The slow death of Jaycar?

[spsb]

Yes this will be a rant, but i just wanted to know if anyone else feels the same way...

When did Jaycar become “Junkcar”? I’m sure this didn't happen overnight, but perhaps it happened ever so slowly over the years that i just didn't notice. My earlier memories of this tech-store was that of a much different story than the one it tells today, maybe i should be asking How did it become Junkcar??

Over the years i have experienced a decline in the quality of goods offered by this company. Once a place of resource for anyone interested in electronics and electrical equipment, and now a skip bin of low quality crap and novelty trinkets.. Well i guess the trinkets were always there.  It was just recently that i started to feel more and more ripped off by what was delivered.  Today i decided that it will be no more for me, after returning a “discontinued” but “discounted” product for the second time (two different products) i couldn’t but help feel that this wasn’t a coincidence but rather a plan to clear the shelf of their known “not so good” products.. Now here is the point of difference for me is that their “not so good” has become “complete garbage” and the good “okay-ish”.  I don't think i need to go into the details as i am sure there are many with similar experiences to fill in the blanks.

What i want to know was when did this company stop giving a toss about what the customer got as a complete product. Yes i know it was never “fantastic” but that's why you paid less right? It wasn’t all the frills but did perfectly well in the areas that mattered. Now it's mediocre and varying degrees of abysmal in the other areas such as build quality, assembly, documentation and product support and sales knowledge.  I guess this is part of the “tech-store” becoming the “super-tech-warehouse” story where all those cheap manufacture sourced wonders give rise to “mega-tech-warehouse” of the Jaycar of tomorrow.

When i heard of what Jaycar did to Freetronics i thought they couldn't be bastards like that would they? Especially so after coming from small beginnings themselves, but hey the greed for ever increasing profit needs to eat into something right?

So now i leave it at this, i’ll forget Junkcar. I have no desire to support a company that behaves like this. And yes I’d rather buy my electronic "junk" from elsewhere - most likely another Chinese supplier of the same low quality goods as Junkcar. It feels like a lose - lose scenario i know, but i just don't want this company stomping out the little guy and also proliferating the marking with it’s effortless but profitable crap with the expectation that the customer is just going to put up with it and keep coming back. So forget Junkcar and mourn the loss of Jaycar i say.

[hamster_nz]

Having taken the plung to using SMD on cheap but well made PCBs, Jaycar is of minimal use. I now only go there for the occasional 3.5mm line socket.

I do keep a catalogue handy, if only so I can check that the bits I want are not available there!

I can't even get solder thinner than 0.71mm....  Who uses 0.71mm solder with 0603?

(Well I do, but that is because I got it from Jaycar...)

[Yansi]

I think that every country has a couple of these electronics stores, that have become complete junkstores, that sell crap and now also overpriced crap from china, that can anybody order himself.

[wilfred]

Adapt or die. What would you have them do.  Take DSE, putting aside that they died mostly due to private equity shenanigans , over the years they rode the waves of the latest hot consumer products. From calculators, CB radio, Ham radio, computer games, computers, answering machines and so on and finally it came to a screeching halt in the mainstream consumer commodity space with low profit margins.

The internet has changed everything for retailers. Retail is classic survival of the fittest. Customers have changed, they have to change. Hobby electronics has gone the way of sewing your own clothes.

Would you really want to go back? Everything is so cheap now.

I bought an ultrasonic transducer last week but if it wasn't $9 as a long discontinued item  I'd have bought it on ebay.

I haven't forgotten the Freetronics issue either. But I don't think retailing is effortless. I think it is a really hard way to make a buck.

Get an electronics magazine from the mid 80's and see what is gone. Everything but Jaycar and Altronics.
 

[digsys]

Just slight additions to your comments -
I gave up using ANYTHING that I needed to trust MANY years ago - especially -P/Supplies, converters, chargers etc etc
On a few occasions, I submitted electrical safety reports to our electrical authority (paid work), and had the units taken off the shelves .. but in the end, just up.
I think they gave up too :-)
I only buy odds and ends now, that I can afford to fail :-)

[digsys]

...... Everything but Jaycar and Altronics

And ONE Radio Parts store, who STILL have nice stuff !

[EEVblog]

Yes this will be a rant, but i just wanted to know if anyone else feels the same way...

When did Jaycar become “Junkcar”? I’m sure this didn't happen overnight, but perhaps it happened ever so slowly over the years that i just didn't notice. My earlier memories of this tech-store was that of a much different story than the one it tells today, maybe i should be asking How did it become Junkcar??

