I think buyers have to conduct some due diligence before buying over the Web. Like the DVD I mentioned in a prior post, the fact that no one else had this item should have been a red flag. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. The issue of after-sales support is a big one, as well. Suppliers will not honor a warrantee unless buyers can prove they bought products through authorized channels. That's a big consideration when you are designing components into mission-critical systems.
“When the website operators know that what they are selling is a rare commodity, they will get the price tags high”
Waqas, that’s always not feasible. If the product is of good quality and from a branded company, then it’s fine, else nobody prefer for it. For online purchases, nobody can make sure about quality and features, unless and until it’s already in market.
Amongst many one important factor that still secures the market for the legitimate sellers is the established standard for after sales service. Many of the illegitimate sellers are good at selling cheap goods and delivering it within no time but often lack the ability of providing support after sales which is essential and which in turn affects their customer loyalty. Many people who intend to buy from legitimate sources know that the premium price they are paying is actually the price of after-sales support. So while ignoring legal issues, many legitimate sellers and distributors are able to win purely on qualitative grounds.
"This program had never been released on DVD, there were no trademarks, and the site had no affiliation with any provider I had ever heard of. And this was for a $50"
Thats hilarious. When the website operators know that what they are selling is a rare commodity, they will get the price tags high. When someone needs material for developing something important for his/her organization and that is not available through legitimate sources, its upto them to decide between a tough choice, either to support piracy through that particular buy or either hamper the development process of a product for the organization. Many of us would choose option A, unfortunately.
I was shopping for a hard to find DVD set when I found it on a website. The deeper I dug, though, the more suspicious I became that this was probably pirated. This program had never been released on DVD, there were no trademarks, and the site had no affiliation with any provider I had ever heard of. And this was for a $50 purchase. The stakes are a lot higher if you are designing your company's next big thing, so it pays to find a ligit source. I always add sites I like to favorites, so there is reward for vendors that do a good job.
Barbara, you are right. Now a day’s companies are taking extra steps and cautions, while selecting their preferred partners and suppliers. They don’t mind to spend little bit extra for quality products from reliable sources. At the end of the cycle, the quality and reliability of products purely depends up on its components and workmanship. So for a better durability of the product, they are making filtrations based on certain parameters.
I would believe there are a lot of buyers out there who want to make sure they are dealing with a legitimet company who can consistently deliver products at reasonable prices. I personally do research on any new site before I buy. I also look at their Google page ranking and check to see when the website was created. Helps to avoid getting scammed.
@syed: That is interesting--hadn't heard that. I doubt I would notice something like that if the name of the compnay was in a foreign language, so it makes a lot of sense.
One thing that I have seen over the years in Asia is that FBN's will use a name that is very similar to the actual distributors name. Sometimes, there is just a difference of a letter in the name and hence people confuse them with the actual distributors.
I also think only a handful of consumers actually check the suppliers site for official distributors. They usually rely on the word of mouth and local business guarantees.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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