[Bill4373]

I needed 6 aaa battery boxes and 6 on-off switches. I ordered them from Allied Electronics, Ft Worth, Tx. The boxes cost $5.58 and the switches cost $4.14. They listed $5.00 as a handling charge. I thought OK, not bad. THEN I get the bill. On top of the $5.00 handing charge, a shipping charge of $13.16. Not bad $18.16 for $9.72 worth of merchandise. I emailed them Monday and no answer as of 10PM Thursday night. Needless to say, my last order from them.

 

[Torby]

Wow! They overnight them to you?

 

[Bill4373]

No, UPS ground

 

[Spule 4]

I would not e-mail, I would call and go up the ladder.

 

[Del Tapparo]

Many electronics distributors charge a handling fee for orders under $25. Just their way of telling you they don't want your business. They sure don't get mine. I always use Mouser. No minimum orders. Shipping is actual cost. They get more business from me that way. And I still usually order 10 more things than I actually need just to lower the impact of the shipping charges.

 

[jebouck]

http://www.allelectronics.com/

This is who I use.
None of that minimum or hidden charges. Fast service.

 

[toddalin]

Posted By jebouck on 08/03/2008 12:48 PM
http://www.allelectronics.com/
This is who I use.
None of that minimum or hidden charges. Fast service.




I use these guys quite extensively also. There IS a $7.00 Handling/Shipping charge on each order, regardless of the size. But, their prices are so low, even with the 7.00 fee, only other internet surplus can touch their prices. But all the Internet surplus outlets have different stock to choose from.

I figure that for the $7.00 fee, I can't afford the gas to drive over to the nearest electronic place that may even have what I want/need.

Two other good ones are Electronic Goldmine (actually even better than AllElectronics for selection).

http://www.goldmine-elec.com/

And Brigar Electronics.

http://brigarelectronics.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=BE

 

[Les]

Posted By Bill4373 on 07/31/2008 8:10 PM
I needed 6 aaa battery boxes and 6 on-off switches. I ordered them from Allied Electronics, Ft Worth, Tx. The boxes cost $5.58 and the switches cost $4.14. They listed $5.00 as a handling charge. I thought OK, not bad. THEN I get the bill. On top of the $5.00 handing charge, a shipping charge of $13.16. Not bad $18.16 for $9.72 worth of merchandise. I emailed them Monday and no answer as of 10PM Thursday night. Needless to say, my last order from them.




Well, now that you're smarter (though sadder) it is a good practice to inquire from a seller what service he uses. If the USPO is shameless, UPS is obscene, in their rates. Larger business use them because they get 'free' insurance. Also, UPS handles big bulk, whereas the USPO doesn't.

Before doing any buying with shipping involved, ask for the total cost, INCLUDING shipping. Quite often you can buy locally, cheaper or as cheaply.

Strangely enough, many people don't count 'shipping' as a cost.

Les

 

[JRT3]

Allied Electronics was an electronics jobber out of Chicago many moons ago. There was Lafayette Radio in NY - I road the bus from Bayside, LI to their Jamaica store to buy my 2N107 & 2N170 transistors for my first homebrew radio beyond a crystal set. Sinatra was singing to candidate JFK in a shopping center parking lot when I got off the bus. Later that day, I went back to a large drug store at that center with a friend - for a $.98 50' hank of bell wire for his Lionel layout. I wish I had known - it was $.49 at Lafayette - and $.30 carfare. Boston's Radio Shack acquired Allied - even had their 'industrial catalog' available in their stores. Lafayette Electronics ultimately had a few retail resellers - there was one here in Birmingham for a while. The days of $6 orders - with s/h

 

[Bill4373]

So, you want to talk the good ole times and low prices. In June, 1961, I was driving though Tulsa, Oklahoma. They had a "gas war" going on. I bought 12 gallons of Phillips 66 regular gas, gave the guy ONE DOLLAR and received a nickle in change....eat your heart out!!!!

 

[Semper Vaporo]

Ya beat me! I got gas for 10cents per gallon once at a gas-war. Unfortunately, Dad had filled the tank a day or two before and all I could get in was 3 gallons!