Logic chip supplier, Ebay any good?

Thread Starter

AnasMalas

Joined Nov 27, 2015
66
Hello! Ive recently posted a thread about making a random looking fade in/fade out group of LEDs. and many kind individuals posted good solutions. see it here: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/t...n-fade-out-circuit-no-mcu-programming.122633/
I have reached a dead end though: Where to buy the chips from?

As this is a project that i want to last FOR A LIFETIME (it will be given off as a gift to my dearest friends when we part ways) i want a good source of chips, i want to know if EBAY is good? or if you know anywhere that will ship to the United Arab Emirates for anything less than a fix rate of 75$ (which is the rate of DIGIKEY to UAE even if you buy a single chip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Thanks!
 

Roderick Young

Joined Feb 22, 2015
408
If you want to build something that will last for a lifetime, it is not the time to think about saving money. I've had perhaps an 80% success rate buying components from eBay, but I always have low expectations, and would never use eBay components for something that had to be reliable.
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
i want to know if EBAY is good? or if you know anywhere that will ship to the United Arab Emirates for anything less than a fix rate of 75$ (which is the rate of DIGIKEY to UAE even if you buy a single chip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
I would be very cautious of any eBay Seller who sells low priced components unless it was an odd lot here and there. If it's what they do most, I'd steer clear as they're likely dealing in counterfeit parts. They could be legit and unknowing victims themselves. Feedback scores of 99% are meaningless. I've read of people who took the time to develop a "good" reputation and then start behaving badly.

What parts are you looking for? Do you have any acquaintances in other countries who would be willing to be your middle-person?
 

dannyf

Joined Sep 13, 2015
2,197
Buying off eBay is like buying off a flea market: sometimes you get great deals and sometimes you get scammed.

When I do buy off eBay, I buy under the notion that what I get is knock-off.
 

takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
Ive written a reply in the other thread.

I bought a lot of parts from ebay and I still do, though, I can now buy from Kong Kong directly, and I use european distributors too.

Most chinese sellers do sell acceptable merchandize.
One key is to try understand the character of a seller.
Means to look at all what they sell.

After some years you know there are some different kinds of sellers.
Many chinese dont actualy know the parts well or not at all = low price.
But I found they buy from local distributors which are professional.

things such a logic ICs arent normally bogus.
It may occur for spoof parts such as luxury audio and vintage parts.
Ive heard of fake vintage capacitors with a small modern capacitor inside.
And expensive replacement transistors with too small dies.

Anyway these stereos are designed to blow some day.
With the faulty replacement, theyll just blow sooner.If you buy on ebay really try to understand the character of your seller.
Are they planning to stay afloat for some time, or to make a rush of cash?
Are their prices fair or inflated?
Are the descriptions speaking of any actual knowledge or care?

Alert here = description flooded with unneeded details.

Contact the seller first in case of doubt.

ebay rather is a place for bad buyers to go. A question of statistics and demographics, there are some constantly.

Yes one thing, the high priced items of course have a risk on them, they might be used or factory rejects, or things like fake Apple wall adapters do exist as Apple crams in a lot of features, the knockoffs just contain essential parts.

Sure cheap USB yokes will fail soon and so will cheap memory card readers.

But these are consumer goods.

ICs are industrials, meant to be B2B. There is a consumer market which is just tolerated by the manufacturers. But ICs arent manufactured for consumer sales in form of parts.
They are meant to be sold to business via distributors.
Most manufacturers just tolerate the alternative marketing, they make more sales.
Branded goods lawyers would wreck havoc quickly aka prevent further sales.

While the chinese do have brands of course they dont go after alternative trading and often the brand isnt visible.
 

takao21203

Joined Apr 28, 2012
3,702
If you want to build something that will last for a lifetime, it is not the time to think about saving money. I've had perhaps an 80% success rate buying components from eBay, but I always have low expectations, and would never use eBay components for something that had to be reliable.
Believe it or not there are people like me who buy parts from distributors and then put them on ebay.
Including branded parts.
Sure electric parts can fail for many reasons, and even the best professional parts over time will start to fail.

Its a circuit design which is bad and not fault tolerant, rather.

And yes some cheap consumer goods dont use X2 capacitors little or no filtering.
If theres a surge failure is very likely. The part just isnt able to withstand 4000v, while under normal conditions it will work fine.

Could you write some examples of faulty merchandize and describe the sellers, maybe without their ID just what kind of business model?

Ive had only good experiences over the years. Yet, of course, if theres is an item or description i dont like or attempt to rip off, of course I skip this seller.
 
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