DigiKey bait-and-switch "scam"

[mcj7247]

I'm losing faith in Digikey. I placed an order of about 100 parts and none were backordered. (I did have my cart open for about a week). When I placed the final order I never saw any request to hold it or to approve a second shipment or any notice that anything was backordered. I received my original order and then 2 days later I get an email stating my backordered parts are on the way....and with another $7.99 shipping charge for (2) 0.50 cent caps! So far no response from Digikey via email to customer service. Very disappointing. 

[SilverSolder]

I'm losing faith in Digikey. I placed an order of about 100 parts and none were backordered. (I did have my cart open for about a week). When I placed the final order I never saw any request to hold it or to approve a second shipment or any notice that anything was backordered. I received my original order and then 2 days later I get an email stating my backordered parts are on the way....and with another $7.99 shipping charge for (2) 0.50 cent caps! So far no response from Digikey via email to customer service. Very disappointing. 

Digikey needs a "Fill or Kill" order type, just like the markets! 

[NorthGuy]

Digikey needs a "Fill or Kill" order type, just like the markets! 

Limit orders would be useful too 

[1276-2449-1-ND]

UPDATE:

I ordered the ICs directly from MicroChip back when Digikey didn't come through, even though they were backordered to April, and then September. But I just got them delivered today. It was funny too because there were just 50 QFP ICs ordered, but they were put on a humongous 13" reel that won't even come close to fitting on our PNP machine.

As to why we don't order a bajillion parts to keep in stock -- we do for common parts. Expensive specialty ICs such as this one ($5 per IC) are ordered as we need them. Too large of an inventory of expensive items is a waste of capital and makes the books look bad. I would prefer to order these things a dozen at a time as we need them from someone like DigiKey even though they're more expensive so our money isn't tied up in stock that won't be used for a year or two.

This IC wasn't just out of stock at Digikey, but everywhere. I went around to every distributor and bought up all their remaining stock to fill some orders in January. It was only something like 15 ICs, but I felt like a bit of a douche for depriving some hobbiests of touchscreen controllers.

[NorthGuy]

Microchipdirect are excellent. They always send full-length tubes. I like them very much. But they're not as fast as DigiKey - it usually takes them about a week to ship in-stock items, then several days to arrive from Thailand. DigiKey ship immediately. Since this thread appeared, I placed several orders with DigiKey (for in-stock items). They shipped all orders the same day I haven't experienced any delays or backordering.

[1276-2449-1-ND]

And no duties either or BS "import brokerage fees" -- a pleasant surprise.

[SilverSolder]

Microchipdirect are excellent. They always send full-length tubes. I like them very much. But they're not as fast as DigiKey - it usually takes them about a week to ship in-stock items, then several days to arrive from Thailand. DigiKey ship immediately. Since this thread appeared, I placed several orders with DigiKey (for in-stock items). They shipped all orders the same day I haven't experienced any delays or backordering.

Placed Digikey order this morning, already showing as shipped.  That's one thing they definitely get right.

[phil from seattle]

Microchipdirect are excellent. They always send full-length tubes. I like them very much. But they're not as fast as DigiKey - it usually takes them about a week to ship in-stock items, then several days to arrive from Thailand. DigiKey ship immediately. Since this thread appeared, I placed several orders with DigiKey (for in-stock items). They shipped all orders the same day I haven't experienced any delays or backordering.

Placed Digikey order this morning, already showing as shipped.  That's one thing they definitely get right.

I am sticking with Mouser.  Had a Digikey order I placed on 2/27, supposedly shipped on 3/6 though not actually picked up by UPS until 3/9. Scheduled to get here 3/12.  Mouser, even with a resend of the package (long story, they messed up the order) took 1 week to Digikey's 2.  And for basically the same parts, all listed as in stock.

[SilverSolder]

Funny how everyone's experiences are so different with the same companies...

I think there is a Digikey warehouse nearby, I sometimes get stuff the next day even with USPS (not after Covid, though).

I order from both Mouser and Digikey, and other suppliers too - it all depends on who has what I need!

[tooki]

Funny how everyone's experiences are so different with the same companies...

I think there is a Digikey warehouse nearby, I sometimes get stuff the next day even with USPS (not after Covid, though).

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

[NorthGuy]

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

I often get FedEx shipments from DigiKey originating from Winnipeg, MB.

[SilverSolder]

Funny how everyone's experiences are so different with the same companies...

I think there is a Digikey warehouse nearby, I sometimes get stuff the next day even with USPS (not after Covid, though).

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

Ah, I didn't know that.  Looks like the postal service out of Minnesota is quite good.  Must be all those Scandinavians! 

[gnuarm]

Funny how everyone's experiences are so different with the same companies...

I think there is a Digikey warehouse nearby, I sometimes get stuff the next day even with USPS (not after Covid, though).

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

Ah, I didn't know that.  Looks like the postal service out of Minnesota is quite good.  Must be all those Scandinavians! 

You joke, but UPS and FedEx ground takes 4 days to reach the DC area because it is routed through North Dakota.  The rest of the state reaches us in 3 days.  Priority mail is 2 days and saves some bucks! 

[Styno]

Regarding Click-and-switch ... we urgently need radio modules that are hit by the global silicon shortages. None of the official distributors has them in stock and we were relieved when the RS Components website showed them as 'in stock'. So we ordered several hundred and a day later the order information says 'Shipped'. Two weeks later we try to ask: where's our stuff? They do not answer the phone, their online Chat bot is never available and days later they respond by email: we have no stock, we didn't send you anything, the info our website is not to be trusted. Sorry for the inconvenience. 



