Something is wrong with mouser - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 07:11:03 pm
content: The delays in mouser are not normal. They say its weather, transportation, covid,... but I don't think its true.This morning I made a small purchase at digikey, 4 lines, in 2 hours it was completed and with UPS tracking number.At mouser, I have a purchase pending shipment since the 10th, and 3 other small orders pending picking of the items.... These orders have all the items in stock and they are not huge orders.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 07:19:48 pm
content: Mouser is in Texas.Have you seen the weather reports in Texas?Unusual snow and cold for them. Their power grid has been down for days.People are dying from the cold there.Texas has been in the news for days here in the states.My order has been delayed for days also.The word of the day: "patience".

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 07:23:03 pm
content: Ok, didn't know that, I'm in Europe. Since digikey was working fine I thought it was something else.I can relate, last month we had the snow of the century here, I couldn't drive my car in 5 days....

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 07:24:25 pm
content: I can see it now!

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 08:50:51 pm
content: Its more than just the weather, although that is probably most of it. They clearly have some sort of staff shortage in the warehouse.https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/usa/dallas/historic?month=2&year=2021

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 08:54:05 pm
content: If you check those news sources, you will see that the Texas power grid failed during the cold weather, as it had in 2011 in a similar weather circumstance, for various reasons (which are already a political football there).

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 09:18:04 pm
content: Mouser is located in Mansfield, which is a part of the gigantic (by extension) Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.The DFW Metro area has perhaps the World's largest and most ubiquitous freeway system located within a major city. One has to actually have driven there to comprehend the system's magnitude.One of its wonders it that it has hundreds of elevated sections and overpasses. That in a city which is woefully under-prepared for winter conditions. Which means that a significant portion of this wonderful system becomes dangerous and unusable due to black ice.This black ice condition last week caused a massive 135 vehicle pile-up on Interstate 35W:https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/investigators-in-fort-worth-still-picking-up-pieces-of-135-car-pileup/ar-BB1dDCmuWith the winter storm described earlier, people simply are staying put at their homes and not driving to work

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 09:30:07 pm
content: Before the "Texas Freeze" my Mouser order took over two days to fulfill at the warehouse. So they were slow. Order late Monday, get it Friday.Today, I would not expect Mouser or FedEx to be doing well- rolling power blackouts, boil water advisory, people suffering cold and frozen plumbing. It's terrible.Canada is supplying 2X the amount of natural gas to the US right now and power generation has not recovered in Texas.I think it's Enron 2, deregulation has proven power producers just maximize their profit over maintenance or reinforcing infrastructure."...Spot prices for electricity in Texas passed the grid’s cap of $9,000 per megawatt-hour as an arctic chill raises the specter of blackouts.""Wholesale power for delivery Monday traded at $9,009.40 a megawatt-hour in the West hub at 1 a.m. in Houston, a staggering 3,466% increase from Friday".

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 10:32:18 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 18, 2021, 09:30:07 pmIdiots turning basic services into a money game.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 11:41:19 pm
content: Quote from: MasterTech on February 18, 2021, 07:11:03 pmMouser is in Texas. UPS sent out a message that ALL pickup and delivery service in I think 9 states are suspended for the next several days, including Texas.Digi-Key is in Minnesota, where they know how to deal with snow.Jon

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2021, 11:59:04 pm
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 18, 2021, 09:30:07 pmIt is exactly Enron 2 and it isn't just deregulation, it is the specific system of eliminating long-term contracts or payments to generators for availability. Greed and stupidity, but mostly stupidity.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 02:11:17 am
content: Quote from: floobydust on February 18, 2021, 09:30:07 pmWhat shipping were you paying for? 3 days (since I read late Monday as Tuesday) from TX to Canada seems reasonable.This week is the first week Mouser has notified me of a delay and it was obvious why. Indeed, I forwent faster shipping because I knew this was coming. However, last week, I ordered an item using UPS Ground. As with every order before it, Mouser upgraded me to 2nd Air and then, because of weather delays last week, upgraded me yet again to Priority Overnight.I've always been impressed with Mouser and enjoyed watching a video about their operation. I hope they are all okay. I used live a couple of hours from Dallas/FW and understand this is quite unprecedented. We get ice storms and days of outages in NC so I can relate.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 03:11:55 am
content: Quote from: bdunham7 on February 18, 2021, 11:59:04 pmWhen parasites get greedy to the point of killing the host, I guess stupidity is the only thing that remains...

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 05:26:55 am
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on February 19, 2021, 02:11:17 amFedEx shipped from Texas to Canada in an incredible 18hrs, so I got the parts Friday afternoon. UPS is not liked in Canada over their brokerage fees (on other shipments) and poop coloured trucks.It was the two days waiting for the Mouser warehouse to fill the order, online chat assuring me it would go out that day, that was not so great. I guess order Monday to get stuff Friday is the expectation.In the order I got a few Murata watch batteries that are dead too, shorted out somewhere in a bin I guess.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 05:48:42 am
content: Quote from: bdunham7 on February 18, 2021, 11:59:04 pmJeez, silly me for assuming they had done something to prevent another Enron incident. If I had to pay $9k/MWh I'd shut off the utility power and run my gasoline backup generator. Too bad I'm not a little closer to Texas, this would probably be a good time to sell my extra one.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 06:08:48 am
content: One Texas Resident Still Has Power, but His Bill Is Now Over $8,000"... Texas resident owes power company, Griddy, $8,162.73 for his electricity use in February. The total was a steep increase compared with his bill for his two-story home last month, which was $387.79"Maybe only residential customers got this kind of Wall Street treatment "Greed is good, greed is legal". Hopefully Mouser and other businesses aren't going to get hit like this?Critical infrastructure in the hands of corporations always fails - they only want max profit.

