Farnell/Element14 losing even more plot

[Bored@Work]

Why are they doing this? I mean if they get 100 hobbiist on board, that still wont cover even a very small production run by a business.

You know what the real irony is? In some countries they refuse to sell to hobbyists at all.

So in the corporate HQ they have some cocaine snorting^* social media specialists, trying to attract "engineers and hobbyists alike". And around the world they have country managers deciding they don't want no stinking hobbyists, just big serious business.

You could come to the conclusion that the CEO has lost the plot and doesn't know and doesn't care what is really going on in the company.

* Strictly for medical reasons, of course.

[Zad]

People wonder why I still prefer paper catalogues! It is almost like there are 2 totally separate companies, one (the real one) which sells components to professional engineers, and another (the stock exchange listed company) which consists of management with shiny new MBAs and a huge marketing department, who generate media to be consumed by other managers and marketing departments.

Several years down the line, and their main web site still can't remember the settings for "In Stock", "Contains lead so you can't sell it anyway" and "Don't search the inventory of a company half way around the globe with a massive price premium". Or even set a minimum and maximum price for searches, to filter out 90% of irrelevant results.

Whenever they hold surveys for the Element14 site, they always get flooded with elderly amateurs who think this Internet thing is awfully new and amazing, and web pages should have as much on them as possible. Meanwhile people like me , who have to use them for unimportant things like work and getting stuff done on time, seem to get ignored.

Unfortunately for me, Farnell HQ is just 10 miles down the road and it is REALLY handy having an electronics "shop" that size just around the corner. It isn't that I dislike the company, far from it. It is just that they could be doing so, so much better with a smaller budget.

[tszaboo]

Oh, before I forget:
5. Stop sending me e-mail in French. I had this like 5 times now. I write an e-mail in English, I get an answer in french, I reply in english, reply comes in french... Seriously? What do you expect, I've learned the language between the two e-mails or something? Not to mention i live in the dutch speaking region.

[Stonent]

Try creating a new thread to tell us what you're doing with electronics and what you'd like to achieve.
Lots of people here more than willing to help newcomers.

Hmm, I think I'll try that some time.

Thank you GeoffS!

When I was your age, I had people telling me the same thing. 

[AndyC_772]

They're trying to get people talking about their community site, which is fair enough and I can't really blame them for that. But I think they've missed an important point:

Professional engineers work on projects which are confidential. We can't talk about them in public.

If a customer hires me to design a board, as helpful as it might be to post questions about it on an internet forum, doing so is an absolute no-no. Even if it were possible to leave out essential technical details - which, of course, are always needed to get a useful answer to a question - imagine how you'd feel if you'd hired an "expert" to solve a problem and then found that "expert" asking about it on the internet.

It's not good business.

This, of course, is why we have manufacturer support, field apps engineers, and non-disclosure agreements. The industry is pretty good at solving problems, and when we need help, professional engineers can go straight to the people who really should have access to definitively accurate information.

Forums are great for sharing general techniques, and for talking about non-commercial and open projects - but most of Farnell's customers are businesses, and we can't just talk about whatever stuff we're working on.

That, IMHO, is why e14's community area won't ever take off.

[bookaboo]

If Farnell/Element14 want to encourage trade from the hobbyist community the answer is simple. Forget all your in house efforts and sponsor a few independent blogs. Keeping in mind that by "sponsor" I don't mean trying to influence content, just supporting websites, podcasts and blogs.

[EEVblog]

They're trying to get people talking about their community site, which is fair enough and I can't really blame them for that. But I think they've missed an important point:
Professional engineers work on projects which are confidential. We can't talk about them in public.
*snip*
That, IMHO, is why e14's community area won't ever take off.

No, it's because their community site is just crap. It is awful to use, it is a complete mess. That is why no one wants to use it regardless of how many millions (yes, it's millions) they throw at it and promote it.

Look at this forum for example. Almost 20,000 posts a month, and almost 5 million views/month. All with zero budget. Stats that Element14 would have wet dreams about. As far as I can see, after years of promotion and many millions of dollars invested, they get what, maybe 50 posts a day?
Why the difference? Because Element 14 sucks to use, and hardly anyone comes back. This forum on the other hand is a familiar bbs style forum that people want to use, so they keep coming back. This is blindingly obvious to everyone but Element 14 it seems.

[jpb]

This forum on the other hand is a familiar bbs style forum that people want to use, so they keep coming back. This is blindingly obvious to everyone but Element 14 it seems.

This is very true. I've been on the Element 14 site quite a bit recently since discovering they give away some very expensive kit on their road tests (I'm ever optimistic !).

Almost all my postings there have been in response to road tests (basically suggestions for further tests) and though the road testers are very good at responding there is no general interchange as there is on this forum.