So now we ordered via some 'hoarder' at 5x the usual price...

[gnuarm]

...RS Components website showed them as 'in stock'. ...days later they respond by email: we have no stock, we didn't send you anything, the info our website is not to be trusted. ...

That says so much!  Then on top of that they don't answer the phone!

[tooki]

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

I often get FedEx shipments from DigiKey originating from Winnipeg, MB.

Perhaps bulk routed through there, but definitely not (physically) originating there.

[tooki]

Funny how everyone's experiences are so different with the same companies...

I think there is a Digikey warehouse nearby, I sometimes get stuff the next day even with USPS (not after Covid, though).

Unless you live in rural Minnesota, there isn't: Digi-Key runs one, and only one, warehouse for the entire world.

Ah, I didn't know that.  Looks like the postal service out of Minnesota is quite good.  Must be all those Scandinavians! 

It’s actually primarily UPS. Digi-Key runs its own in-house UPS pre-sorting facility. As best I can tell, they pretty much deliver ready-to-load air freight containers to UPS. It’s so damned efficient, if I order here in Switzerland on a Wednesday evening, it will reliably arrive by Friday midday!

[SilverSolder]

I often use plain snail mail from Digikey (to various places in NE USA) as it seems to arrive in 1-2 days normally (pre-Covid).

Maybe things are different now.

I placed an order for some very ordinary parts with Digikey on Wednesday that still hasn't made it out of the "Submitted" state on their site. 

Meanwhile, Osh Park is cooking on gas - they delivered my PCB order after 10 days, all inclusive.  For small projects at least, they seem competitive with JLCPCB.  Sadly, no parts to solder onto them! 

[NorthGuy]

I often use plain snail mail from Digikey (to various places in NE USA) as it seems to arrive in 1-2 days normally (pre-Covid).

DigiKey doesn't even offer snail mail to Canada - free FedEx on all orders over $100. Takes only two days even to my remote location.

[drussell]

I often get FedEx shipments from DigiKey originating from Winnipeg, MB.

Perhaps bulk routed through there, but definitely not (physically) originating there.

Indeed.

It clears customs in Winnipeg but everything from Digikey actually originates from their warehouse(s) in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Many things that clear using bulk, third-party customs clearing systems will show as originating from somewhere here in Canada, because that's where the Canadian side of the courier picks it up from, after the packages have been sent into the country in a larger load and customs cleared.

I ordered some headers and a Super Coil from Summit Racing last week (came from an Ohio warehouse) which didn't show up in FedEx's tracking until it was picked up as "originating" in Woodbridge, Ontario.  This is very common with larger volume sellers that have their own customs-clearing arrangements.

(As an aside, FedEx did a nice job once in Canada, they weren't supposed to show up until yesterday but they showed up on Saturday, the driver said they've got a backlog so were offering extra Saturday shifts to do bonus deliveries...    Worked out great, was able to drop them off at the local ceramic coating shop yesterday.)

[Bud]

Indeed.

It clears customs in Winnipeg but everything from Digikey actually originates from their warehouse(s) in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

How was it possible though a few years back, when Digikey shipped with Purolator in Canada, that I placed orders at 7:30 pm and got it delivered next morning at 9am?  And that INCLUDED the Purolator truck driving around the neighbourhood before coming to my house. I recall Purolator trucks left the receiving facility at 7 AM.  Less then 12 hours from submitting the order till the truck leaving for delivery ? Shipped from Texas?

[drussell]

How was it possible though a few years back, when Digikey shipped with Purolator in Canada, that I placed orders at 7:30 pm and got it delivered next morning at 9am?  And that INCLUDED the Purolator truck driving around the neighbourhood before coming to my house. I recall Purolator trucks left the receiving facility at 7 AM.  Less then 12 hours from submitting the order till the truck leaving for delivery ? Shipped from Texas?

I always still get things the next morning...  I've even ordered past cutoff at about 9pm here and it's come the next morning, both when they used Purolator and now with FedEx.  It's not coming from Texas...  It comes via air from Thief River Falls, Minnesota to Winnipeg where it clears customs, then on via air again from Winnipeg to Calgary, then gets sorted and loaded on a truck at the FedEx depot here and shows up at my home or office a few hours later whenever the truck comes by the area.

I've had Digikey orders show up in less than 12 hours from when I placed the order.

[jmw]

I placed an order for some very ordinary parts with Digikey on Wednesday that still hasn't made it out of the "Submitted" state on their site. 

Same - order from Thursday still in submitted. One edge for Digikey is their economy shipping is regular USPS, which is a dependable 2-3 days to the west coast for regular mail. Mouser uses UPS mail innovations which is highly variable and several days slower on average.

[phil from seattle]

I placed an order for some very ordinary parts with Digikey on Wednesday that still hasn't made it out of the "Submitted" state on their site. 

Same - order from Thursday still in submitted. One edge for Digikey is their economy shipping is regular USPS, which is a dependable 2-3 days to the west coast for regular mail. Mouser uses UPS mail innovations which is highly variable and several days slower on average.

Mouser used to have $3.99 1st class shipping for under 1 lb.  That was great - cheap and fast.  But no more.  Sigh.

[da075]

same here. placed an order last week and still showing as "submitted", sent and email to inquire about the delay but it went unanswered.