author: olkipukki
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 10:48:55 am
content: Quote from: jmelson on February 18, 2021, 11:41:19 pmMouser has postponed all deliveries until the next week, so more than 1+ week delay overallQuote from: jmelson on February 18, 2021, 11:41:19 pmDK didn't accept any orders at all on a few occasions, asked 'Contact Us' to discuss or 3-5 days delay "due to COVID"

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2021, 02:42:15 pm
content: In the US, there are three major power grids: Eastern, Western, and Texas. Seehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_power_transmission_gridApparently, Texas didn't want intrusive Federal regulation of their power, which might require extra investment to ensure reliability in extreme conditions.One of many news articles about the politics around the Texas grid:https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/16/ercot-texas-electric-grid-failure/

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 07:30:49 am
content: Privatising vital utilities such as power is very bad policy. Vital utilities should be owned by the people for the people. Texas is a basket case. An Australian bank owns chunk of Texas's enegry supplies and has profited from misery...https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/macquarie-jacks-up-profits-on-texas-big-freeze-20210222-p574jo

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2021, 02:04:18 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 22, 2021, 07:30:49 amIt's amazing how self-harming people can be, once they get infatuated with an ideal - in this case, "free" markets.

author: dbctronic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 25, 2021, 10:18:26 pm
content: Mouser shipping staff may also be doing a lot of hair-tearing if they deal with the US Postal Service.I just sent somebody a check via Priority Mail ($7, not the $26 Express service from Indiana to Georgia on Feb 6. Just arrived today!

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 06:40:47 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on February 22, 2021, 02:04:18 pmIdealism of any sort is a recipe for failure and disaster in a world where nothing is ever ideal. The fact that no real-world component or system is ideal should be obvious to an engineer but I think a lot of people don't really grasp this.The concept of a free market works quite well I think, within certain limitations. Like damping of a control loop, you need some mechanisms to keep things within reasonable bounds and prevent wild swings due to unexpected changes in the input. What we are seeing with the energy prices in Texas is essentially a loop with very high proportional gain and no derivative.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 01:38:42 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on February 26, 2021, 06:40:47 amPositive feedback, even. Just like the stock market... GameStop anyone?Positive feedback isn't bad per se, but it can be tricky to control!

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 03:48:22 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on February 22, 2021, 07:30:49 amThe infrastructure is well regulated and in the hands of a few companies with a lot of oversight. The issue is with the "middle men" named "electricity providers" that are simply financial companies that provided services such as flexible payments and other financial advantages disguised as utilities. This is a well known fad from the 90s called unbundling.Quote from: james_s on February 26, 2021, 06:40:47 amThe free market works well with oversight and accountability. Too many examples to count, being 2008/2009 housing crisis one of the most widespread ones.However, in this case the issue is very limited to a portion of customers that used these particular variable rate "middle men" utility providers - just like in 2008/2009, where variable interest rates were the demise of many families. For people that did not survive through hyperinflation or in countries with very "creative" economy policies, it is very hard to grasp the concepts of "value of goods", "value of money" and "economic instability".

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 06:24:43 pm
content: Quote from: rsjsouza on February 26, 2021, 03:48:22 pmUsing these middlemen can be a good way of cutting the bills, but you have to keep switching providers since they only give a good price for a shortish period.One of the providers I was using went bust... and they sold my email address (along with other customers' of course) to spammers... I know, because I give each company an individual email address to detect this kind of abuse and now I keep getting bounces from some of the spam victims who are no longer valid email addresses...It is a filthy industry. Why not just give people decent prices in the first place, so this kind of insanity becomes unnecessary? Too simple, too "commie"?

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2021, 06:41:33 pm
content: The problem faced by those customers using variable rates through middlemen was huge bills. The problem faced by almost everyone was catastrophic failure of heat due to cut off gas and electricity, followed by failure of the water supply. If the only problem with rarely-occurring extreme weather were temporary loss of revenue, then it makes economic sense not to invest considerable sums in winterizing the equipment to the level found in North Dakota. The cost to the general population (death, injury, and property destruction) of the rare event (roughly every ten years) is not included in the system’s incentives. One possible improvement (apparently not used in Texas) is “capacity pricing” (q.v.).

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 03:51:05 am
content: Critical infrastructure - power, water, natural gas, telecom - should be government owned. It used to be over here, then most of it got sold/privatized and now corporations suck the cash out of people and there are many leeches or middlemen. Imagine being a parasite corporation whose sole existence is based upon adding fat to utilities, doing no upgrades or charging big dollars to do them. In this regard, communism looks pretty good.Update:Thank you for contacting Mouser Electronics.Due to the recent snowstorm in Texas, we are experiencing a 2-5 day delay shipping orders.Please let us know if you have any questions."Kind regards,Customer Service RepresentativeMouser Electronics, Inc.(800) 346-6873

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 03:52:50 am
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on February 26, 2021, 06:24:43 pmYes, it is like insurance... But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. That is a dumpster of a situation. In my particular case I can't choose - the city owns everything and charges a price more or less in the middle of the pack.Quote from: SilverSolder on February 26, 2021, 06:24:43 pmI don't quite understand these jabs, but oh well... Fair prices are always heavily dependent on the running costs of infrastructure and private companies need to survive and produce some profit, but oversight has to be in place. Leaving only to the government to run these is also a problem due to the same lack of accountability - I have experience with both scenarios and can tell how corruption can be rampant, especially when government is involved. The answer is always somewhere on the middle.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 04:00:47 am
content: Order update:I ordered on Feb 12and received it Feb 22Not bad considering the major snow storm across the whole USA.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 06:58:29 am
content: Absent mindedly ordered on the evening of the 17th, shipped on the 26th.I hope this event was enough of a kick in the pants to all the corps who lost big money over this mess that they push for some serious change for the better. I'm sure a good amount of those long pending Mouser orders got cancelled and went elsewhere. The only things that stopped me were some experience with getting hit hard by winter weather, and the fact that I'm a hobbyist screwing around and not really impacted by waiting a week.

author: t0m
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 08:48:55 am
content: I put in an order to Mouser on the 11th. I received a message on the 16th with the UPS tracking number for the shipment, but 10 days later it is still in transit with no evidence that it ever made it out of the depot. They are not responding to emails either. Possibly they have reverted to sending messages by carrier pigeon.Who would have thought that the state that gave the world Enron could have made the energy industry into a casino?

