Author Topic: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?  (Read 37989 times)

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Offline makermanTopic starter

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« Last Edit: January 21, 2019, 07:34:19 pm by makerman »
 
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Offline BroMarduk

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2019, 07:41:14 pm »
Ha.  Switch pricing to United States and USD and it goes up to $403 USD.    Goes back cheap again if I switch back to GBP.   I'm guessing a mistake, but maybe just a Brexit discount.

 
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Offline Gyro

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2019, 07:51:35 pm »
Seems worth a punt. I wonder if they'll honor it (not too proud to accept a Brexit discount!).
Best Regards, Chris
 
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2019, 08:00:01 pm »
When you switch to one of their other branches the price is over 400 pounds. It obviously a pricing error.
 
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Offline glarsson

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2019, 08:04:11 pm »
Usually ships in 29 days, so they have plenty of time to realize their error.
 
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Offline bd139

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2019, 08:22:45 pm »
This always depends on whether or not they hire dumbasses or care. Usually one of the two outcomes comes into play so worth a punt.

Couple of success stories:

Pack of 1000 MRS25 resistors on RS a while ago for £2.50. Thought hey I get through a lot of 1K and 100R ones so had one of each. Box of 4,000 of each turned up! About 2 weeks later I felt a little guilty so I called them up and they said "meh, keep them". That's £288 (current price) of resistors for £5.

Another supplier had Amphenol panel mount BNCs for £0.18 each (rather than £1.80 each). Figured I'd buy 50 of them. Delivered. Was called about a week later asking if I would pay the difference of £81. I said no. They closed my trade account. So I opened another one under my other limited company.

 
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Offline Bicurico

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2019, 08:27:15 pm »
Tried to order. When I changed to Portugal in the last page of checkout, the price went first to 500 something and then to 700 Euro...

Cheers
Vitor
 
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Offline makermanTopic starter

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #7 on: January 22, 2019, 06:54:49 pm »
I've received confirmation of the order, legally they have to honour the purchase if they realise the mistake.

I'll keep updating the thread.
 

Offline Yansi

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #8 on: January 22, 2019, 06:59:07 pm »
Another supplier had Amphenol panel mount BNCs for £0.18 each (rather than £1.80 each). Figured I'd buy 50 of them. Delivered. Was called about a week later asking if I would pay the difference of £81. I said no. They closed my trade account. So I opened another one under my other limited company.


What?!  :o O_o

They have closed your business account for their mistake?  :palm:
 

Offline tsman

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2019, 07:18:13 pm »
I've received confirmation of the order, legally they have to honour the purchase if they realise the mistake.
No. It isn't as simple as that. The point at the order is accepted and you enter a binding contract doesn't necessarily mean when an order confirmation email is sent. If the price is obviously a mistake then it can also be canceled by the seller.

Read https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/money-saving-tips/10602641/Price-glitches-Do-retailers-have-to-honour-pricing-mistakes.html and https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-is-advertised-at-the-wrong-price/

Due to the long 29 day lead time, this is obviously a non-stocked item and they're ordering from their suppliers. If somebody doesn't notice the mistake by that point then this company is useless.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 07:21:43 pm by tsman »
 
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Offline wraper

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2019, 07:26:53 pm »
Another supplier had Amphenol panel mount BNCs for £0.18 each (rather than £1.80 each). Figured I'd buy 50 of them. Delivered. Was called about a week later asking if I would pay the difference of £81. I said no. They closed my trade account. So I opened another one under my other limited company.


What?!  :o O_o

They have closed your business account for their mistake?  :palm:
Not only that. Amount of money is ridiculously low for them to even bother about that  :palm:. For example farnell won't return returned items back into stock even if package was unopened, even if it's some expensive shit.
 

Offline Yansi

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2019, 07:28:38 pm »
I understand that why is that, however  I see banning a user from buying due to their mistake as a completely different thing.
 
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Offline soldar

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2019, 07:35:34 pm »
Very often corporations will eat their mistake just for goodwill but the notion that they are bound by law to eat their mistakes is not so and if it is worth it to them they could come after the buyer even after it has been paid and delivered. How can anyone think that you would be forced to sell your house for a dollar just because there was a mistake in the contract?

In law there are two issues. One is that for there to be a valid contract there has to be a "meeting of the minds" which is generally reduced to paper but if the written contract very obviously contains a mistake then there is no "meeting of the minds" and the contract would be deemed null and void.

Another issue is the concept of unjust enrichment.

Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistake_in_English_contract_law

And lastly, honest people would point the issue out to the seller rather than try to take advantage of a possible mistake, just like they would return excess change handed to them by mistake.
« Last Edit: January 22, 2019, 07:56:51 pm by soldar »
All my posts are made with 100% recycled electrons and bare traces of grey matter.
 

Offline spec

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2019, 09:22:57 pm »
Hi makerman

Thanks for the tip. I just ordered two B&K pulse generators:

2 x Pulse generators  £25.66
Shipping                   £13.50
VAT                            £7.83
TOTAL                       £46.99UK
Delivery up to 29 days

I expect that the price is so low because Cole-Palmer have just squired a heap of these pulse generators from a broker. And the broker would have got them as a result of a frustrated order or as as bankrupt stock, or similar.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2019, 07:19:39 am by spec »
 
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Offline bd139

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2019, 09:25:30 pm »
Good luck  :-+
 
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #15 on: January 22, 2019, 09:30:01 pm »
I'm not able to order one, as it reverts to the higher price. Is anyone willing to order one for me and forward it to me? If it turns out to be a pricing error I don't mind to waive the order, but if it's correct I could use a pulse generator.
 
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Offline spec

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #16 on: January 22, 2019, 09:42:17 pm »
I'm not able to order one, as it reverts to the higher price. Is anyone willing to order one for me and forward it to me? If it turns out to be a pricing error I don't mind to waive the order, but if it's correct I could use a pulse generator.
You don't say where you are- why not enable your flag. :)
 
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #17 on: January 22, 2019, 11:34:12 pm »
You don't say where you are- why not enable your flag. :)
I've found that not displaying a flag helps preventing people projecting location based assumptions on you. The fact that it drives people who tend to do this nuts is a nice bonus. ;D
 
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Offline beanflying

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #18 on: January 22, 2019, 11:50:53 pm »
Seems us Aussies will make up for your few cheap ones  :palm: That is over $1000 USD for those interested.

A couple of years ago Hobbyking made a stuff up and slipped a decimal point on a RTF Glider. I did only buy two at the time which they honored and in Australia under consumer law they would have had to.  >:D
Coffee, Food, R/C and electronics nerd in no particular order. Also CNC wannabe, 3D printer and Laser Cutter Junkie and just don't mention my TEA addiction....
 
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Offline spec

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #19 on: January 23, 2019, 07:16:38 am »
You don't say where you are- why not enable your flag. :)
I've found that not displaying a flag helps preventing people projecting location based assumptions on you. The fact that it drives people who tend to do this nuts is a nice bonus. ;D
You just shot yourself in the foot then. ;D
 
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Online TERRA Operative

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #20 on: January 23, 2019, 08:00:41 am »
Someone wanna buy one for me and ship to Japan?  ;D
Where does all this test equipment keep coming from?!?

https://www.youtube.com/NearFarMedia/
 
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #21 on: January 23, 2019, 08:27:02 am »
I've found that not displaying a flag helps preventing people projecting location based assumptions on you. The fact that it drives people who tend to do this nuts is a nice bonus. ;D
You just shot yourself in the foot then. ;D
Oh, I wasn't talking about you. Sorry if I gave you that impression.
 
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Offline EEVblog

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #22 on: January 23, 2019, 08:53:25 am »
When you switch to one of their other branches the price is over 400 pounds. It obviously a pricing error.

I once got Fluke 3000 kit meters (meter + extras) for something like $50ea from RS Components.
It was a website pricing error and they had them in stock. I ordered all the Sydney stock (30 or something) and after that appeared to work I order like 100 or more from RS UK stock.
I deliberately avoided buying more than they had in stocking knowing that the buyers would surely see the error and sort it before they shipped.
Got a phone call from them saying they goofed the price and it's way below their buy price (no kidding, it was something like AU$700 retail), I played dumb and said I needed that many to equip my factory and I made a legitimate purchase  ;D
I think they honored another 50 or so but declined the rest.
They got delivered and I slowly sold them off on ebay for a large profit  :-+
« Last Edit: January 23, 2019, 08:56:55 am by EEVblog »
 
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Offline EEVblog

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #23 on: January 23, 2019, 08:59:59 am »
If I was in the UK I'd order 100 of them and see what happens. Worst thing is you get your money back, best case you make a killing on ebay.
 
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Offline Paul Moir

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Re: Crazy price for a 10MHz pulse generator (£15 !)?
« Reply #24 on: January 23, 2019, 09:09:15 am »
Congratulations if you get it.  For those unaware, Cole Parmer is unaware of the word "inexpensive".  Or "helpful".
 
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