Welcome to the forum.
This is not new. Maybe 10+ years back Jaycar admitted in their catalog (they have/had an editorial at the front) that mentioned why they had to carry this consumer "junk" like Choke-a-Chicken and the Spank-o-Meter in order to stay in business.
I'm stunned that I can still go two minutes down the road and have access to 10's of thousands of electronics parts at a consumer store.

[TERRA Operative]

I was hoping to see them pick up their game with the whole 'maker movement' in the last few years, but nope, still selling shitty disco lights, fart toys and low quality drones..

There are a few occasional things worth buying, but it would be nice to see them start stocking the more hardcore electronics side of Ali-bay-Extreme than importing novelty farts.

[Brumby]

IF they have to put up all that crap to keep their doors open, then so be it.  Doesn't mean I have to buy any of it - or even look at it.  If other people do, then fine.

What I do appreciate is that I can find somewhere that's within reasonable driving distance to pick up a bit of cable, a couple of connectors or some jellybean components.

[LapTop006]

I'm not sure quality really declined, more it didn't quite keep pace, while at the same time it's now easy for a hobbyist to access top tier bits by way of the online stores of Farnell, Digikey etc.

It's also not just the electronics market hurting them, there's now things like local (online only) data cabling stores (4cabling) that are much better in quality, price and breadth.

But yes, I've certainly dropped down in how often I go to one, used to be roughly monthly, now it's more like once a year when I have something that can't wait for an online delivery.

[GlennSprigg]

The whole 'attitude' of the bygone era, was that we could go to such 'stores' and get what we wanted.
What has KILLED that, (and to be honest, I'm not complaining!), is that now we can go on the likes
of Ebay, and order anything we want from all over the Globe, for next to nothing!  Ok, you don't like
Chinese copies, so you can still find factory originals somewhere, for less than a 1/4 of the price...
It's just a fact of life today...

I mean... nearly all real new Book Stores are out of business these days. Look on-line.
Find any book you want, from where-ever, 1/4 to 1/2 cost, and no delivery charge, to your door

Or bloody CAR Dealerships!! (don't get me started!!) when you want simple parts !!!!!!
We used to go to some 'automotive' parts places, walk straight to an actual 'Counter', and talk to a
REAL person, (one of many!), explain the problem or what you wanted, and after knowingly perusing
the massive rows behind them, would be back with what you wanted, in a minute. And cheap as...

NOW ... They have 'Dealerships' !!! (Wow).  Massive buildings, huge infrastructure like some Las
Vegas fuckin PALACE, where you walk like a nobody 'hobo' through a gauntlet of Armani suited execs
with attache cases, looking you up & down like you are dog shit on their shoes....
You eventually find yourself at a 'Reception' desk, with some fancy girls (no offense) who can't help
you, and an hour later after numerous computer look ups, that it will cost say $350, ( Yep, that was
a real quote from 'Hyundai' for a special HeadLight globe!!, as opposed to $50 for TWO on line).

Years ago, we relied on 'Dick-Smith' electronics for all the basic chips, transistors resistors etc.
Then they changed back to just major hardware like Laptops & Audio systems etc.
We had places like Tandy Electronics that we could get all such components... but not any more.
These days, it is 'Jaycar' Electronics here, which is the best of both/all worlds today.

However, who could possibly survive locally today, with rows/draws of 20c resistors/capacitors etc.
Technology catches up too quickly, for affordable 'stocks' to be an option now.
Don't tell me 'everyone' doesn't at least 'look' at the likes of Ebay etc...

[nctnico]

I can't even get solder thinner than 0.71mm....  Who uses 0.71mm solder with 0603?

Me. And on TQFP and  0402 as well. But you need the good stuff with good flux.

[John B]

The only things worth looking at there now are the enclosures, especially the die cast ones. I haven't found an online supplier that is competitive in that regards - suggestions welcome!

Occasionally you can pick up a good deal. I purchased a low frequency inverter with a big toroidal transformer marked down around $500 from memory. But that also illustrates the crazy mark ups there.

For example they will sell you a single MC34063 chip for $8. It strikes me as being aimed at younger people wanting to try out electronics, therefore they takes the parents along who dump a ton of cash to end up with an LED blinking on a breadboard.

But for a full sized project, it's going to cost a fortune to buy all the components there. If you consider electronics a long term skill and endeavour, you would be better off making some bulk purchases from something like LCSC.

[hamster_nz]

I can't even get solder thinner than 0.71mm....  Who uses 0.71mm solder with 0603?

Me. And on TQFP and  0402 as well. But you need the good stuff with good flux.

Must run my iron too hot... the smallest bit of solder wire i can get to melt is usually 2x too much.

Maybe you should call me Mr Blobby. 

[nctnico]

Too hot isn't good. I usually set the iron to 330 deg. C. This works well for leaded and lead free. But the quality of the tips can make night & day difference. Recently I had to use a JBC iron but I started to miss the excellent tips on my Ersa iron quickly.

[wilfred]

I just broke my ereader screen. Now I am looking on Aliexpress for a replacement screen from China for US$18 DELIVERED. FFS that's amazing.

The world is so different now.

[austfox]

I grew up in Sydney during the 80’s and have fond memories of treking into York St (opposite the QVB) in the city every couple of months. Dick Smith, Jaycar, and Rod Irving were all adjacent to each other. There was also a place in Refern that sold surplus components for cheap.

I see Jaycar now as a place for the average ‘Joe’ who wants to fix something on his caravan, wire for audio in his car, a fuse for his microwave etc.

I find Altronics as my go-to store when I need something at short notice, otherwise Mouser for anything I can wait a few weeks for. Altronics seem to be as close to the electronics stores of yesteryear, but unfortunately they only have one store in Sydney.

[station240]

I was hoping to see them pick up their game with the whole 'maker movement' in the last few years, but nope, still selling shitty disco lights, fart toys and low quality drones..

There are a few occasional things worth buying, but it would be nice to see them start stocking the more hardcore electronics side of Ali-bay-Extreme than importing novelty farts.

If anything I think the 'maker movement' made the problem worse.
People expect their electronics bits and bobs to be dirt cheap, and there is an unlimited supply of mailbag videos featuring quantity over quality (100 pieces of cheap tat for $3).
Then they pissed off their supplier of Arduino stuff (freetronics), and things went to hell.

Problem is Jaycar just don't target their customers needs very well.
If I need to replace some crappy capacitors that have done bad, I'll buy ones that will last, not whatever crap brand Jaycar are selling as their *only* part of that values/ESR/temp.
Hence 10 minutes on RS's website to find a part with 1 day delivery, rather than a trip to Jaycar.
It''s not their high markup, it's their high markup on crap parts, that is the problem.

[Brumby]

Problem is Jaycar just don't target their customers needs very well.

Not correct.  Jaycar has changed their target customer demographic in order to stay viable.  It's "evolve or die".

This has resulted in your electronics hobbyist of yesteryear not having their needs looked after very well.

[hamster_nz]

Problem is Jaycar just don't target their customers needs very well.

Not correct.  Jaycar has changed their target customer demographic in order to stay viable.  It's "evolve or die".

This has resulted in your electronics hobbyist of yesteryear not having their needs looked after very well.

Brumby has a good point

It's hard to make a living selling jellybean parts (even with 100% markup) in quantities of one or two...

I wonder what the average shelf time of a Jaycar part is - suspect it is months if not years for the components.

[julianhigginson]

I'm in a few minds about Jaycar.

Most of what they sell is just landfill in waiting. I wouldn't want most of the products in their store if they were free.... but I guess people buy it, or they wouldn't offer it. It's just not for me...  fair enough.

I'm really unimpressed with their freetronics shenanigans. Like, still pissed off with their behaviour over that.

But they do stock useful parts that I can get by zipping up the road rather than placing an order and waiting the 1-7 days it takes to receive (not always exactly what I need, but often they have things that will do the job more or less) so I do use them when I have something I want to prototype quickly.

At the end of the day, if Element14 had solid local stock I'd shop a lot less at Jaycar... waiting a day for some parts isn't the end of the world. But E14 has been getting worse lately so Jaycar shopping goes up, otherwise I have to wait 3-5 business days for Digikey or Mouser and that really hurts when I'm trying to so something fast. 

[hamster_nz]

Just sayin'....

[Brumby]

Yeah - but you can walk out of the store knowing exactly what you spent your money on .... and if you have a faulty one, it's a lot easier and quicker to deal with.

[tautech]

I'd use Jaycar a lot more if there was one closer in west Auckland, currently as the crow flies New Lynn is closest but way off the beaten track whereas I'm more likely to pass the one in Manukau rather than North Shore or the original JC branch in Newmarket.

They do have a lot more crap these days but their core componentry stock is still much the same as it's always been.
If we don't give them some of our business we'll loose them. 

Tricky Dicky Smith opened a branch not far away in Westgate and I rubbed my mitts together in delight but alas it wasn't long before componentry was just in one corner on a single carousel  and jack shit selection too ! 

[Brumby]

It was some years ago when I felt the greatest dismay in electronics experiences...  I rocked up to the Dick Smith Powerhouse at North Parramatta in my need to procure solder - only to be completely disappointed.

I looked around and found myself unable to distinguish it from a Big-W store.

Woolworths had taken over Dick Smith well and truly at that time ... and it looked like it.