Digi-key isn't my favorite anymore
Digi-key used to be my favorite vendor for kit parts. Mouser was a distant second. Digi-key offered free shipping on mail orders sent with payment. I used to be able to mail in my payment and receive my order in a week. Both the USPS and Digi-key were clicking in the 20th century. Mouser would always manage to mess something up on an order, Mouser would take care of it eventually but it took time, also no free shipping. Digi-key would often charge more than Mouser but it was worth it for the superior service.
Currently Mouser still doesn't offer free shipping but they do offer reduced rate shipping for items sent via UPS Mail Innovations. And Mouser doesn't spring the 10% tariff on you at the last second, it's either baked in or ?
But today, I don't know - maybe I'm taking things too personally - but I tried to place an order and Digi-key snatched out an item from the cart. It was a PIC16F676-I/P-ND PIC microcontroller - I'd been waiting for this part for a L O N G time, weeks at least, maybe months - it's for a new kit.
Anyway, I jumped on their chat (that was another hassle, had to turn off the hosts file) and asked why. Digi-key says that the vendor, Microchip Technology, would only sell the part to manufacturers. Well I am a manufacturer of ham radio kits (in fact, Digi-key was started selling keyers).
I had to provide my web site link to prove my manufacturerness ! It reminded me of Arlo Guthrie's song, Alice's Restaurant, where Arlo was supposed to prove that a litterer was moral enough to kill.
Well, they finally changed my classification from retailer to manufacturer or something like that and I was able to place the order. It was only for 10 parts, I didn't want to take more than I need, there were only 1560 parts in stock.
So why didn't I just take my business to Mouser ? Because Mouser isn't expecting PIC16F676-I/P parts till May 9, 2023.
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| whatever happened to shut up and take my money, isn't that valid anymore ? |
Even with the possibility of fake parts maybe it's time to reconsider buying on ebay, I know that other ham radio vendors do get parts on ebay.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm