Post by thread:[EE] Digikey UK

>-----Original Message----- >From: spam_OUTpiclist-bouncesTakeThisOuTmit.edu [.....piclist-bouncesKILLspam@spam@mit.edu] >On Behalf Of Alan B. Pearce >Sent: 09 October 2007 12:47 >To: PicList >Subject: [EE] Digikey UK > > >Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and >it has a little >banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK >on orders over >£100' > >Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! Mike ======================================================================= This e-mail is intended for the person it is addressed to only. The information contained in it may be confidential and/or protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you must not make any use of this information, or copy or show it to any person. Please contact us immediately to tell us that you have received this e-mail, and return the original to us. Any use, forwarding, printing or copying of this message is strictly prohibited. No part of this message can be considered a request for goods or services. =======================================================================

On Tue, 9 Oct 2007 13:00:58 +0100, you wrote: > > >>-----Original Message----- >>From: piclist-bouncesKILLspammit.edu [.....piclist-bouncesKILLspam.....mit.edu] >>On Behalf Of Alan B. Pearce >>Sent: 09 October 2007 12:47 >>To: PicList >>Subject: [EE] Digikey UK >> >> >>Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and >>it has a little >>banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK >>on orders over >>£100' >> >>Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... > They have been doing this for ages. Excellent service - usually 2 working days. >It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! Prices include duty and brokerage, but VAT is collected on delivery. One minor thing is that VAT is charged on the notional value of the 'free' delivery, and so comes to slightly more than 17.5% of the order total.

On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 13:00 +0100, Michael Rigby-Jones wrote: > >Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and > >it has a little > >banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK > >on orders over > >Â£100' > > > >Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... > > It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? digikey.ca actually ships from within Canada, so while I do pay some taxes when I order from them (they're located in Manitoba, I'm in Ontario I only pay federal sales tax, no provincial), I certainly don't pay any customs or import brokerage fees like I do when I order from say Mouser. TTYL

>> It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! > >VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? > >digikey.ca actually ships from within Canada, so while I do pay some >taxes when I order from them (they're located in Manitoba, I'm in >Ontario I only pay federal sales tax, no provincial), I certainly don't >pay any customs or import brokerage fees like I do when I order from say >Mouser. Erm, OK, but Digikey do not have a base in the UK, which is what the discussion is about, shipping to the UK comes from the US AIUI, so every individual shipment comes through customs.

Guess for those of us in the states, we are really quite lucky to have multiple sources for parts...Mouser, DigiKey, JameCo, Arrow, Avnet, NuHorizons, etc and the fact most rep's and vendors are easy to deal with, and willing to sample just about anything within reason. "Alan B. Pearce" <EraseMEA.B.Pearcespam_OUTTakeThisOuTrl.ac.uk> wrote: >> It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! > >VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? > >digikey.ca actually ships from within Canada, so while I do pay some >taxes when I order from them (they're located in Manitoba, I'm in >Ontario I only pay federal sales tax, no provincial), I certainly don't >pay any customs or import brokerage fees like I do when I order from say >Mouser. Erm, OK, but Digikey do not have a base in the UK, which is what the discussion is about, shipping to the UK comes from the US AIUI, so every individual shipment comes through customs.

I've been shifting most of my purchases from Digi-Key to Mouser, they seem to have better prices (at least for what I buy). Jameco is good (price-wise) for some things as well. Any other suggestions for distributors I should consider? I haven't used Arrow, Avnet or NuHorizons for ages. >Guess for those of us in the states, we are >really quite lucky to have multiple sources for >parts...Mouser, DigiKey, JameCo, Arrow, Avnet, >NuHorizons, etc and the fact most rep's and >vendors are easy to deal with, and willing to >sample just about anything within reason. > -- --- Chris Smolinski Black Cat Systems http://www.blackcatsystems.com

>Guess for those of us in the states, we are really quite lucky >to have multiple sources for parts... Yeah, well in the UK we also have multiple vendors, Farnell and RS would be the main ones that commercial outfits would deal with as JIT suppliers, with Arrow, EBV, and a few others acting as agents for major component manufacturers, but outfits like Maplin, Rapid, and some others tend to serve the retail hobbyist market. >and the fact most rep's and vendors are easy to deal with, and >willing to sample just about anything within reason. Certainly I do not have a problem most of the time getting samples, although some outfits like Freescale seem to get all coy, as they don't see a huge commercial quantity sale coming up.

I like Newark (newark.com). I think they're somehow related to Farnell, but I'm not sure if that's the case. They seem to have good prices and their interface is nicer than Digikey's (not an issue if you shop from the paper catalog I suppose). Regards, - Marcel On 10/9/07, Chris Smolinski <csmolinskispam_OUTblackcatsystems.com> wrote: {Quote hidden}> I've been shifting most of my purchases from > Digi-Key to Mouser, they seem to have better > prices (at least for what I buy). Jameco is good > (price-wise) for some things as well. Any other > suggestions for distributors I should consider? > I haven't used Arrow, Avnet or NuHorizons for > ages. > > >Guess for those of us in the states, we are > >really quite lucky to have multiple sources for > >parts...Mouser, DigiKey, JameCo, Arrow, Avnet, > >NuHorizons, etc and the fact most rep's and > >vendors are easy to deal with, and willing to > >sample just about anything within reason. > >

On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 14:41 +0100, Alan B. Pearce wrote: > >> It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! > > > >VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? > > > >digikey.ca actually ships from within Canada, so while I do pay some > >taxes when I order from them (they're located in Manitoba, I'm in > >Ontario I only pay federal sales tax, no provincial), I certainly don't > >pay any customs or import brokerage fees like I do when I order from say > >Mouser. > > Erm, OK, but Digikey do not have a base in the UK, which is what the > discussion is about, shipping to the UK comes from the US AIUI, so every > individual shipment comes through customs. Wow, that sucks! :( Having a Digikey warehouse in Canada really pushes them ahead of every competitor. Aside from the lack of having to deal with customs, it's the time factor that is amazing. If I place an order today, almost without fail it arrives tomorrow, for 8$ shipping, amazing... Hopefully enough of you guys will order from them that it'll convince them to open a warehouse in the UK! :) TTYL

On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 13:49:22 -0400, you wrote: {Quote hidden}>On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 14:41 +0100, Alan B. Pearce wrote: >> >> It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! >> > >> >VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? >> > >> >digikey.ca actually ships from within Canada, so while I do pay some >> >taxes when I order from them (they're located in Manitoba, I'm in >> >Ontario I only pay federal sales tax, no provincial), I certainly don't >> >pay any customs or import brokerage fees like I do when I order from say >> >Mouser. >> >> Erm, OK, but Digikey do not have a base in the UK, which is what the >> discussion is about, shipping to the UK comes from the US AIUI, so every >> individual shipment comes through customs. > >Wow, that sucks! :( Having a Digikey warehouse in Canada really pushes >them ahead of every competitor. Aside from the lack of having to deal >with customs, it's the time factor that is amazing. If I place an order >today, almost without fail it arrives tomorrow, for 8$ shipping, >amazing... > >Hopefully enough of you guys will order from them that it'll convince >them to open a warehouse in the UK! :) It doesn't add any delay over what international shipping would normally take - service is a pretty reliable 2 working days, depending what time of day you order - even an order late on,. say Mon evening will arrive on Wed.

Marcel Birthelmer wrote: > I like Newark (newark.com). I think they're somehow related to > Farnell, but I'm not sure if that's the case. They seem to have good > prices and their interface is nicer than Digikey's (not an issue if > you shop from the paper catalog I suppose). > Regards, > - Marcel The Newark papaer catalog is probably the nicest of the bunch, the numerous illustrations are useful for selecting hardware. D

