those ME4003s on ebay

[adapt]

i want those. but the shipping to the states is SO damned expensive. do you think there is a way to skirt this? it's something like $28, far far more than the actual parts. that's insane.

[rocket88]

i know the feeling. i just found some on ebay $13 for 100 ME4003's, and $25 shipping, so its like $0.38 each, so it's not too bad. i broke down and bought 2 of them cause it seems like when you find them in the US people want a fortune for 1 ME4003. i figure 200 should hold me over for a bit, though it did cost me $55. shipping was more then the parts themselves.

[tjdracz]

You talking about the ones in eBay.co.uk? 100 for 7 quid?

[rocket88]

Well for me it's just eBay, but yea I think so. Don't tell me they're bad or something.

[tjdracz]

oh, no, looking fine. Postage to US is indee appaling. If anyone wants, I could order them and resend to US or otherwise. Looking at royal mail prices it would be no more than 4 pounds

[rocket88]

Oh yea? 4quid for shipping Royal Mail? It cost me 18 quid Royal Mail. I might say something to him cause I already bought them and he shipped them. I have to remember my fellow compadres from across the pond for things like these.

[tjdracz]

For standard airmail, yeah. I'm always keen to help fellow diy-ers :)
There are some sellers on eBay that charge extortionate amounts for postage. Yeah, eBay charges fees for total price, including postage but even then it's more money in their pocket.
Had thing like that couple of weeks ago. Seller was selling some germaniums for 14 usd a pair but he also had couple of bid auctions going and I've managed to get three pairs for about 2.50usd each. Don't Think he liked that as i was charged for postage three times even though everything fitted easily in one envelope. Charges then amounted to nearly 15usd. I've paid but had some reservations about this kind of stuff and found out that eBay treats that as against their rules. When.I've complained to the seller, he refunded my money without consulting with me, sent me couple of angry rants, "banned" me from his auctions and demanded the package back.
It arrived some time later and I've posted it back, end of story. But I checked the stamp and I found out that postage costed him... 1.85CAD. So easily 13usd more in his pocket. Unless that's what is the value of his time, putting stuff in the envelope and going to post office ;)

[rocket88]

i totally had a similar thing happen with someone here sending it one state away. he wouldn't let me go and pick it up, charge me double what it cost him. let me know if you find anything in the US, i'll get them and send it to you and have you reimburse me. i got your back  

[tjdracz]

Cheers! That's why I love diy community, lots of great people who just want to help each other :)

[rocket88]

completely agree. if we don't help each other, who will?

[IvIark]

The ME4003 is my favourite transistors for Fuzz Face / Meathead type circuits.  The best Meathead I ever built used them and even though much of that will be down to the luck of getting the tolerances just right between passive components, it still leaves me with a great feeling towards them.  When I bought them they were only £2 per 100 so after I got the first lot and saw how much I liked them I bought another 400.  Wish I'd got a couple of thousand now.

[adapt]

i'm definitely gonna be taking you up on this in a couple days...

[dbat69]

It annoys me too when I see components I want for sale on ebay from the US and then see the shipping cost.  There are some sellers who charge $5 and some $20+ for the same quantities, unfortunately its usually the sellers with the higher charges who are selling the components I want.  I wonder whether its just because these sellers don't want the hassle of international sales but if they have to will make it more worth their while.  I don't mind reasonable costs but don't like getting ripped off by sellers.
I noticed that the ME4003s have gone up a £1 this time as well

[rocket88]

I feel like it's just how things are wit international shipping and eBay in general now. I mean I just paid 4x what the actual shipping costs should have been from the UK to the US. It might be that some sellers want extra just cause it's going oversees. Pic ordered 1.625kg (3.5lbs) or Russian ge transistors and I paid about the same for shipping as I am for these 200 ME4003's. There is no way they are going be weight as much all my ge transistors. Crazy no?

[IvIark]

Yes some people just rip you off.  It's the same the other way around as well, I order from dpi4parts on eBay frequently and Dan is very fair with his postage charges.  But I used to buy all the time from bigsmythe74, I bought a lot of carbon comps and the majority of my Dale resistors from them so I've bought maybe 15,000 - 20,000 resistors from them over the past couple of years, but all of a sudden they're trying to charge $7 to post a $2 pack of resistors.  No thanks, all of a sudden RS, Farnell and even Mouser are looking a lot more competitive.

I think it's just the way some sellers have gone, but I won't be buying anything else from sellers like that.  If postal charges increase fair enough, but when some can still do it reasonably it shows that some sellers are just trying to boost their profits on shipping charges.

[rocket88]

I totally agree with you Mark. I by transistors by the 100's from Dan all the time, and buy all tropical fish and some other mojo parts from bigsmythe74. Their shipping is fair if you're in the US, but I do think it's that they think those who are overseas don't know better. You just like it told tj, I got you if you need anything from over the pond, just let me know. It's the least I could do after everything you have done to help me, and hell I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for finding your site and everyone being so welcoming.

[tjdracz]

I think some sellers are charging more for postage and trying to get away with it, because, as I've mentioned above, eBay started charging them for final price + p&p and they're trying to find a way to make up that profit elsewhere.
To be honest, with the stuff on ebay, especially transistors I don't tend to buy them anymore there as the seller's profit margin is obscene. I know, supply and demand and all of that, but I found and got in touch with some suppliers and hope to be able to start offering germanium trannies like AC128 for 1-1.20 GBP each, tested and sorted. I got small profit and the community got good supply of cheap components. Win-win!

[Geiri]

I use these transistors in my Litli Fuzz (Fuzz Face variant) and they sound killer!

[tjdracz]

I'll be buying those sometime next week so if anyone across the pond want to save on the postage, let me know and I'll pick up a pack for you and send it for couple of quid

[IvIark]

Very good of you Tom