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Do Not Buy 5 IR Sensors for $2.69 — Parallax Forums

Do Not Buy 5 IR Sensors for $2.69

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
in Accessories
Made you look.

You have been warned.

A 5-pack of individual reflective sensors for $2.69: http://www.ebay.com/itm/351806412075 Each has a comparator and an adjustment pot. Not bad for 54 cents each, could probably be used to make a line follower.

Comments

  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    Oh, that "free shipping" offer - it's something we'll all pay for until it's fixed!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/09/12/the-postal-service-is-losing-millions-a-year-to-help-you-buy-cheap-stuff-from-china/

    The e-Packet rate combined with Chinese subsidized shipping shall soon fill out landfills with more e-waste. Talk about bad trade deals. . .

    Ken Gracey
  • VonSzarvasVonSzarvas Posts: 3,450
    Similar situation across Europe. As I understand, our country accepts international mail and delivers it "as a courtesy". The opposite also applies; when we ship mail out internationally the recipient country delivers at their "courtesy".

    Whilst I can imagine how a massive influx of ebay-type parcels might shift the fulcrum of fairness, I do wonder what the numbers really add up to.

    I'd suspect the admin on charging by size & weight would cost more than just doing the courtesy delivery. But if we imagine a simple scheme whereby you put a $1 on every item of mail (regardless of size/weight) that's sent and received, and either pay that to, or bill that to, the sending countries mail service. Would the accounts balance at the end of the year, or would the USA be significantly better of than China?

    May not be such a bad trade deal after all. Or... it might be a stinker!

  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2016-10-13 09:05
    The ebay sellers also often use 'sign-for' even for free shipping, which creates a lot of extra work for the post office (local and central). Here in Norway I would have to pay the equivalent of nearly $20 if I were to send a signed-for domestic letter. That's supposed to just cover the costs. It's rarely used. Except by ebay sellers.. utterly pointless of course, for items costing $2.

    Disclaimer: I did order those cheap sensors.. except that I found an even cheaper seller! :)
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    Ken Gracey wrote: »
    Oh, that "free shipping" offer - it's something we'll all pay for until it's fixed!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/09/12/the-postal-service-is-losing-millions-a-year-to-help-you-buy-cheap-stuff-from-china/

    The e-Packet rate combined with Chinese subsidized shipping shall soon fill out landfills with more e-waste. Talk about bad trade deals. . .

    Ken Gracey

    +1 Also helping drive local manufacturers out of business.
  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    I'd be perfectly happy with USPS 1st Class shipping on all small orders. I don't expect 'free' shipping. But it galls me to spend $10 on UPS or FedEx home delivery for a $5 order. (IOW, I won't do it.)

    Right now I have a need for a few #451-02061. Unfortunately no one is willing to stick them in a 4x6 soft mailer and slap on a stamp.

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    @Ken: That's the best article yet on the China shipping imbalance. People (me!) love free shipping and it's great for individuals short term. Can't blame them (us!) though, domestic shipping costs are ridiculous. I've made the mistake of mailing my cheap China treasures to friends (Whit and Duane, are you still using your servo testers?) and it costs more to mail than it did to buy them, with free ship from China. There is definitely price fixing between USPS, UPS and FedEx on shipping parcels, everything costs dearly. Hard to believe the Post Office is bleeding that much money. It's also hard to believe that you can still mail a letter for just 47 cents, that's the only obvious bargain at the USPS. I guess cheap letter delivery and free Chinese parcel delivery are bogging down the whole system. Surely it can't be government bureaucracy...

    Last year the twins got electric scooters for Christmas. $70 on Amazon, free ship, FedEx delivered in 3-4 days. Those things weigh a ton, it would cost me over $70 to ship them anywhere. Amazon gets some major shipping discount, but clearly FedEx is still turning a profit. So the numbers can be made to work on a large scale, just not for Joe Average.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    User Name wrote: »
    I'd be perfectly happy with USPS 1st Class shipping on all small orders. I don't expect 'free' shipping. But it galls me to spend $10 on UPS or FedEx home delivery for a $5 order. (IOW, I won't do it.)

    Right now I have a need for a few #451-02061. Unfortunately no one is willing to stick them in a 4x6 soft mailer and slap on a stamp.

    Never mind home delivery. I would be happy to pick up my packages at the nearest shipping center if the prices were more reasonable. Seems to me home delivery must be the most expensive part of the shipping.
  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
    Without those cheep eBay prices and free shipping, I may not be able to support my basic prototyping needs. I don't have a use for large quantities, so free shipping is a plus and a must.
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    It's possible that the free shipping deals will have to end at some point. So we're hoarding.. my plan is to have enough of everything I'll ever need, as far as standard parts for small projects is concerned. I'm already set up for life with through-hole resistors (except for high-wattage ones, rarely needed), decoupling caps, most electrolytic types, nearly there with every other small capacitor types, diodes (signal and power, but still missing out on zeners and schottkys), 3- and 5mm LEDs, general transistors. I need some more resistor arrays, but I'm getting there. Various DC-DC converters, and of course all the erco bargains..
    most of this I have doubled up on, due to my two locations. I'm pretty well covered with IC sockets. I need more 74' logic ICs, but it's difficult to find bargains on assortments (except for LS or worse, which I don't need - I have some old stock).

  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    kwinn wrote: »
    Seems to me home delivery must be the most expensive part of the shipping.
    Agreed. That's why, at least for domestic delivery, USPS makes so much sense. They are already stopping at the house six days out of seven, anyway.
    I can only imagine the same holds true for Canada Post.
    I would be happy to pick up my packages at the nearest shipping center if the prices were more reasonable.
    For sure. Walmart, Ace Hardware, and lots of other stores offer free in-store pickup. I've taken full advantage of that. :)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    The stuff from China is just so dirt cheap that it promotes hoarding. Nice to hear I'm not alone in stocking up. Of course, organizing and storing it all becomes an issue. Duane has everything sorted neatly in bins by the Dewey Decimal system. Me somewhat less so...

    And we know that some of this stuff is junk, or factory seconds or rejects. So tossing the occasional dollar ultrasonic sensor dud is no big deal. And if you want your dollar back, they will give it, no questions asked. But heaven help you if you have to actually return a big purchase to China. I've done it twice, and return shipping costs gobble up most of the refund amount. When you see that, you REALLY appreciate the free shipping from China which we mostly enjoy.

  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    Interesting, I just got this this morning:
    Arrow Electronics
    arrow.com


    Fast. Free. Easy.

    Free shipping on all orders

    Valid In October — No Promo Code Needed
    No minimum on US orders
    $50 minimum on international orders
    SHOP NOW

    I don't know if it because I am a customer, or it will work for others.

  • User NameUser Name Posts: 1,451
    I got the same email today, and already ordered RF transistors. But I'm a customer, too. So it doesn't really answer your question. But I'd venture to guess that the free shipping extends to everyone.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    I'd really like to see an updated photo of Erco's robot room, his garage, and his robot work space. It must be overflowing at this point. Do share, Erco!

    Ken Gracey
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Eeewww, the world ain't ready for THAT horror video, even this close to Halloween. Too many concurrent projects stacked up. I'll have to clean and cull closer to the holidays, ask again then!
  • Keith YoungKeith Young Posts: 569
    Don't show any pictures or my wife won't let me visit the forums any more.

    Every time the name Erco comes up she starts talking about how we already have too much stuff.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Keith Young wrote: »
    we already have too much stuff.

    "Impossible", says this hoarder.

  • Roy ElthamRoy Eltham Posts: 3,000
    There is no such thing as too much stuff, you just need a bigger house.
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