On 12 May 2009 16:20:55 GMT, "Bob Eager" wrote:

On Tue, 12 May 2009 15:53:48 UTC, Mike Harrison
wrote:

Although there is some overlap, there is a lot of stuff only available from one of them - I
frequently order from both at the same time. I have had stuff come from Farnell in CPC prepacks..

I've had stuff come from CPC with Farnell labelling...!

CPC have always been less good at packing heavy/fragile items (I've had lead-acid UPS batteries
arrive un-padded in one of their flimsy cardboard cartons). Things like components also tend to come
in individual bags, which can be a PITA if you need a lot of something.

They've recently promised to do something about the bags. But to expand
on my earlier comment about monkeys in the packing department...on more
than one occasion I've received a large box, with all the stuff in the
bottom and a load of the air-filled plastic bags. One of the items
rattling around was a hard disk - in nothing but its antistatic bag.
That's happened too many times (despite complaints, mostly ignored) for
me to buy fragile items any more.

My general order of pricing in ascending order is :
Rapid
CPC
Farnell
RS

I agree.

And CPC's min order for free shipping is higher - £45 I think at the mo - Can't remember what
Farnell's is as I buy so much from them I get free shipping on all orders.

If you buy 'cash', it's min order 20 quid, and free shipping always.

My favourite for components now has to be Digi-Key. Order in morning of
Day 1, delivery in morning of Day 3 (shipped by air from Minnesota).
Carriage flat rate 12 quid, free if you spend 50 quid. Pay VAT (and
that's all) on delivery.

For components, I'd agree Digikey are very good and have an unbeateble range, but the poorer
exchange rate now means that Farnell are now often cheaper - I just did a production order that a
year ago would have mostly gone to DK but now all I'm getting from them is the stuff Farnell don't
stock..
However Digikey have really taken their re-reeling service for produciton surface mount parts
seriously, with pretty much every line available whearas Farnell seem to have all but abandoned
theirs since it went free, with a pitifully small and seemingly static proportion of their range
available re-reeled.
Digikey's parametric search also blows away the competition (Farnell : poor data but mostly useable,
RS : useless), as the data has obviously been entered by someone who actually understands what it
means (e.g. 5V = 5v =5.0V = 5VDC etc.)
....If they'd only add 'sort by price' to their website.

I just can't figure out why they can't sort out this PITA business of collecting VAT via UPS - they
already do the (harder) import duty part, so why they can't just add the VAT to the invoice as well
is beyond me.