I've been looking for thermistors and decided that I'd like to test some from RS. I found some in on the UK page and selected a few for observation. I decided to buy some and went to the German branch, when I saw the price they were charging I almost fell of my seat.

The RS order no. is 769-1892, they cost £2.172 each but can only be ordered in packs of 5, in other words £10,86 per pack. The German price per pack is £56.90.

I called them and asked if this was a mistake, to which they replied "NO", but as luck would have it as a private customer I'm not allowed to buy from them.

First I thought I could order those in polish RS (I can do this as a company) but our price is also ridiculous - 68.35 PLN (+VAT) ~= £13.5 per piece and you have to order a pack of 5

Hi rusala,

at least you can buy from the UK, but not from their web page. IIRC you have to send your order to [email protected], plus payment is with a card.

Hi Karl if you want I could buy them and them post them of to you
Chas

That was my intention as well but since it's easier in UK there's no point

Hi Chas,

many thanks for the offer, I was about to contact you concerning other subjects. Just I don't want to be a pain in the neck after all the other items you've obtained for me.

Hi rusala,

it's very kind of you trying to help, if you need any help my door is always open. Which reminds me, I'd better close it as dammit it's cold out there.

Not really anything to do with C5s, but also a case of 'can you believe it'.

I took out a contract with 1&1, a German IN provider, one of the things in their ad was at home you can use a mobile as a fixed line phone (part of the flat rate), plus flat rate IN access. I called Chas, from home, with the mobile, then ended up with an astronomical bill. When I called 1&1 concerning the bill they said ah! but your mobile at home only works as a fixed line for national calls, international calls, from home, are charged at mobile rates. It's all VoIP. There was non of this in their ad. Using a mobile prepaid cheap provider card it costs 7 cents per minute to the UK.

Mobile national rates, not at home, and international calls on fixed line 9 cents per minute, international calls, irrespective of were I am 97 cents per minute. [woot] [woot] This one call cost me over €47.

I just love RS Components, they never cease to amaze me.

Chas has kindly ordered some parts for me from RS, one of the components isn't available, but they can obtain them with about £20 for postal fees.

Now what is so large and cumbersome to warrant £20 postage, 5 DIP-8 sockets [woot] [woot] that could be posted in an padded envelope.

For £20 I can order 100 units, has been calculated, from ebay.de including postage.

Hi there Karl I was told that it is only available in the USA and there would be a charge of £20.00 ..
I went the the RS unit in Nottingham and was told that I would have to go home and go on line and order the items from there ..even though I was in the shop and I could not get what I wanted ....
Anyway they are now order and paid for except for the £20.00 postage item ...
Bye Chas

As I said they never cease to amaze me. RS UK can't supply DIP-8 sockets directly from stock, one of the most commonly used sockets. Well I think I've now heard everything, and one wonders why the UK is going downhill.

No it's gone down hill lol

Guys
That is because C5s go down hill better than up hill. LOL

Hi 51,

it's all to do with my age, eyes gowing downhill four yers.

Just one example: http://www.tme.eu/en/details/icvt-8p/standard-dip-sockets/icvt-8p/icvt-8p - for £20 you can get around 2000 units ;-) They have over 110k on stock so no worries

I see Karl in that case you are excused lol

Well another believe it or not.

GLS (delivery service) sent me an email early on Friday morning stating a packet would be delivered between 11am and 1pm and if I was not able to accept delivery please supply an alternative address. As I would be out at 12 I gave them the address from a neighbour. Later I went to pick up the package only to find out nothing had been delivered. I then tried to contact GLS to change the address back to mine, but no go. The parcel was delivered on Tuesday.

Dan sent me a package which turned up today via GLS, even though Dan gave the correct address it was delivered to this neighbour. The neighbour said the guy who made the delivery couldn't even speak German, he kept saying "Herr Karl, Herr Karl" She told him she didn't know any Herr Karl (she always addresses me as Mr. Green)then it slowly dawned on her that my first name is Karl.

One item I bought was returned not once but twice, with the remark "unknown at this address". The third delivery almost ended in disaster, they stuck a card in the letter box in house number 20, I live in 26, stating that the package was to be collected at the post office. Thank goodness this person knew who I was and informed me. When I tried to complain I was sent from pillar to post (no pun), nobody was responsible.

GLS and Hermes.
Funny how many problems a logistics Company can have with logistics...

As far as I'm concerned DHL is by far the worst, 15 complaints in six months. The driver (an italian) never arrived, he just sent a card through the post informing me that I should collect my parcel from the post. When I asked for delivery the parcel was returned to sender.

From what I've heard, the drivers used to be payed €2 an hour, the rest was subsidised to the minimum level by the Sozialamt (Social Service). With this kind of wage most of the drivers are not local, but appear to be asylum-seekers who have a resident permit. Whoever the are, they don't give a damn, like throwing and kicking parcels out of the van, as captured on video, and shown on TV.

I haven't heard what's happened since the minimum wage has been introduced, but the delivery costs are going to rise.

One time when I was living in China I've seen a delivery man next to my apartment who has used one bigger parcel as a step and jumped (on both feet) on it right out of the van's side door and then to the ground. I've experienced more "funny" situations there concerning delivery, post office and so on, so believe me, it can be worse

From what I've seen, you could be right, but you would have to try hard.