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 09:04:06 am
content: I placed an order with a company in Oregon on Feb 16. USPS has it stuck in Portland ever since... 11 days and counting...The Pony Express average speed was 12 days for the distance involved. So, the modern USPS still has 1 day left before they have to concede defeat to the Pony Express...

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 09:07:12 am
content: My order placed on the 10th now has a tracking # but has not really shipped. I understand they must be under a mountain of packages, and may be even working on Saturdays to catch up, something that they did not do before

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2021, 01:34:46 pm
content: Quote from: MasterTech on February 27, 2021, 09:07:12 amFYI, I placed an order with Mouser on 14th and it arrived yesterday. I have no complaints, though. I expected delays even before I ordered.

author: t0m
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 04:19:09 am
content: Mouser came good. A representative got back to me today (on a Sunday) and said they had reshipped my order.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 05:31:37 am
content: As of today, the Pony Express is the official winner!Quote from: SilverSolder on February 27, 2021, 09:04:06 am

author: rcbuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 08:17:29 pm
content: Maybe the daily rioting in Portland that has been happening for the last 6 months has slowed USPS down.Quote

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 08:32:36 pm
content: Quote from: rcbuck on March 01, 2021, 08:17:29 pmNo police department in Portland?

author: t0m
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2021, 09:23:23 pm
content: @rcuck Nah, everyone knows that USPS was deliberately run into the ground by the last administration to sabotage voting by mail.

author: rcbuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 12:41:12 am
content: Interesting. My daughter works at USPS and she said they solved that problem.I placed an order with Mouser last Wednesday and no indication yet of when they are going to ship. I chose FedEx 2 day shipping instead of USPS. But the delay is Mouser and not FedEx. Mouser still shows the order as "processing".

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 04:11:25 pm
content: Meanwhile, my order placed at a company in Oregon (unrelated to Mouser) is slowly trundling its way here via USPS. 13 days and counting... each stop along the way introducing a delay of between 11 and 3 days so far.It looks like a complete systemic failure, not just one location along the path. - I'll be using FedEx for a while until the USPS gets a grip...

author: rcbuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 06:33:38 pm
content: I emailed my daughter and asked about the slow mail service. She replied:We got hit with a lot of parcels today. A lot of those were parcels that got stuck due to snowstorms in Dallas as well as back east . I don't know why something from Oregon would be delayed. The only other thing we are having issues with is getting parcels on planes due to the reduced number of flights. "Snail mail" continues, I guess.

author: t0m
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2021, 07:27:47 pm
content: Mouser are sending my replacement shipment from Canada, which tells you something.

author: andy2000
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2021, 03:19:50 pm
content: I placed a small Mouser order March 2, and they just emailed this morning to say it's expected to ship on March 8. They're blaming high order volume and covid. I normally receive my Mouser orders then next day when using Fedex ground, or UPS shipping.I used to use their "economy shipping" option when I wasn't in a hurry since it only added a day or two, but after several problems, never again. It uses Fedex for the main leg, and USPS for the last mile.Last fall, an order showed as shipped, but the tracking number said it hadn't even been received by Fedex. After about a month, I finally convinced them to re-ship it and received it the next day. The original order did eventually arrive a few weeks later.Earlier this year, I decided to give economy shipping one more chance. This time everything was fine until it was "out for delivery", then the USPS declared it "undeliverable" and returned it to the sender. Mouser said they would re-ship it after it was returned, but after waiting over a week, I convinced them to send a new order.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2021, 03:44:03 pm
content: Quote from: andy2000 on March 04, 2021, 03:19:50 pmI've had USPS fail to deliver due to "animal interference".... we don't have a dog, or a cat, and there are no wild animals in the neighbourhood (to my knowledge!). - looks to me like the driver was tired after a long day...

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2021, 04:05:21 pm
content: I have stopped buying from Mouser. They have that deceptive marketing gimmick of a countdown clock for same-day shipping, and then sit on the order for 2-3 days before processing it. This has happened three times in a row over the last few months. I get reliably great service from Digikey. And Arrow last month.

author: PartialDischarge
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2021, 06:26:08 pm
content: Quote from: precaud on March 04, 2021, 04:05:21 pmThis started Dec last year, and thats why I created this thread. Before that they reliably shipped same day. Thats what lead me to believe that there is something else going on, although clearly weather has had a huge impact.Anyway I'm not that dramatic and I still trust them, although due to this I have also started ordering more from Digikey

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2021, 11:53:54 pm
content: Mouser is hiring at Mansfield Texas, apparently they need dozens more warehouse people and developers for some time now. I guess it means they are short staffed."Pete Shopp, Senior Vice President for Mouser Electronics said, “We were supplying electronic components to ventilator manufacturers on a global basis."https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/03/04/now-hiring-mouser-electronics-hiring-for-dozens-of-positions/I knew it was those ventilators.

