[sclug] USB cable prices

[Bob Dunlop]

On Fri, May 20, 2005 at 11:43:52AM +0100, Simon Champion wrote:
> Hi there,
> 
> I've been shopping for USB cables, and I've noticed some massive price 
> differences for what look like the same product.  Cables in the high street 
> shops seem to retail at about ?10 - ?15, but if you look online there are ads 
> for them as low as 70 pence.

Uhm I've seen them down to 30p

Similar price differentials can be seen for network cables.

Main difference if the high street ripoff factor although to be fair to them
for places like B&Q it's not exactly thier mainstream so the do incur higher
overheads in stocking minority items.  That excuse obviously doesn't apply
to places like PC World who are just ripping you off.


> I'm not normally the suspicious type, but those prices are so wildly 
> different, it's hard not to notice. But I can't work out why. Can anyone tell 
> me what I should be looking out for here.

Only problem I've had with mail order for this sort of stuff is that there
often a minimum order size or P&P to pay.  A 30p cable with five pounds post
and packing is almost back up to high street prices.

My strategy is to add a bundle of assorted cables and similar small items
that I might need sometime to the order whenever I'm purchasing something
big.  That way the P&P is amortized or often free.


I do have one USB cable that cost me a tenner but thats 5m long with an
active repeater (hub) built into the end.


-- 
        Bob Dunlop