Jaycar Price Increases

[fudda]

I was wondering if members have noticed the price increases just imposed by Jaycar Electronics. They seem outrageous to me. Here are some examples:

Foxtel remote was $21.95 now $24.95, an increase of 13.7%
DB9 to RJ45 adaptor was $4.95 now $5.95, an increase of 20.2%
Max 232 chip was $6.25 now $6.95, an increase of 11.2%
Tantalum cap 1uf 25V, was 60c, now 78c, an increase of 30%
74HC244 chip for jtagging, was $1.75, now $2.45 an increase of 40%

I know the Aus dollar has fallen somewhat, but are these increases really justified?

Here's a couple of prices from Rockby Electronics:

Tantalum cap 1uf 35V is 60c, (2.2uf for season interface, 22c)
Max 232 chip is $4.67
DB9 to RJ45 adaptor is $3.47
74HC244 chip is $1.27

I'm just a customer of Rockby, no other connection. All these items are for Satellite TV, hence the post in Satellite General. (Will I get away with it?) BTW, I'm not promoting Rockby. Piss off and stay away. Then I can buy in peace.

[gw1]

You're paying for convenience of having a local store, same as with Dick Smith / Tandy outlets. There have always been small trade electronics shops here and there with discrete component prices a fraction of those at Jaycar. And there have always been online stores like Futurlec and Farnell. Those in the trade have always known that Farnell in small quantity are 3x the price of what you can find for a quantity order if you place it through small companies who specialise in tracking surplus stock. Even Jaycar themselves have sister company Soanar Plus, specifically for those in the trade, R&D folk etc.

There's no doubt that some of the prices at Jaycar are eye-popping if you know what prices are available elsewhere. But Jaycar's prices reflect the cost of having outlets all around the country, local staff, local support and warranty, and yes enough margin to ensure they're viable.

The forward to their 2009 catalogue lists other industry players who were around at the time Jaycar began around 1980: Electronic Agencies, PrePak Electronics, Sheridans, Ace Radio, Radio Despatch, McGraths, Radio Parts, Ellistronics. How many of them are still around today? Every year a bunch of one-man PC stores are opened by enthusiasts motivated by belief that all the other retailers are ripping their customers off. Three quarters of those stores fail and vanish within two years, having discovered that the other retailers were on the whole only charging what was necessary to remain viable. Small online stores have lower costs that are passed on as savings, but you need to be careful because some of them don't allow enough margin to cover warranty. Consumer protection law requires a certain level of warranty support, but as many here will know you often have a fight on your hands when products fail which were bought extremely cheaply from low-cost online shops. Jaycar aren't in that business - they're for those who want good local support and are realistic about what that costs.

The recent price rise will correspond to their new annual catalogue. Like Apple stores, Farnell and many other companies they calculate prices based on current and forecast costs and keep them fixed for an extended period. Smaller companies that don't publish paper catalogues are able to vary their prices week by week.

PS. I wasn't aware of Rockby Electronics, but it's good to know about them. Cheers.

[fandtm666]

i buy a fair bit of gear from jaycar and i do know they are more expensive but knowing that i can drive 5 minutes and have what i need straight away more than compensates for the extra price.Also you can always see if they will give you a trade card if you go there on a regular basis and this reduces the costs aswell

Also as mentioned by GW1 where warranty is concerned i purchased a soldering station from them last month and it failed the other day , i drove down and they did not have another there to replace it with and actually gave me a much better one for an extra $30 and said they would handle the warranty claim through the manufacturer.

[SystemRat]

Jaycar and Dick Smith charge what the market will bear. There pricing has little relationship to their costs.

A number of years ago I looked at a waterproof radio in the factory in China. It would have cost US $1.75 FOB in lots of 10,000. I thought about it but dropped the idea. A few months later Dick Smith had them for sale AU $39.95 each.