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2021, 01:16:44 pm
content: And now I can add Digikey to the list. I placed an order for parts on the morning of Mar 3. Everything was in stock. Got an immediate confirmation. Three days later, it still has not shipped. Prior to this, I could count on having it in my mailbox in three days. I sent an email to their CS dep't yesterday, and they have not responded.I find it hard to believe that the cause of these delays is that these companies are swamped with orders. Warehousing and order fulfillment are little affected by mask-wearing and social distancing.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2021, 02:02:50 pm
content: FWIW I'd forgotten about a package I had ordered from Mouser on 13 February: Mouser said it was dispatched on 19 February, but Fedex only picked it up on 26 February, and it arrived 4 March (UK).While this was weather related, Mouser/Fedex have been losing the edge over Digikey/UPS for me over the past few years for UK delivery. It used to be two days, but it slipped to three or four, and with Covid it's been more like a week or so.Without the weather, the problem seems to be mostly that orders just aren't shipped the same day anymore from Mouser IME.Digikey are, in my experience, significantly more consistent than Mouser nowadays.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 04:33:10 pm
content: I am still waiting for a Mouser ordered from 12 Feb. It is with Fedex, now in the UK, and stuck in some sort of customs processing, they say.The track log shows it was notified to Fedex on 19th Feb.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 05:02:21 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 07, 2021, 04:33:10 pmThat's probably more to do with Boris' change to import duty etc creating post-Brexit chaos.I'm curious - did Mouser collect VAT?Quote from:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021This is why Louis Rossmann, for example, has decided to no longer sell to UK customers.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 05:09:44 pm
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on March 07, 2021, 05:02:21 pmYeah, the red tape hating Brexiters are protecting their country by wrapping it safely in red tape!

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 05:32:26 pm
content: Oh dear, the usual degradation to the usual remoaner comments"That's probably more to do with Boris' change to import duty etc creating post-Brexit chaos."I don't think so for US to UK shipments. People should get better informed!It is only online retailers in the EU, and only if shipping under £135 (IIRC), who are supposed to register with UK HMRC, add the VAT, and send it over to the UK. For the US to UK or vice versa, things have always been simple, and remain so. Above this value, they don't add VAT and it is collected by the shipping agent, just like on imports from the US, or the rest of the world actually. The EU is just a small blob on the map.There is also no import duty on EU-UK trade, with the exception of personal import. B2B is totally unaffected, although a lot of mainland sellers bought into the bull and make the problems a lot bigger. There is also a lot of hate of the UK on the mainland for having rocked the boat, so some sellers are trying to do ripoffs. Way excessive shipping charges are not uncommon. For US to UK we have always had the problem that many US sellers don't sell outside the US (too much effort) but Mouser had this well sorted out.Hopefully it is just the bad wx, leading to a backlog. But also Fedex is not the best company; DHL is much better organised.MouserUKadd VAT to their invoices, yes.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 05:55:54 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 07, 2021, 05:32:26 pmIn my experience, DHL is better if you are a recipient in Europe and FedEx is better if you are in the US. Every DHL shipment addressed to me in the US since 2005 has been plagued with problems including two instances of the shipment just vanishing.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 08:10:59 pm
content: Mouser switched to charging VAT up front for UK VAT registered entities sometime in December 2020 as they switched away from using their EU entity and the intra-EU B2B VAT process to using Mouser UK.Digikey have always charged VAT up front as long as I can recollect.There's no net difference, as a business you simply offset the VAT each quarter as you'd normally do.As a small business, the B2B UK => (Non UK) EU VAT accounting anomaly was a minor but not insignificant additional bit of red tape, where, as a business you were responsible for verifying the VAT credentials of your EU business customer before you could issue an invoice with VAT deducted. As such, far from being "frictionless" it was always an additional manual process for SMEs, and it frequently led to delays in shipping for the paperwork and communication to be completed.I never found an off the shelf eCommerce solution to deal with this automatically, although large enterprises of course have the resources to build their own automated solutions. As it stands now, in 2021, all non-GB shipments are sent out in the same way with the same process, so that old B2B intra EU VAT verification process has now gone.Whether DHL/UPS/Fedex are the way to go seems to be tribal based largely on anecdotal evidence as far as I can see. Certainly I've stuck with Fedex for my international shipping for a decade now: I understand their systems and I continue to enjoy a substantial discount. I only very, very rarely have any Fedex related problems. If I shifted to another logistics supplier, I'd have to re-learn their systems and rebuild my interfaces. If I were a large enterprise where my volume justified it, of course I'd be putting this out to tender on a regular basis, but as an SME I have bigger fish to fry.What I would say is that Digikey/UPS deliveries to me seem to be faster than Mouser/Fedex nowadays, although the opposite used to be true say four or five years ago. Digikey/UPS used to be typically three days with Mouser/Fedex a pretty reliable two days. The tables have now turned, Digikey/UPS is two days and Mouser/Fedex three.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 08:52:36 pm
content: We have for many years had the ability to invoice zero VAT to an EU customer who supplied a valid VAT number, but the site used to validate these (which our Magento online shop would access automatically, with some customisation) was not 100% reliable.Before we started using the auto facility and were processing orders manually we would sometimes end up losing the VAT, because the VAT number would turn to be invalid later. Thankfully this was very rare in our business but we never recovered the VAT from those people afterwards (obviously!).Now this system is gone and we invoice zero VAT to the EU which makes life a lot simpler.But there have always been vastly bigger problems selling into mainland Europe, than the paperwork. The major countries have different languages, different cultures, etc, etc. In most of them one makes little progress unless one appoints a good local agent, and that's a huge hassle.I like Mouser because they have a good website with a good search facility. I've tried Digikey but for some reason decided to stay with Mouser.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2021, 09:06:53 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 07, 2021, 08:52:36 pmInteresting. TBF, it has indeed been some years since I last looked at ecommerce solutions. One of the pre requisites I needed at the time was a way to capture basic contact details for pre-orders without taking any money, I could only find one product a the time that offered this feature, and even then it was very primitive. I'm not comfortable about taking money for a product I don't actually have in stock, although it seems to be de rigeur nowadays. This isn't just an honesty thing, it's also because once you take money you have entered into a contract, and immediately need the overhead of a small army of customer support agents to deal with the inevitable cancelled orders and understandable deluge of chase up communication.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 12:36:58 pm
content: "For imports of goods from outside the UK in consignments not exceeding £135 in value (which aligns with the threshold for customs duty liability), we will be moving the point at which VAT is collected from the point of importation to the point of sale. This will mean that UK supply VAT, rather than import VAT, will be due on these consignments."I don't think that applies to Mouser. AFAIK that applies only to EU sellers.It is a controversial measure because it p1sses off mainland online retailers and has resulted in many of them either not shipping to the UK or adding extortionate carriage charges. It was brought in to reduce large scale VAT evasion which would result from the default position which would be zero VAT charged to UK customers, thus undercutting UK retailers by 20%. The collection of the VAT would then fall onto the shipper and they hate doing it, and they make admin charges which p1ss off the end customer... Still, the media here is full of complaints from people who bought something from an EU retailer without checking whether the price includes VAT, and the delivery cost, and they got stung. And the cheap and nasty delivery firms (e.g. DPD) don't want to get involved in this anyway.US sellers can sell to the UK without adding VAT. That business is very limited at the low end though, by silly delivery charges.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 02:11:16 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 08, 2021, 12:36:58 pmIt's global, not just the EU.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-and-overseas-goods-sold-directly-to-customers-in-the-uk