Alan B. Pearce wrote: > Yeah, well in the UK we also have multiple vendors, Farnell and RS would be > the main ones that commercial outfits would deal with as JIT suppliers, with > Arrow, EBV, and a few others acting as agents for major component > manufacturers, but outfits like Maplin, Rapid, and some others tend to serve > the retail hobbyist market. Then you've got the surplus suppliers... Oh wait, no you haven't. Greenweld turned into another 'Innovations Catalogue' reseller, Mainline's warehouse burned down, and WCN don't really do much surplus any more. "Disposal of existing stock via eBay" I believe it's termed. As for the major distributors, MEMEC were great. Any quantity, as long as you made the minimum order and paid the postage, and they didn't care if you were ordering for a company or for yourself. Since AVNET bought them, the policy has become "companies only, if you have to ask you can't afford it, tube quantities only". The last part isn't really a big issue (I try and order ICs by the tube most of the time anyway - makes them somewhat easier to store and I find I always need more than I originally thought I needed), but the overnight change from "no it doesn't matter if you're ordering for yourself" to "oh, you're not a company rep, go take a flying leap" was pretty annoying. I really, seriously hate having to import parts from the (usually quite friendly) US distributors. Most of the European distributors are, based on my limited experience, either ignorant or arrogant, or a mixture of both... -- Phil. | (\_/) This is Bunny. Copy and paste Bunny @spam@piclistKILLspamphilpem.me.uk | (='.'=) into your signature to help him gain http://www.philpem.me.uk/ | (")_(") world domination.

On 10/9/07, Herbert Graf <KILLspammailinglist3KILLspamfarcite.net> wrote: > On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 13:00 +0100, Michael Rigby-Jones wrote: > > >Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and > > >it has a little > > >banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK > > >on orders over > > >£100' > > > > > >Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... > > > > It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! > > VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? You have to pay VAT and Customs on orders coming in from outside the EU when shipping to the UK: customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document

On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 16:52 -0700, Jon Philpott wrote: > On 10/9/07, Herbert Graf <RemoveMEmailinglist3TakeThisOuTfarcite.net> wrote: > > On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 13:00 +0100, Michael Rigby-Jones wrote: > > > >Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and > > > >it has a little > > > >banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK > > > >on orders over > > > >Â£100' > > > > > > > >Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... > > > > > > It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! > > > > VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? > > You have to pay VAT and Customs on orders coming in from outside the > EU when shipping to the UK: > > http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document I'm aware of that. I was under the mistaken assumption that digikey.uk meant they had a warehouse in the UK, thereby avoiding the customs charges, like digikey.ca has a warehouse in Canada. I was wrong. TTYL

> I'm aware of that. > > I was under the mistaken assumption that digikey.uk meant they had a > warehouse in the UK, thereby avoiding the customs charges, like > digikey.ca has a warehouse in Canada. I was wrong. > > IIRC the delivery, customs and brokerage charges are included provided your order is over Â£100, you just have to pay the VAT on delivery.

>I like Newark (newark.com). I think they're somehow related >to Farnell, but I'm not sure if that's the case. Yes they are. I don't know the details of the relationship, it may be just co-operative, or one may own the other, but sometimes when ordering from Farnell, the item has 'delivery 3 days' or similar conditions attached, and comes in a Newark box, apparently from the USA to the UK.

>Hopefully enough of you guys will order from them that it'll >convince them (Digikey) to open a warehouse in the UK! :) Well, the problem they have is that there are a number of well established outfits selling in the same market as them, i.e. Farnell, RS (both have wide international agencies), Rapid, Arrow, and a few more orientated to the hobby market. RS and Farnell are both well established as JIT parts suppliers for small outfits, and RS has just announced it is setting up further sales teams with the aim of become THE supplier to manufacturers, i.e. supplying bulk quantities. Both of these suppliers also have wide ranges of stuff outside the electronics realm, instruments, ladders, safety equipment (ladders fluro jackets, hard hats, etc), so for many small companies they have made themselves a 'one stop shop' and Digikey are going to have a hard job breaking into the market in any big way. Also from what pricing I have seen Digikey are currently no better on price, so there is very little reason to change supplier, unless they have something unobtainable elsewhere.

