark and IP conflicts revolving around the RS name...

 

[davenn]

For difficult to get items, I usually dont mind paying a bit extra
specially when the delivery times are so good

tho sometimes I cringe ... there was a ADC chip I used to use in an older digital seismograph design, their normal price was ~ $50 -60 Farnell sold them for in excess of $130