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 02:48:01 pm
content: Yesterday, I ordered a book from a retailer in the Netherlands, for delivery to the US. On their ordering system, I noticed that they were unable to ship to individuals in the UK, only to businesses. All other countries (EU and US and others) seemed to be normal.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 05:52:53 pm
content: That's becauseEUonline retailers are supposed to register on a system run by UK HMRC (tax collector) which they obviously hate doing (especially as most of them hate the UK anyway) and hand over the VAT they have collected from UK customers.I don't thinkUSretailers are required to do this. It is something which came out of the 31 Dec 2020 "final deal" with Brussels. And obviously US firms aren't actually going to be doing this. It is however possible that some US "fronts" e.g. Ebay.com are offering this as a service to US sellers. I buy regularly from Ebay US based sellers and have seen a "import fees prepaid" thing mentioned.Limiting trade to B2B is one way around this for mainland Europe sellers.Frankly, I can barely remember ever buying anything from mainland Europe, personally or B2B. There is almost never a price advantage relative to ebay.co.uk or amazon.co.uk. Well, I bought a ski jacket from Germany 4 years ago, and some bike inner tubes from a French shop (that shop refused to ship to the UK though, for reasons they could not explain, so I got a friend in France to buy them and pop them in the post.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 06:11:50 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 08, 2021, 05:52:53 pmI don't understand why you think it doesn't apply to the US. The official links I have already provided are clear, as is this one:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021/changes-to-vat-treatment-of-overseas-goods-sold-to-customers-from-1-january-2021I mentioned Louis Rossmann previously. Here's his explanation as to why he - a vendor in the US - will no longer sell to UK customers expressly because of the changes.https://youtu.be/ar_7Z-MzPv8(detail starts at 4:54)

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 06:37:34 pm
content: Thanks - you are right.I'd make two points though:US sellers can just ignore this. UK buyers will expect for the UK Post Office to either pass this through, or collect the VAT, with a £8+ admin charge. They have always paid these charges.If US sellers sell through one of the fronts (ebay.com etc) this is taken care of for them.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 06:45:29 pm
content: Not sure this is the case, as an example I placed an order to a US company on Feb 3 for an item valued at $247+shipping, it was delivered on Feb 10 and I was charged by Fedex separately the import tax & duties just shy of £60.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 06:47:07 pm
content: I just edited my post above saying it does work if the US seller just ships the item. The VAT will get collected by the delivery service at the UK end, insteadThe UK has no jurisdiction in the US, or in the EU.That youtuber has no reason to stop shipping to the UK. International trade always carries on, and this stupid UK HMRC proposal is going to have a limited impact once most US firms realise they can ignore it.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 07:59:01 pm
content: Quotei thought it was more to do with beating the eu ,why wait till july 1st to fuck things up,lets be first.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 08, 2021, 08:34:23 pm
content: I don't think so... the UK has not tried to f-k the EU. It just wanted to get out. It is the EU which wanted to f-k the UK, to show to the other 27 that if they get a similar idea they will be punished.On the topic, Mouser's customer service is really good. They have credited the missing package. I have re-ordered the stuff.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 04:45:50 am
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 08, 2021, 08:34:23 pmThe EU has never wanted to f-k the EU. Remember, Thatcher pretty much created the single market single handedly, back in the day when Britain was a leading and admired nation before succumbing to the current sad collection of romantic and wholly unrealistic dreamers and navel-gazers!