On Tue, 9 Oct 2007 16:52:21 -0700, you wrote: >On 10/9/07, Herbert Graf <spamBeGonemailinglist3spamBeGonefarcite.net> wrote: >> On Tue, 2007-10-09 at 13:00 +0100, Michael Rigby-Jones wrote: >> > >Just opened my electronic version of Electronics Weekly, and >> > >it has a little >> > >banner across the corner saying 'Digikey free shipping to UK >> > >on orders over >> > >£100' >> > > >> > >Don't know if this is useful to anyone here ... >> > >> > It would be if it weren't for those pesky customs and VAT charges! >> >> VAT yes, but are you sure about Customs? > >You have to pay VAT and Customs on orders coming in from outside the >EU when shipping to the UK: > >http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageTravel_ShowContent&id=HMCE_PROD_009989&propertyType=document When ordering from uk.digikey.com, duty and brokerage charges are prepaid. The only addiitonal charge is VAT, just like any UK supplier - the only difference being it's paid on delivery not at the time of order.

> > Yeah, well in the UK we also have multiple vendors, Farnell and RS would be > the main ones that commercial outfits would deal with as JIT suppliers, with > Arrow, EBV, and a few others acting as agents for major component > manufacturers, but outfits like Maplin, Rapid, and some others tend to serve > the retail hobbyist market. > What other sellers are known to be good, that are located in EU? Looks like stuff in Germany generally seems to be a little cheaper then in UK, but it is difficult to find that stuff if you do not speak german. When particular seller is found, it is easier to use some kind of translator (or a german-speaking friend :) Currently I would like to find some good source of prototyping stuff, like breadboards and matrix boards. I ordered some stuff from china (sure electronics in ebay), asking to mark package as "gift, 25eur value" so customs do not touch that, but it's too long time while package from china gets here. At least, everything was packaged just excellently. -- KPL

>What other sellers are known to be good, that are located in EU? Looks >like stuff in Germany generally seems to be a little cheaper then in >UK, but it is difficult to find that stuff if you do not speak german. >When particular seller is found, it is easier to use some kind of >translator (or a german-speaking friend :) >Currently I would like to find some good source of prototyping stuff, Farnell definitely operate EU wide. http://www.farnell.com/ It looks like RS don't. Another German specific one is Conrad, who are also diversifying into other EU countries, but don't necessarily have the whole range in other countries. http://www.conrad.de/ - hmm, 4GB memory stick with 7 functions!!! only Euro 29.95 ...

> > Farnell definitely operate EU wide. http://www.farnell.com/ > > It looks like RS don't. There is a local distributor who sells RS stuff, but it seems quite expensive to me. It is possible to get things from distrelec and elfa catalogs, but they become expensive too, when get here:) That's the problem of tiny countries without serious electronics industry. > Another German specific one is Conrad, who are also diversifying into other > EU countries, but don't necessarily have the whole range in other countries. > http://www.conrad.de/ - hmm, 4GB memory stick with 7 functions!!! only Euro > 29.95 ... Thanks, this looks good. -- KPL

> It looks like RS don't. When I order from http://www.rs-components.nl the package nearly always arrives the next day, and financially they are located in the Netherlands, so no hassle with VAT or duties. > Another German specific one is Conrad, who are also Conrad is more a hobbyist store, and has a bad name even among hobbyists. Last time I checked their website was as bad as it can get, and in my experience they mess up about 1 in 100 order lines (lines, not orders!). For Dutch companies: http://www.nedis.nl Lousy website, assortment is not very good, but the quantity prices are mostly very good. Wouter van Ooijen -- ------------------------------------------- Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: http://www.voti.nl consultancy, development, PICmicro products docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: http://www.voti.nl/hvu

> What other sellers are known to be good, that are located in > EU? Looks like stuff in Germany generally seems to be a > little cheaper then in UK, but it is difficult to find that > stuff if you do not speak german. I often use http://www.reichelt.de and of course Mirochip direct. I am VAT-registered, financially I seem to buy from Ireland, so I don't pay VAT. (I of course would not bother to pay VAT when buying from outside the EU, provided that it is included in the price and not charged by some carrier who adds his own fee!) Wouter van Ooijen -- ------------------------------------------- Van Ooijen Technische Informatica: http://www.voti.nl consultancy, development, PICmicro products docent Hogeschool van Utrecht: http://www.voti.nl/hvu