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Newark / Farnell / Element 14 become my new "supplier of last resort"

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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I'm looking for a Keithley 6172 triax adapter. It's not common, probably due to the fact that it has always been a specialty part, and never in great demand.

Most of the larger suppliers have them listed as out of stock or obsolete, but I found them listed on Element14's web site with an indication that they were on backorder, and with an option to be notified when they were back in stock.

So, om 18th June I registered an interest. And I got a reply from them saying "We will notify you by email as soon as these products become available."

I didn't hold my breath, but I was surprised to get an email from them on 28 July with the subject line "Your products are now in stock". And behold, the US and Australian sites suggested there was indeed stock!

I've been getting some stuff sent from the US, and the price of the adapter is about 40% cheaper in the US than Australia, so I tried to order it from there first. I set up a mailing address different from my billing address, order, and wait... Something alerted me to a problem, so I called them. It turns out they wanted some more confirmation of exactly how my name is spelled on the card. I see an authorization go through on my credit card.

A week goes by...

The order still says it's "processing", so I call them (again). After giving them a few details I see an authorization go through on my credit card (again). At this point I'm pretty much told that I'm trying to pass off a stolen credit card. They suggest that this particular triax adapter is "exactly the sort of thing that people buy with stolen credit cards". I ask to cancel the order. They pretty much refuse to do that too.

So I bite the bullet and order from the Australian site. They're in stock and I push the button to order it. Shortly thereafter I get an email: "Thank you for your recent purchase order... Regrettably, some items on your order are currently out of stock." The expected date for them to be in stock is 18 September 2017.

I call Element 14 in Australia. The person who answers says that he's sure it can't take that long and promises to get back to me. I receive an email later in the day, and sure enough, there's a 5 week lead time. (The web site still shows them as 16 available in global stock available in 6-7 business days).

At this point I don't know whether to believe them or their web site. Are they pulling my chain because they think I'm not the person on the card? Did they sell out so fast that they couldn't even update their web site? Is my order in the US really just waiting on stock, and might they try to deliver it in 5 weeks? WTF! (btw, the US site still shows 9 in stock)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

I'm certainly not going to use or recommend Newark / Farnell / Element 14 other than as a supplier of last resort.

BTW, I've successfully ordered from Digikey and Mouser in the US, and also a plethora of other places.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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The incompetence never ends...

I just called up the Australian office of Element 14 to complain.

I asked them to cancel my US order, but to leave my (5 week lead time) Australian order.

What did they do? They deleted my Australian order and left the US order.

So I've called them again. Maybe they can get my US order cancelled.
 

davenn

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Sep 5, 2009
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The incompetence never ends...

I just called up the Australian office of Element 14 to complain.

I asked them to cancel my US order, but to leave my (5 week lead time) Australian order.

What did they do? They deleted my Australian order and left the US order.

So I've called them again. Maybe they can get my US order cancelled.


bloody hell !!!

that's pretty shocking customer service :(
 

bushtech

Sep 13, 2016
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RS here in South Africa do the same. They show a stock of say 5 available in 4 to 6 days. What that actually means is that they don't have stock but can get it in 4 to 6 days if you order.
 

shrtrnd

Jan 15, 2010
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In the US it's Newark. Somehow they fanagled a contract with my employer, offering special deals.
My experience is that they RARELY actually have the parts I want in stock, no matter what they tell me.
When they get the order, (and GETTING the order is their priority, regardless of their ability to fulfill it) if it's a high enough quantity, THEN they submit an order to the manufacturer to fill the order for their customer and await the parts from the manufacturer.
Mouser sometimes doesn't update their on-line website quantities as often as I like, but they do have the 'on-line chat' feature where you can connect with a Mouser salesperson. If they say they have what I want in stock, they have it.
Additionally, I notice Mouser actually STOCKS a lot of parts, and I'm convinced Newark doesn't anymore.
I also had good luck with DigiKey, but they allowed counterfeit Chinese parts into their supply chain a while back and my employer prohibited us from buying from them anymore. They're reliable order-fillers, I just don't know if they still have a counterfeiting problem in their supply chain anymore.
Newark has screwed me with delays in fulfilling parts orders many times.
I'm with *steve* in not recommending buying from them.
 

Terry01

Jul 5, 2017
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They have your money....you don't have the part! I know who looks like the thief! Cheeky buggers!
 

kellys_eye

Jun 25, 2010
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I wouldn't be surprised if Farnell et al started doing drop shipping..... Keeping their supposed levels of stock simply cannot be a financially viable these days.
 

Alec_t

Jul 7, 2015
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I wouldn't be surprised if Farnell et al started doing drop shipping.
I would have no objection to a vendor doing that, provided they were honest, accurate and up-to-date about what they actually have in stock or when delivery of non-stock items would occur.
 
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