8 Reasons Why Not to Buy Circuit Board Through Intermediaries

Intermediaries Are Not Trustworthy

Many people who buy circuit boards through intermediaries have proven that this service’s quality is not very good, and all that brokers want to make money from it—usually the case with intermediaries. Many of these brokers appear to be charging extra tariffs on PCB buyers to keep profits.

When you buy PCBs from a broker, you can not be sure they will help you if you have any issues. They do not have your best interest at heart.

What they care about is the money you will pay to them. Once they understand, they get you out of the trouble and find the next one to persuade and profit from them.

That is how most intermediaries in almost all industries are.

They inflate product prices for the final consumer to make excessive profits. You should not trust them enough to buy from them, especially if you have better alternatives. 

You Need to Pay Certain Fees to The Middleman

It is no longer news that a product is more expensive when you buy from a broker than when you buy directly from the manufacturer due to the amount brokers charge for each product.

Some brokers take up to 20% to 40% charges when you buy circuit boards from them, which is unjustifiable.

If you can avoid it, you do not have to lose that much money through this extortion payment.

Apart from these high charges, brokers tend to inflate the price when you buy PCBs from them.

If you add this to the extra tariff they are charging, circuit boards’ cost becomes much higher than the price manufacturers sell them and intend to sell.

Like you, greed is the final consumer who bears the brunt of the middleman. 

You can save money buying PCBs from the right channel, the manufacturer, instead of through a broker.

Does the Middleman Have a Reliable PCB Supplier?

Another primary reason not to trust intermediaries enough to buy circuit boards from them is that you do not know their suppliers or their reliability.

You will have more problems to handle if the brokers you are buying PCBs from are not trustworthy and they have suppliers who are just like them. 

You may need to deal with longer broker chains, as some brokers disguise themselves as PCB manufacturers.

As a buyer, you must be careful with whom you buy goods. You might think you are buying directly from the manufacturer, and they might even offer you what you think is the best price deal.

In fact, you have to contact the manufacturer disguised as a broker; otherwise, you may be at risk of buying counterfeit goods.

Few things help you to know if you are buying PCB from the wrong people, and the following tips may help you do just that: 

1. Apart from PCBs, they offer other services like components, assembly, and cables.
2. The sales office name (ABC Technology) differs slightly from the factory name (ABC Circuits).
3. They have a US or Hong Kong sales office, but the factory is in mainland China. 
4. The email address of the salesperson is different from the manufacturer’s email. 
5. The seller uses a phrase such as our manufacturing facilities. A sentence like this one implies that the companies involved in the process are more than one. 

• The invoice’s company name differs from the one on the Remittance address. 
• The address on the quote is different from the one on the factory is an ISO or UL certificate. 

When you see such red flags, run! 

You Can not Communicate Directly With the PCB Manufacturers.

It has been decades that PCB buyers started to buy circuit boards from overseas manufacturers.

When intermediaries came in, they were necessary and vital as they helped to deal with the many problems that came with buying PCBs from a distant part of the world. 

But with the level of sophistication that we now have and the advances that we have made in technology, the role of intermediaries or brokers is no longer necessary. Buyers can now buy PCBs online, directly from the manufacturers, and enjoy many benefits through that. 

It is a lot easier to buy directly from the manufacturers than to waste your time and resources buying from a broker. 

Another advantage to this is that when you buy circuit boards directly from manufacturers, you can quickly build a relationship with them that allows you to continue to relate with them. It makes it easier for you to resolve any issues you might have with the circuit boards. You do not have this privilege when you buy from intermediaries. 

You Can not Completely Trace the Source of the Product. 

When you buy PCBs from a broker, you probably do not know the manufacturers to buy Ifrom. This means that you take whatever board the broker gives you without ascertaining the source.

You might be lucky to get the right product at a hefty price, but you pay an excessive amount for a substandard printed circuit board in many other cases. 

The old Latin phrase, Caveat emptor, which in English means the buyer should beware, applies to anybody who wants to buy PCB from intermediaries rather than directly from the manufacturer or supplier.

Because you cannot track the origin of the product, you do not know it is good or bad, and whether it is homemade.

You can not tell if the broker is trustworthy or the supplier is reliable. Additionally, you have to pay an exorbitant price to buy it. 

Does the PCB Supplier Give You the Best Price?

It is impossible to get the best price rate when you buy PCB from a broker. No price rate can beat the price that comes directly from the manufacturer.

When you purchase PCBs through intermediaries, the price rate runs through the roof. 

Brokers Increase the Cost of Your Product 

If, for any reason, you buy PCBs from a broker, this will increase the cost of the PCB you are buying.

This is because the brokers want to profit from reselling the product to you.

Secondly, they will charge you for whatever tariffs are on the individual product.

So, you will spend more money buying PCBs from brokers than you would buying them directly from manufacturers.

WELLPCB Can Provide You 

If you are looking for the right channel to buy circuit boards, look no further than WELLPCB. As manufacturers, we can provide you with the best PCBs at the best price.

By buying PCBs from us, you can avoid the stress of buying through brokers and save unnecessary expenses.

You can also relate with us directly if you need to clarify or resolve any issues.

Summary 

If you are looking for the right place to buy circuit boards, you can never find it with a broker or middleman. The ideal place to buy PCBs is from the manufacturers.

That is the best way to protect your business and ensure that you do not lose money unnecessarily in the middlemen’s hands.

If you find it challenging to identify the right suppliers, then you are in the right place.

WellPCB can help you and provide you with the best PCBs.