1

Hello Spiceheads!
Where do you all here, buy your miscellaneous equipment.
I’m talking about:

  • Patch cables
  • Docking stations
  • HDMI cables
  • etc.

I’m currently buying from Amazon, and a few local stores, but I think there must be a better way. CDW? etc. Looking for recommendations here. Whether to get a business account? Etc.

37 Spice ups
2

Cables: Cables to Go

Equipment: Either Provantage or HP (whenever they get reasonable on pricing)

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What would make a way “better” than what you’re currently doing? You didn’t explain what issue you’re experiencing that requires something better than what you have.

6 Spice ups
4

We use Amazon and CDW for random things.

1 Spice up
5

Get a business account from any vendor you like. Even Amazon. Your discount will depend on how much business you do with them…

4 Spice ups
6

Monoprice for cables.

Provantage for many things. They drop ship from the major distributors and prices are cheaper than what I get direct with the same distributors. :frowning: Have to pay for shipping though.

Amazon if priced better than Provantage once shipping is added it. (And the 5% cash back if you have an Amazon card really does add up.)

I don’t even look at CDW. Their published prices are sky high and sometimes even more than list prices. I know you can negotiate discounts but I refuse to jump through those hoops and even when doing so, prices are cheaper elsewhere.

7 Spice ups
7

CDW was the way to go for sure, where I used to work I would be buying network cables, and printer toners all the time.

1 Spice up
8

CDW and GHA Technologies. Amazon for the obscure stuff (I still think that bookstore is the great satan).

I also deal with newegg from time to time. I liked them better when 90% of their stuff shipped right from their Edison NJ warehouse, now they are a mini Amazon.

2 Spice ups
9

Newegg Business. I do a ton of business with them. Just bought 10 refurb iPhone 8’s this evening, in fact. Hard to beat pricing.

2 Spice ups
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It was really a question to see what other pros are doing. I don’t have a major problem with what I am doing now, I just feel that there must be a better way.

Also I am buying products like we are a “50 person shop” when we are really a “200 person shop” so I am really just trying to grow.

2 Spice ups
11

Business account is the way to go.

I don’t know for Canada but here I use Ebuyer.

12

Similar size organisation to the OP, though in the UK. We’ve got business accounts with a number of resellers, the ability to pick up a phone, discuss with a known (& reasonably trusted) person, place an order & then get invoiced rather than paying on a card & having to fill in the expenses process makes it worth while.

Having said that we will occasionally use online resellers to make sure that the pricing we are getting is keen (to date our preferred supplier has almost always been able to beat any price available on the web). or if there is something that our resellers don’t cover (fs.com gbics is one that we’ve had to do recently)

13

Wherever the best price is, and to be honest whatever the product is mainly determines what we need.

3 Spice ups
14

Patch cables: CableMonkey or other similar website.
Docking stations: We have an account with a reseller. Some of their stuff is cheaper than elsewhere but some, like monitor arms and flash drives, are ridiculously priced.
USB/HDMI cables, flash drives, monitor arms, batteries, chargers, and just about anything else random: Amazon. Or even walk around the the corner to Wilko or ASDA.
Random specialist kit like proprietary power supplies: Google it and find the best price vs. reviews.
Like a few others have said, depends on the price we can get. My partner works at a university and she has to buy through approved resellers who absolutely rinse them on the small stuff. I can’t remember what it was - might have been a dual monitor arm again - but she was getting charged about three to four times what they could be bought for through just about any website. That’s not to say all resellers are just in it for the money, but spending half an hour of your time shopping around (if your purchasing policies allow it) can be worth it.

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newegg ?

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Normally we’d go through our vendor but with the supply shortages for a lot of items we get them from whoever has them in stock (especially with docks). Our vendor rep has a lit of items we’re always looking for and he’ll email me if they get them in stock. We also keep an eye out on vendors we have (or close to getting) a contract with (Amazon, Best Buy, NewEgg, etc…).

(Our company is 600-750 total positions (including open positions) in the US).

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Amazon and CDW. Seems like a popular answer, too. Amazon is often a little less expensive but we have a good relationship with our CDW rep on harder to find (in bulk) items.

1 Spice up
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We use CDW for a lot of different purchases, but occasionally we get things from Amazon as well. I’d also get stuff from Newegg, and there is always getting miscellaneous parts from the manufacturer itself (although that’s in the case of nobody else having said miscellany).

19

Used to get a lot from Best Buy until they went to private carriers that kept trying to deliver when we were closed and then just return the orders to Best Buy and I’d have to start all over. Mostly Amazon and CDW. Amazon is tricky as you don’t always know where the stuff is coming from. I scout around and have used a few other places like Provantage and Cables to go. I shop around and look for quality and a good price. When I’m in doubt or in a hurry, I get it from CDW unless they don’t have it in stock. I can count on the quality and delivery.

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CDW as they are an approved vendor whereas Amazon is not.