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 03:34:23 pm
content: I just had a chat with Mouser CS. I asked, if I place an order for in-stock parts today, when would it ship? The only thing she would say is, due to COVID, it could take up to 5 days to ship.I find this answer to be BS. There nothing about wearing a mask or social distancing that could cause such a delay.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 03:46:12 pm
content: Quote from: precaud on March 09, 2021, 03:34:23 pmSure there is.If I order 2 of each of ten different SMD resistors, 5 of one capacitor value, 10 of another, 4 LDO ICs, 5 feet of RG174 cable, all of these have to be manually counted, cut, packed, labelled, checked and shipped. That's a lot of people handling a lot of items. I can easily imagine the impact. It requires more than a mask and social distancing to maintain reduced risk of exposure and transmission.They make this clear:But you can always try to find a supplier who cares more about short-term bottom line than the welfare of their employees.

author: BrokenYugo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 03:57:58 pm
content: Quote from: precaud on March 09, 2021, 03:34:23 pmThat's assuming those policies are being enforced. If not I can see how they would be quite short staffed.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 04:14:19 pm
content: Quote from: precaud on March 09, 2021, 03:34:23 pmCould be a problem if the warehouse staff works from home!

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 06:16:41 pm
content: I have just placed a new order with Mouser. 5 day delay before they will ship.That's really bad. This was stuff replacing the 12 Feb order which vanished somewhere in the US.They may be short staffed. Here, the Post Office has loads of people off work. My friendly postman says they are mostly taking the piss, because if you phone in saying you have a cough you get a few days off with no questions asked.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 06:38:30 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 09, 2021, 06:16:41 pmVaccination in TX is somewhat lamentable. In Tarrant County (where Mouser are), about 10% of the population have received both doses. This means that it is highly unlikely that people working at places like Mouser have been vaccinated yet.I don't understand why people expect business as usual.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 08:27:34 pm
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on March 09, 2021, 06:38:30 pmProbably because so many places are doing business as usual. My friends shop never closed, the place my partner works is also classified as an essential business, they never locked down. It can be argued how much precaution is reasonable, but the fact remains that a large number of businesses continued doing business as usual throughout the pandemic. Place an order from Amazon for example and it will arrive in roughly the normal time span. Beyond the first month or two of the pandemic last year, delays have been the exception rather than the norm in my experience. The places that have managed to avoid major hiccups are booming.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:43:11 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on March 09, 2021, 08:27:34 pmAmazon is different. There isn't really the equivalent of buying one 0803 capacitor. They are sold in whatever quantity the vendor has prepacked them. In contrast, someone at Mouser has to find the reel or tray or whatever bulk supply the capacitors come in, extract just one, repackage it, label it etc. It's not just a simple case of pulling an item off a shelf and throwing it in a box.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 09:51:37 pm
content: In the US, according to its website, Mouser has three locations: Texas, California, and New Jersey.Amazon has five fulfillment centers in Texas alone, out of 110 in the entire country.

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 09, 2021, 10:09:56 pm
content: Mouser told me that they only ship from their TX location.I placed an order on 2/19 (after the storm and when things were warming up). They still did not ship until 3/1 and I got it on 3/2. They did at least not charge me shipping, but wow it was late.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 02:00:07 am
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on March 09, 2021, 09:43:11 pmThat doesn't matter, most people don't analyze it to that level, you said you don't get why people expect things to be business as usual and I provided an answer, I never said there are not valid reasons.That said, despite my gripes with their website, I've placed several orders from Digikey throughout the pandemic and never experienced any delays that I noticed.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 02:24:09 am
content: Quote from: james_s on March 10, 2021, 02:00:07 amSo once you give your opinion, that's the end of it? I thought this was a forum - a place for exchange of ideas?Perhaps if people did stop to think a bit more, they wouldn't be so disappointed and realize not everything in this world works to their schedule or expectations, especially in unusual times.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 10:32:11 am
content: BTW I think that video above about US sellers "having" to register for VAT etc is nonsense. Legally this cannot be enforced and never will be.It is something pushed by the intermediaries who make a percentage off the revenue streamAnd they do perform a useful service in that the customer can be sure he has no extra costs at his end.What Mouser did, by invoicing from the UK, with VAT added, is reduced the paperwork for their UK customers, but actually any business which does any import and export will already have a smooth system for this. In Sage Accounts it is called tax code T0

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 01:30:45 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 10:32:11 amIt's not nonsense if you want to do things correctly and legally.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 02:43:21 pm
content: Can you explain howa) the UK might be able to suspend international trade (the right to simply sell something to somebody in another country)b) the UK might acquire jurisdiction over a supplier in another countryI am sure this stuff is bollocks. International shipping will carry on as before.The only issue is that the recipient might get import charges he wasn't expecting, but that's been the case since for ever, and all the regulars have known thatparticularly w.r.t. purchases from the US. It is quite normal to studiously avoid US (and chinese) sellers on Ebay for example because you just know you are going to get hit with something - until Ebay started doing the new "everything prepaid" scheme.Specifically w.r.t. brexit (not the topic of this Mouse thread) some people used to buy mail order from the mainland and now they can't do that without potential hidden charges.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 03:04:35 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 02:43:21 pmI guess we just need to let this pan out for a year and see what happens. Some people who conduct minor trade with the UK have chosen for good reason to no longer sell to the UK.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 04:24:47 pm
content: The mainland sellers who decided to stop selling to the UK are those who bought into the anti-UK hysteria which dominates the media channels on the mainland. Like it or not, it is there.And American firms have always been reluctant exporters. Too much hassle... there are firms in the US which do $10BN+++ sales just to the US govt, so why bother exporting? Getting US firms to sell you stuff can be like pulling teeth. And always has been. Many go to massive lengths to avoid exporting; a while ago I bought an unusual form of a BNC connector from a US firm. Value about $20, they would ship only through an "international fulfilment agency". Cost $250! Would they send it via the US postal service, for about $10? No way. Too complicated.We do not go to the post office.And then they wonder why China is stealing their jobs by the millions. The chinks will ship anywhere, even if it involves faking their location on Ebay, to look localRight now I am talking to a German company about sending something (big) to the UK. They want about £400 for shipping, while they ship for free to other countries in EuropeI even got a quote from a German shipper, £150, and asked this guy if I can get it collected. He isn't interested... Why do you think that might be?I know I am repeating myself butanybody on the mainland can still just simply ship something to the UK. IAW the way international trade has operated for centuries, it isup to the UK endto sort out the import VAT, any duty (no duties applicable generally on EU imports, btw) and charge it to the end customer.The fact that many customers hate paying import duties etc, feel ripped off, etc, is a separate issue. In my business we export a great deal to the US. For about 20 years we used to ship direct to customers there, with everything prepaid. The carrier (DHL back then) offered this as a service... not exactly cheap but very convenient to the customers. Now we sell there via a distributor who deals with this.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 04:37:58 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 04:24:47 pmNo, you are mistaken.Quote from: The UK GovernmentQuote from: The UK GovernmentIt's clear. This is a direct consequence of Brexit. Some people in the UK will now find their overseas sources of some goods gone.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 04:40:17 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 04:24:47 pmThere is no "anti-UK hysteria", I travel regularly in many EU countries and any "us vs them" mentality is 90% a UK phenomenon. Most French, German, Danish, Dutch are mostly wondering why so many British people seem to feel so offended by working together with them on projects that are in everyone's interests. It's not that I don't understand where brexiters are coming from with some of the issues they raise... it's just that the problems within the EU are relatively minor compared to the antagonism that happens now, as a result of placing us all in an adversarial position. This was entirely predictable, and predicted, by anyone who has ever had children...

