OT(ish) - delivery from eBay of small electronic components

[David]

Shopping for the motor start/run capacitor for testing with failed extractor fan (see other post).

There are loads on eBay, and almost all say they are held and shipped from the UK.

However some of the Ts&Cs look "interesting".

Held in the UK. Shipping to the UK - free shipping. Next day delivery £50.

Hmmm....why would something held in the UK cost £50 for next day delivery?

Free delivery estimates 3-5 days, with dispatch usually within 3 days of receiving cleared payment.

Which seems to suggest that if you use a credit card or PayPal then your payment should clear immediately but it takes around 3 days to dispatch.

All in all this doesn't seem to fully tie up with the goods being held locally in the UK because in theory (and what seems to happen with UK based suppliers who aren't supplying electronics from China - for example second hand goods) the goods can be dispatched the same day once payment has cleared and often turn up the next day.

There was one site which said the goods were held in China and gave much the same delivery timescales.

Oh, there are some on Amazon but this looks like a MarketPlace alternative to eBay with no local stock. Certainly not held by Amazon.

So I suppose the question is "Can I be arsed to pick one up from the local Maplin or just put the cooker hood in a corner and wait a couple of weeks". Noting that you can click and collect this (in stock) item but they won't ship it for some reason.

Couple of weeks because by the time the part arrives events will mean that it isn't practical to do the testing for a good few days.

It looks as though dirt cheap components shipped from China plus cheap shipping has effectively stopped most electronics suppliers from holding UK stock for immediate dispatch.

Ah well.

Dave R

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Because it's a service they don't want you to use? A large supplier will have mail collected - so anything different from that likely to be a fiddle they can do without.

Generally, if it is free post and comes from China, it will take about 3 weeks.

If it is in the UK, usually about 3-5 working days from when you order. They're not going to pay for first class letter post on a low value item.

Basically, just about the same time as free delivery from the likes of CPC.

[Andy Burns]

A good sign that goods are genuinely in the UK, is if they have the option for "Collect from Argos", even if you don't go for that delivery option, you're unlikely to end up waiting for the slow boat from China.

[alan_m]

Some Chinese suppliers of popular items have UK stock but often at a few quid more than the stuff directly shipped from China. However I have also purchased few items claiming UK stock only to find a few weeks later it turns up with a customs sticker attached. I give these sellers a negative feedback rating for the misleading listing.

Many Ebay listings have a Business seller information box (scroll down to the bottom of the listing - sometimes scrolling past miles of blank content). If the seller says UK stock, is a premium seller and has a registered UK business address the risk of the item being posted in china is small.

Most UK Ebay business sellers will post within 1 working day and probably don't want the hassle of any special deliveries hence the silly postage charges for guaranteed next day delivery.

[Harry Bloomfield]

alan_m used his keyboard to write :

I make a point of doing that!

Check the suggested delivery time in the ebay ad, a long delivery time suggests it will be sent out from China. One week usually means sent from the UK.

Even if the seller is supposed to be in the UK, delivers from the UK - if the goods turn out to be faulty, they often ask you to post it back to China. When that happens, I ask the seller to provide a reply paid label for the item. Some ask you to provide photos of the fault, just say you don't have a camera ;o)

[Graham.]

I ordered a roll of self-amalgamating tape from China. When it eventually arrived it was the wrong item. They sent a roll of PVC electrical tape instead.

I photographed the listing packaging and item and raised a dispute. The seller sent an acknowledgment that contained no clue on how they wanted to proceed, I would have been happy with "Sorry mate, shit happens, keep the item and we will refund you" or "Keep the item and we will send the correct one out" or even let me choose between those options.

The default Ebay rules would have me send the wrong item back to China, and then try to claim the postage back from Ebay. Who is going to do that over a 99p item!

[Graham.]

I've had the opposite, where I expected the item to be dispatched from China, and it had been sent from the UK or mainland Europe.

I have had UK buisness sellers send things costing a couple of quid including postage by "Signed For" go figure.

[Dave Liquorice]

IIRC if a seller wants any protection they have to use a tracked delivery method. Protection from fraudulant buyers, "I never got it send me another..." or "I never got it, don't want it, refund..."

[Dave Liquorice]

You've not found CPC, Farnell, Rapid, RS yet?

The above all hold a lot of stock... Check prices between CPC amd Farnell, don't assume Farnell will be expensive and factor in the differing free postage requirements and speed.

[Graham.]

I've just looked it up to refreh my memory. It was a Bluetooth handsfree kit, the kind you stick on your sun visor. UK seller, £5.00 free postage he had paid £3.95 for "signed for"

[Andy Burns]

There have been times when I've requested a non-signed-for delivery, because I know I'm going to be out, but don't know if neighbours are going to be in, it often gets a "sorry we have to" reply.

[tabbypurr]

they treat that as a red flag

NT

[alan_m]

My experience is that the the cheaper the item the more chance of receiving a signed for package. I do wonder if some of these sellers actually consider that charging the same inclusive price and sending by a cheaper postal method could make them more profit, even after paying out for claimed non-delivery.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not used them recently, but CPC's free postage for low value orders was just as slow as the norm from an Ebay UK seller. And slower than some.

Only to be expected, though. No one is going to give a first class post service for free on good value low cost items. You'd lose money.

[Dave Liquorice]

failed

True ish, the comment was more aimed at the UK not having any electronics suppliers with stock. Those listed are the big boys, there are a number of smaller ones as well not to mention the new to the block "maker" places.

Delivery time, you're in London. Up here "Parcel Force 48" normally arrives a day early. CPC tend to use UPS, I don't think they buy a "next working day" method but it normally is from dispatch. The delay is in CPC, picking and packing. Farnell's free service is next working day anyway.

[David]

I keep forgetting them as they don't tend to feature in Google searches.

Anyway, I've paid and reserved the item at our local Maplin to collect early next week. Could be a chance to use my free bus pass just to be tight, or I might just have a trip out and ignore the fuel and parking costs.

Meanwhile, on with the degreasing.

The lamps are in a disgusting state with baked on grease. Those metal mesh "grease filters" don't seem to filter much grease.

Cheers

Dave R

[Bob Eager]

For small items, CPC tend to use Royal Mail these days - perhaps not if you pay for 'next day' Of course, include a lithium cell and it's UPS!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah - I assumed it was the post method. Don't really see why a computer based picking and packing should vary by much. Unless they deliberately slow down the low value orders.

UPS was a reason I tend to avoid CPC. On several occasions they posted a card through the letter box saying they'd tried to deliver - without ringing the doorbell, and I was in. But haven't used them for several months now.

Don't get that problem with other low cost services like Hermes.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Maplin tend to be horrendously expensive for small orders.

10p for a metal oxide resistor I can buy 100 of from Rapid for just over a quid.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah right. I'd have thought my complaints alone to them might have made them think again. I do need to order up some components shortly so will try them again.

If only they had a logical website. ;-)