As you say, the site is confusing - there isn't any central forum that I could see, instead it is a collection of individual postings (blogs, road tests and so on) which I guess people only read if they find them as the result of googling a particular topic.

Posting this has probably scuppered my chances in the latest road test - rats!

[johnboxall]

If Farnell/Element14 want to encourage trade from the hobbyist community the answer is simple. Forget all your in house efforts and sponsor a few independent blogs. Keeping in mind that by "sponsor" I don't mean trying to influence content, just supporting websites, podcasts and blogs.

They have been known to throw free parts to various bloggers, usually not enough to do anything interesting. I think the last offer was UKP25 worth (from memory).

[VK3DRB]

All I want is good service and no .

Some of Element 14's prices are outrageous but I am prepared to pay a premium if it is urgent. So why should I pay a premium if most most parts are 5-7 days lead time? How about stocking some parts here in Australia?

Also, I don't want salesmen from Element 14 or anyone else dropping around when I am busy - sometimes unannounced. I don't have time to talk crap with sales people. I am too busy. Permanently. Let me call you. DON'T CALL ME.

[MrsR]

This forum on the other hand is a familiar bbs style forum that people want to use, so they keep coming back. This is blindingly obvious to everyone but Element 14 it seems.

This is very true. I've been on the Element 14 site quite a bit recently since discovering they give away some very expensive kit on their road tests (I'm ever optimistic !).

Almost all my postings there have been in response to road tests (basically suggestions for further tests) and though the road testers are very good at responding there is no general interchange as there is on this forum.

As you say, the site is confusing - there isn't any central forum that I could see, instead it is a collection of individual postings (blogs, road tests and so on) which I guess people only read if they find them as the result of googling a particular topic.

Posting this has probably scuppered my chances in the latest road test - rats!

Their site is a joke. The KNODE lol. I didn't like Eagle anyway. DESIGNSPARK Ver.5 is good we updated our system with Ver.6 (big mistake) and we are back to Eagle again in drop outs lost components and Gerber Files that have nothing to do with the PCB design.
 
We have an account with ELEMENT14, On placing a large order I requested that they hold the order till all parts were in stock and send in one go.
NO they sent 24 separate packages with an average cost of $7.80 each. In a couple the component value was less than $3.

Now on small orders under $45.00 Their no transport/Postage NO charge limit I buy from RS COMPONENTS so that's a minimum order of 1 a week and I don't have an account with RS. Also on average RS is cheaper than ELEMENT14 and after an angry email to RS about their Tech. Assistance RS is now way ahead in the help they give. As mentioned in another post Tech help is vital. What or how much information that can be released even to private  technical Engineers to find the needed component  can be very restricted from a business pushing the customer to a FORUM isn't viable. TI does this.

ELEMENT14 would be better off bringing back the no freight charge They must be losing a lot and not just money with the minimum $45 Order. I just bought some 1mm soldering Tips 5 in a packet minimum order 10 Pkts. (That's how you pee off a customer) Spending money on their Web site. Their Parametric search is good but needs improving and their CONNECT magazine needs Component Articles. This would be better than the joke videos. As you might guess I have talked to them a few times and that's what it feels like.

[Dave]

I absolutely hate Farnell's ridiculous prices for low quantities. If you are buying anything other than jellybean parts in low quantities, expect a high price.
Example:
ADS7946 (14-bit, 2MSps, dual channel SAR ADC)
Texas Instruments' suggested resale price: 4.40 USD @ 1000 units
Price on Farnell: 12.02 EUR for 1 piece

Bear in mind that the currency of the latter is euro, which at current exchange rates translates to roughly 16.50 USD.
And of course, you also need to take tax into account. Add 22% and you are now at more than 20 USD.

So, 20 USD from Farnell vs 4.40 USD that the manufacturer recommends. Reasonable pricing?

[con-f-use]

F/E14 really lost it in the last couple of years

 - They used to give me a nice student discount: CANCELLED
 - They used to be the cheapest: MORE EXPENSIVE THAN CONRAD NOW
 - Their payment system used to work: DIDN'T ACCEPT MY CREDIT CARD (two times in a row now, thing worked the 4 years before and still does any place else)
 - Their customer service used to be good: Had to send TWO MAILS AND TWO CALLS to find out why my order isn't shipping (again!)

The sad thing here is: they might even think, their strategy works, because of this thread their flashy video gets more views.

[dannyf]

Reasonable pricing?

Nothing wrong with that. As long as the market can bear, more power to them. Fortunately, that's just how capitalism works.