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 05:29:14 pm
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on March 10, 2021, 04:37:58 pmThis applies to OMPs like eBay or Amazon. If the sale is direct (i.e., not through an OMP), the same (pre-existing) VAT collection process remains for consignments over £135. Hence, that is why (a) I continue to receive VAT demands from shipping companies like Fedex for imports rather than from the seller and (b) why pretty much all international eBay transactions into the UK now use eBay's Global Shipping process.HMRC have used it as an opportunity to harmonise process, and that process must've been dreamt up by a committee with zero contribution from stakeholders. I'll also acknowledge that it does seem rather bizarre that a business outside the UK needs to register for UK VAT collection if they're directly exporting consignments under £135, leaving them with the stark options options to either (a) use an OMP to facilitate [& stomach the cost], (b) register & account for UK VAT or (c) not sell to the UK.It's entirely likely that an SME from outside the UK exporting to the UK wouldn't even start to approach the turnover threshold required for a UK business to register. Even more bizarre, I can easily see this being exploited, after all, what is the appetite of HMRC going to be to go after a few thousand quid of VAT when the business isn't even within their jurisdiction?A better approach would've been for HMRC to introduce an agent model to collect VAT, much as they have done for decades on foreign excise collections at point of entry.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 05:43:56 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on March 10, 2021, 05:29:14 pmBelow £135, it applies to non-OMP, too.Quote from: The UK Government

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 06:41:19 pm
content: " I'll also acknowledge that it does seem rather bizarre that a business outside the UK needs to register for UK VAT collection if they're directly exporting consignments under £135, leaving them with the stark options options to either (a) use an OMP to facilitate [& stomach the cost], (b) register & account for UK VAT or (c) not sell to the UK."What happens if a seller in the EU or US ships a package worth £130 to the UK, simply by posting it, with a suitable customs declaration?

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 10, 2021, 06:45:29 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 06:41:19 pmWhat always happened: The recipient gets a letter asking for the VAT and a handling fee. Whether this will continue to be the case and if not, for how long it will be tolerated, are unknown, as our government will not cite laws nor keep the published legislation up to date.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2021, 08:39:33 am
content: It has to continue, otherwise you are chucking out standard international trade practices.HMRC is merely trying to keep a lid on the big channels and collect VAT from those. Fo most people that is amazon and ebay and they are already mostly compliant.

author: Ice-Tea
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2021, 08:51:39 am
content: I think I'm starting to understand why Mouser is backed up.. I got two rotary encoders where the encoders were put in an antistatic bag (fine!) with several ESD stickers (uhm.. sure?)and the washers and nuts came in 2 separate ESD shielded bags.So, yeah, that kind of service takes time

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2021, 09:43:03 am
content: That's hilariousBut there is no way to train packing staff on what needs ESD and what doesn't.Mouser are still not shipping. My last order, 2 days ago, has been notified as delayed by 5 days. That means, based on the past, that they won't even pack it for 5 days.I have bought the important parts from a UK source...

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2021, 06:53:25 pm
content: IME the most reliable UK source for delivery at the moment is RS. Farnell is all over the place: unlike RS it's never next day, more like three days.I was talking to my UK CEM the other day, they were saying that sickness is rife. How much of this is genuine illness and/or child care, and how much is duvet day was unclear, but I'm pretty sure she was of the impression that at least some people were taking advantage of the situation and not being entirely honest.In other news, I had my first vaccine today. Amazing service, I was in and out in 10 minutes. It was a mixture of very pleasant and super efficient NHS staff and volunteers marshalling people, together with equally pleasant & efficient army medics administering it. I said to the army medics who jabbed me that it was no wonder this was so well organised, to which they replied it wasn't actually them, it was already all set up. It was quite humbling, and a tribute to all those involved.

author: peter-h
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2021, 09:32:14 pm
content: RS is good indeed but they are expensive for anything resembling production; say 100+. They have vastly improved in recent years though, with normal packaging rather than getting 50 little packs of 5 chips...Thereisa lot of pisstaking and people getting time off. But nothing can be done about it. Nobody can be even questioned.Excellent about your vacc; both me and my GF got done 2 weeks ago. A very smooth operation. They could process 2x as many at least but were stopped from doing so because if the media found out they would raise hell because some other places are running slower and the people there are, hey, "disadvantaged". Much better to bring everybody down to the same level.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2021, 10:15:02 pm
content: Quote from: peter-h on March 10, 2021, 04:24:47 pmNah, it's just we don't care. There is no hatred, no resentment, no propaganda.Complete apathy. You wanted to go, we said whatever. There was a huge discussion about fishes... 99% of people don't even have any idea whats that all about.You went, and you are officially in the same category as ROW. Rest of the world.This is opposed to the world view of the British. Who believes that they are the center of the world.We just quietly stand by, and just don't engage the schizophrenic loudly rambling crazy person (UK).

