Got a request this morning for a part I don't normally work with. Siemens HFP11 smoke detector. This is a very high end computerized unit, normal street price from regular suppliers is 215.00. Guy on E-Bay is advertising the same part, new in box, for 39.95. That is over 80% off wholesale. No way I will trust this. How can they do this? Any chance it's legit?
are you sure the shipping charges arent $180 or so?
Volume. Shipping $13.00.
He's got a 100% feedback with over 2300 feedbacks, I would buy from him.
But where in the world did he get them? Fell off a truck? I found them locally for 140.00 from a supplier I can go see, they will get my business. If it looks too good to be true, etc. Yeah, I'm a cynic.
Ebay store description said: The Fire Alarm Part Store The FireAlarmPart.Com Inc. Store is a FA liquidator / reseller of primarily new fire alarm parts for EST/Edwards, Simplex, and Notifier Fire Alarm Parts. We specialize in liquidation of contractors excess fire alarm materials/inventory from completed/cancelled jobs, or excess fire alarm gear.
Sounds legit. Maybe I'm too optimistic.
That said, I would support the local guy whenever possible.
Ask a legit follow-up question like ask him to send you a photo of the model number/serial number or something specific like the mounting bracket .
Could be that he does not know what he has.
In other words, B-Stock, old stock, sat-on-the-shelf for years stuff. For personal use, probably no problem, but for me to sell as new from the factory, might be a problem. If I was able to examine before purchase, I would not worry about it. I am certain he will protect his feedback, though. If he is selling for 40.00, a safe assumption would be that he paid at most 30.00 for each. That's less than 20 cents on the dollar. Who would sell for that loss? Desperation, I guess.
cwh wrote: Who would sell for that loss? Desperation, I guess.
The automakers do every time they offer those HUGE $10k rebates in traditionally off-peak selling times. It comes down to, do you want to hope and wish they sell for MSRP or sell for a loss and move product out the door keeping you, hopefully, solvent until you can sell that product for MSRP again?
cwh wrote: If he is selling for 40.00, a safe assumption would be that he paid at most 30.00 for each. That's less than 20 cents on the dollar. Who would sell for that loss? Desperation, I guess.
The seller could have bought the leftover stock of a company that was going out of business. You can get a good deal if you buy the entire inventory.
Maybe he hits the auctions that happen after a company is already closed. I've been to auctions like that. My company almost bought a clean, working Bridgeport machine for $2500. A new one starts at $15,000. We just didn't have a place to put it.
You are a cynic.
$.10 on the dollar happens all the time.
I do equipment and facilities purchasing for a chemical company. You'd be surprised how little can be spent sometimes on things that are "valuable". We frequently do entire process and system setups (worth millions) for pennies on the dollar.
If your typical sale has a 20% markup, offer a "B Stock Special" for a limited time only at 60% off retail (all sales are final, no warranty). You will have people snapping them up right and left for $86, and pocket a 100% markup.
Since it is a part you don't usually work with, the discount may attract some new customers you wouldn't normally have.
What's wrong with making them available to the customer with full disclosure?
I have run into several instances where local prices can easily be 5x or more of online prices. Magnetic vinyl was one of them. I tried to buy local but you gotta at least try to compete for my business. I guess if it has to go through enough suppliers that each charge a 40-60% markup than it doesn't take to long to get to this kind of price difference.
It's your profession and not mine, but...
For a lot of stuff, that sounds reasonably solid.
I'm guessing, though, that the repercussions for being taken and winding up with non-legit smoke detectors range from lawsuits to deaths.
Calculated risks involve gauging both probabilities and repercussions.
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