[mikeselectricstuff]

Example:
ADS7946 (14-bit, 2MSps, dual channel SAR ADC)
Texas Instruments' suggested resale price: 4.40 USD @ 1000 units
Price on Farnell: 12.02 EUR for 1 piece

This is sometimes dictated by the manufacturer. I wouldn't say that's too unusual a markup between 1x and 1k

[all_repair]

E14 has been working hard here.  But the problem is when they run their promo with free vouchers or gifts, these vouchers or gift never arrive, even after repeated chasings.   They still owe me some movie tickets and some mall vouchers.

 For some orders, their latest change here has made them slower 1 day or 2 than ordering from across the Pacific.  Their pricing is seldom better than Mouser and Digikey, but for the delivery speed I kept some of my orders for them.  It used to be ordered before noon, delivered on the same day.  Now, is ordered before 5pm, next working day delivery.  Normally, my ordering is after 5pm or at night, which means I got my parts 2 days later.   If the ordering is on Thursday or Friday after 5pm, my order from USA Mouser or Digikey shall arrive on Monday morning. But for local E14, Thursday order shall come on Mon afternoon, Friday shall come on Tues. 

 Lately, they got quite a good deliveryman for my area.

[vk6zgo]

I remember when "Farnell" were a normal Electronics supply house that you could buy useful stuff from to do your job.

We didn't need "no steenkin' videos"----you just looked in the (real) catalogue,wrote out your order,rang the bloke up,& got your parts--usually two days later,sometimes the next day.

Same with RS Components---in fact,many jobs required bits from both,plus stock from our own parts store.

Techs & EEs usually have real jobs to do,& don't have time for stupid PR twaddle.
Why the hell would I want to know all these names of manufacturers off by heart,if I'm going to buy the part from E14,anyway?

I would have Googled for that information if I needed it----after all,that is what the Internet is supposed to be for,isnt it?

Of course,it may appeal to some people,as they enjoy the continuing party that is Management in many firms these days.
Productivity?-----that's for the Serfs on the shop floor!

[Thilo78]

If Farnell/Element14 want to encourage trade from the hobbyist community the answer is simple. Forget all your in house efforts and sponsor a few independent blogs. ...

After seeing whole lots of advertising for the "great Elements14" shop for the average hobbyist, I gave Farnell/Element14 a go these days, because I wanted some components that Conrad wouldn't supply.

What made me cancel everything was the info just at the end of my shopping spree:
F/E14 Germany will only sell B2B or to "immatriculated students". No hobbyists wanted there!

If you look at their T&Cs, there's no word about that. It's only the little checkbox, that makes you state that you are either a commercial customer with a registered company or an official student able to present your university's documents.

As for me, that's it for Farnell.

Interestingly, though, I found two or three retailers in Germany, that effectively copy the Farnell product range with a very small markup and sell to each and everyone who wants it.
One of them is HBE (https://hbe-shop.de/) in Berlin, who have a quite decent webshop and, once you figured out the product tree, will basically give you everything you need.

[bookaboo]

I 100% agree with the dislike of the marketing bs they are at but does anyone else think the search by attribute function on the farnell site isn't that bad at all?

The website certainly has a few bugs, has anyone else ever experienced "ghost" items appearing at checkout? For example you add something to your cart, then either remove it or log out. Then on your next session you start with a blank cart, add the items and go through checkout and the items from the previous session magically reappear!!!

Twice I've had stuff arrive that I would have sworn blind I didn't order but its right there in the order history.

[IanJ]

I don't much buy from Farnell and it's little to do with cost..............it's the UI.
Even RS Components site is better.

Ian.

[David_AVD]

I don't much buy from Farnell and it's little to do with cost..............it's the UI.
Even RS Components site is better.

Really?     I find the search and drill down by parameter on the E14 site to be streets ahead of the RS site - not as good as Digikey or Mouser, but very usable.

RS gives us free freight for all orders while E14 is free for orders over $45, so I use RS sometimes just for that reason.

[Fred27]

I've never had a problem with Farnell UK. The free shipping on orders over £20 means they often end up cheaper for me.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I don't much buy from Farnell and it's little to do with cost..............it's the UI.
Even RS Components site is better.

Ian.

Huh? RS has always been terrible, at least for parametric search, certainly worse than Farnell. Maybe there are areas where they are better but can't say I've ever noticed it.

[David_AVD]

At least with E14, you can guess what category you need to drill down into for most items.  The RS version has me thinking "WTF?" way too often.

[digsys]

Agreed. The RS search engine drives me NUTS ! As well as the extra effort you have to go through for pricing.
If anyone thinks either of these 2 is difficult, you've NEVER tried the X-ON search engine. It used to be reasonably cr@ppy,
but in the last 1-2 yrs it's a shlt-mess !! Unfortunately, they often have some damn good prices on stuff (stock lots) so it's
worth the pain. Otherwise, I just use Mousers search and give them their part #