Encountering connector and cabling offers at rock-bottom prices can be tempting, especially for parts being phased out of production or that are obsolete or hard to find and where the part’s price is crucial to the cost of your end product (e.g. a board and/or cabling) . But can these “bargains” be trusted?
It is very important to be cautious and not to fall for excessively cheap offers because there is a very good chance that connectors being sold at bargain prices are actually counterfeits.
So, for safety’s sake, you should thoroughly research the supplier concerned to ensure the legitimacy of both the company and its offers.
As an example, you may urgently need a 732-8256-22 DEUTSCH connector from TE Connectivity as opposed to a connector from Hirose or JST. On contacting them, you discover that the product has been discontinued and further investigation reveals that none of your key suppliers will have stock available for at least the next several weeks or months! What do you do?
It is obviously very tempting to – and very understandable that you would – do a quick Internet search for a distributor who may have the connector in stock. However, it is important to be aware of the risks. It has become very easy for anyone to create a professional-looking website – even fraudsters who can make it look as if they have stocks of connectors that do not actually exist in order to make fast money and then disappear.
How can you ascertain which companies on the list of unfamiliar or obscure organizations that is generated by your online research are legitimate, and which ones are not?
One alternative is to find an independent distributor that already has established partnerships with legitimate operators abroad.
Working with a professional and certified independent distributor can help you avoid the long and tedious process of screening potential suppliers, saving you valuable time.
For the past 22 years, Electronic Partner has focused on finding out about, analysing, interviewing and continuously monitoring its partner-suppliers as well as constantly finding new reliable sources of supply.
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