Hi. Please excuse if this is not the proper place to pose this question. I am considering doing computer repair on the side but concerned about where is the best place to find and order parts. Was wondering where other computer techs find the best sources for all parts? Other than Amazon, Tiger, Newegg. Also, is there some kind of general part number listing anywhere for all brands of computers? Thanks!
Newcomer question - parts suppliers?
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Porthos
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I say unless you are planning to buy parts in large volumes, stick with the sources you already mentioned.
thecomputerguy
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I just stick with Amazon for everything and mark it up between 20% and 500% from there. All sales in one spot, all returns in one spot, easy to track expensing, competitive pricing.
I'm not interested in saving a couple of dollars per unit just to make things more difficult on myself.
I'm not interested in saving a couple of dollars per unit just to make things more difficult on myself.
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I echo the others. I had accounts with the main suppliers. Synnex and such.
I always found public sources to be better priced at the volumes I was getting.
I always found public sources to be better priced at the volumes I was getting.
Sky-Knight
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I use predominately Amazon as well, and all the old guard keep calling me... Why don't you buy anymore?
Because your prices suck, and when they don't suck your returns are too hard. Now go away and come back when you've decided to join the rest of us in 2020.
Because your prices suck, and when they don't suck your returns are too hard. Now go away and come back when you've decided to join the rest of us in 2020.
HCHTech
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I don't want to agree, but I have to. We will have spent just about $100K with D&H for 2020, but that was down from $146K in 2019, and I find myself getting more and more stuff from Amazon as time goes by. It's a bit cheaper, I can get it at least as fast (we're one-day shipping from D&H's warehouse in Harrisburg, so we often get next day delivery even with lowest-cost shipping), and they have it. These days, you can't play favorites - you buy where they have the thing, or you don't get it. That, and D&H's shipping has slipped a bit for sure. Just this month, it took 8 days for them to drop-ship an external drive to a local client that was in stock.
I always worry about NOT having a distributor to stand behind the stuff I get on Amazon, but I haven't really been burnt yet.
I always worry about NOT having a distributor to stand behind the stuff I get on Amazon, but I haven't really been burnt yet.
Porthos
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I generally use Amazon. I use whatever can get me what I need for the specific repair.
Except for SSD's I order per client.
Except for SSD's I order per client.
Mike McCall
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Amazon primarily (pun intended) for most things, eBay for obscure parts unavailable elsewhere. I've tried getting with a couple of distributors but their pricing is often high, and additional shipping on top of that makes it a no-go for me. My numbers are small, which makes Amazon a better choice.
YeOldeStonecat
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For small items and small quantities...like "hard drives, RAM, monitors"....yeah whatever you find cheapest..such as Amazon or NewEgg. You're doing this past time and you mentioned "computer repair"...so those should be fine.
As you grow or take this on full time, that's where I'll encourage you to get setup with "reseller status" with certain brands of computers and other products. Yes your "cost" may be higher initially...but over time, as you build your history and quantity with a wholesaler/partner...your discounts get deeper..and deeper...and deeper. After some time your WAAAAAAY ahead in getting low costs than you would have been just buying things off the street like anyone. We started with CDW and Ingram...and a few years ago started using D&H for more...as Ingram started slipping in customer service for us. We're "MSP for businesses only"...so we use Tier-1 computer brands (Dell, HP, Lenovo), and business grade network products (Ubiquiti, Fortinet, Untangle firewall, HP/Aruba, etc) Many of those do require signed up/being approved for reseller status. We have several "backup vendors" also to source from.
For basis things like "buying 6x Western Digital Blue Solid State Drives"...yeah Ingram won't be the best price. But when you need to go buy a custom spec'd HP ProLiant or Dell server that has a cost of around 8 grand...you will find best pricing, pre sales support, etc...from a wholesaler. By far. We spent around 170k at Ingram, about 50k at D&H, and we still order direct from Dell sometimes...spent about 40k there yet still get a lot of Dells through Ingram and D&H. I use a really good resource located about an hour from me in Trumbell CT for my Lenovo products....did about 90k there this year.
For more full time business with steady products...it's about building relationships with vendors and wholesalers/suppliers..,..and getting line up with reseller programs.
As you grow or take this on full time, that's where I'll encourage you to get setup with "reseller status" with certain brands of computers and other products. Yes your "cost" may be higher initially...but over time, as you build your history and quantity with a wholesaler/partner...your discounts get deeper..and deeper...and deeper. After some time your WAAAAAAY ahead in getting low costs than you would have been just buying things off the street like anyone. We started with CDW and Ingram...and a few years ago started using D&H for more...as Ingram started slipping in customer service for us. We're "MSP for businesses only"...so we use Tier-1 computer brands (Dell, HP, Lenovo), and business grade network products (Ubiquiti, Fortinet, Untangle firewall, HP/Aruba, etc) Many of those do require signed up/being approved for reseller status. We have several "backup vendors" also to source from.
For basis things like "buying 6x Western Digital Blue Solid State Drives"...yeah Ingram won't be the best price. But when you need to go buy a custom spec'd HP ProLiant or Dell server that has a cost of around 8 grand...you will find best pricing, pre sales support, etc...from a wholesaler. By far. We spent around 170k at Ingram, about 50k at D&H, and we still order direct from Dell sometimes...spent about 40k there yet still get a lot of Dells through Ingram and D&H. I use a really good resource located about an hour from me in Trumbell CT for my Lenovo products....did about 90k there this year.
For more full time business with steady products...it's about building relationships with vendors and wholesalers/suppliers..,..and getting line up with reseller programs.
