I see they have finally gone live with the new site.
I had been on the beta test program for months, I was wondering if they were ever going to get it sorted! The UI is much better, shame the database content still sucks compared to the dead tree version.
I've just attempted a search and it's come up with 4 items that all have the same description and technical details and with the same manufacturers part number but with different CPC part numbers and different prices. Hitting the links for the items takes me to a technical page where 3 of the items are not listed (the cheaper items). The ONLY way to get the correct information is from the paper catalogue.
On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 22:46:19 +0000, Alan strung together this:
That's because it also drags up the special offer parts, which are the same part no.s with a 2 digit suffix. They're all the same item which can be ordered by the special order numbers, provided the special offer period is still valid. All four items are the same so you don't need 4 different pages of the same information. Admittedly, it's not the best way of doing it.
Lets hope they've done away with the two-stage ordering system.
Two weeks ago I placed an order on-line and then checked it on-line to make sure it was all in order.
When the stuff arrived an item was missing. Not simply out of stock, but completely missing from the paperwork.
I checked back on their web site and there it was, still there slap bang in the middle of the list.
When I queried it, I was informed that web orders are printed out and then manually re-typed into the ordering computer.
That probably explains a great deal !
I'm still astonished that they don't check the number of items, or even use the total cost as a check-sum, that would reveal missing items nad wrong quantities too. I hope the new system is a bit more joined up than the old one.
It also throws up some errors with their quantity markings. Some phono plugs I ordered (AR70510)were listed as singles in the book (and priced as singles) but are on the computer as being a pack of 10, thus my £1.66 order of 10 magically became £12's worth (bulk discount kicked in). The 2005 book is apparantly wrong, the computer is always right.
It would help if they stated that it was a promotional offer last to a certain date rather than giving part numbers unrelated to the those referenced in the technical data page.
At least on old site you could find a part description of the item on the first page. Now you get a page with a part number, a second page with a poor partial description and a further page to navigate to get the full description. Where one and a half pages did the job before it's now at least three pages. This is hardly an improvement.
Try searching for SCART leads and you will get page after page that only say SCART plug to plug :(
Hmmm, still working my way through the six bags of F connectors I inadvertently ordered that way as well! ;-)
(did not actually notice based on the price since I had been looking at them in Maplin for about a quid each at the time, the CPCs ones were in bags of 10, but a quid a bag - so the bottom line seemed about right)
It took them time to go through and increase all the prices. So far everything I've found that they stock in common is more expensive at CPC than Farnell.
No doubt someone will want to report them to Trading Standards for overcharging (see the emergency plumber thread)
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