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 12, 2021, 11:30:27 pm
content: Quote from: NANDBlog on March 12, 2021, 10:15:02 pmSadly, as a Brit living outside the UK for more than half my life, I can say this is an apt description.

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 01:34:26 pm
content: I placed an order with Mouser yesterday and they are telling me 2-5 days to ship. I hope the same day shipping isn't a thing of the past.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 01:59:39 pm
content: Quote from: alank2 on March 17, 2021, 01:34:26 pmI think it is gone. I "resigned" my Amazon Prime membership, as shipping is now so slow that it no longer confers any advantages.

author: alank2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 03:48:48 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on March 17, 2021, 01:59:39 pmIt is really disappointing.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 09:20:12 pm
content: Quote from: SilverSolder on March 17, 2021, 01:59:39 pmI never saw the value in Prime to begin with, and sometimes it seems like I'm the only one out there who doesn't have it. I already get free shipping, I just wait until I need enough stuff to qualify. The only advantage Prime offers as far as I can see is faster shipping and I don't care about that. It would be cheaper to just pay for faster shipping on the occasional order where I'm in a hurry.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 10:12:37 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on March 17, 2021, 09:20:12 pmI've reached pretty much the same conclusion. The benefits of Prime shipping were: (1) faster, (2) no need to wait for $25 limit, i.e. faster again, (3) no need to care who the seller is or what warehouse it comes from.TBH I think it at least paid for itself, for me.But now that (1) is no more, I've reached the conclusion that two out of three is not worth the $120 cost... as you said, you can just pay for the shipping out of that budget on the occasions when you really do need it fast...I've also found I like eBay better in these crisis times. At times of crisis, the thousands of little guys seem to collectively do a better job at keeping up than the over-optimized big guys!

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 11:10:05 pm
content: I use Prime as my only source of movies outside of anything that might just happen to be on YT. I don't have a TV subscription, Netflix etc. Prime Video provides the variety I need since I rarely watch much anyway. If I had Netflix (I used to) it would either be a waste of money or a waste of my time or both. Generally, the programming doesn't interest me.

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2021, 11:49:48 pm
content: Prime seems to have recovered over here in Blighty, including same day, and it's been reliable for some time, although it was quite unreliable for a period last year.Prime Now, the 2-hour window grocery side, I don't think has ever recovered, it now seems to have rebranded itself into Amazon Fresh.Getting delivery slots for any grocery shop has never been easy since the pandemic started.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2021, 01:06:04 am
content: Quote from: JohnnyMalaria on March 17, 2021, 11:10:05 pmYeah, I used to watch movies on Prime as well. But the quality of the non-paid movies were spotty, I ended up paying for many of the ones I watched.Let's see how it goes, if the numbers don't make sense I'll rejoin!

author: jayk
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2021, 01:27:45 am
content: There were a few months last year when Amazon was having a hard time around here (Sacramento) and things sometimes took a week. But since last fall we've been back to 1-2 day delivery on most things.I'm not trying to hold Digikey and Mouser to the same bar as Amazon, but both seem to have gotten dramatically worse in a short period of time. I get that we had some big storms but that was weeks ago. I wonder if they're having trouble hiring in their warehouses - those jobs can't pay a ton, and with unemployment now being extended for who knows how long maybe people just don't want the jobs. It's a good thing for them shipping from China is either slow or expensive.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2021, 05:34:19 am
content: I played around with the streaming for a while at my friend's place and wasn't too impressed. IIRC there was no way to browse just the free movies, they were all mixed in with the stuff that costs money. I just don't buy enough stuff for Prime to make sense, maybe it's a good deal if you order a lot but I probably place 5 or 6 Amazon orders a year. It used to be it could make sense for buying small items but then they changed a lot of those small items to "add-ons" that you can't get free shipping on their own anyway.A bigger issue than all that is the support. It used to be Amazon had fantastic support, you could easily email or call them and they were friendly and efficient. Now you can't even email them anymore, you have to use one of those stupid automated chat systems that eventually will connect you to a chat center in India or someplace. The last time I dealt with it I had a device I bought that was defective, the manufacture told me they don't support things sold by Amazon and Amazon tried to pass the buck to the manufacture. I complained and the guy authorized a return but acted like he was doing me a one time favor. For a company that claims to be "customer obsessed" color me unimpressed. Their support is no better than anywhere else anymore.

author: JohnnyMalaria
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2021, 12:49:21 pm
content: Quote from: james_s on March 18, 2021, 05:34:19 amIt is possible to show the stuff that's included:which is great because there's a lot of crap on the main Prime Video page I have no interest in and rarely want to buy. It is a bit of detective work to find movies I'd like to watch. The suggestion algorithm has come up with some interesting movies I hadn't heard of and enjoyed.

author: SilverSolder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2021, 12:52:27 am
content: Yes, I've seen a few movies that I wouldn't have normally, as well. I've found quite a few surprisingly good Asian movies, for example. But - time to give it a rest - if you keep doing the same thing all the time, nothing ever changes - almost by definition!

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2021, 01:55:46 pm
content: Digikey seem to be back to normal, two days to Blighty. Mouser still rubbish, factor in a week.