where to buy components in the UK

[bluebunny]

Tayda is super cheap if you can wait. I tend to stock up on res/caps/pots etc from here. They charge $10 for shipping to UK , but the savings more than make up for it.
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Not sure if the prices are all the same, but their eBay shop appears to have free postage for everything?

[StephenGiles]

I hope they read this - Maplin are the most useless company on the face of this earth, they employ complete peabrains - don't go near them.

[markeebee]

On reflection, and in defence of Maplin (not a popular stance).......I guess there's a difference between how they set themselves up and how we want them to be set up.  In reality they're just an electronics 'supermarket' rather than a specialist electronics store.  I don't expect the checkout girl at Sainsburys to know all about bread making.  And the kids in Maplins are no more generally incompetent than 17 year olds working in any shop.

I really can't believe I'm saying this, after tearing my hair out so many times there.  But's it's not them, it's me....

OTOH, there's a transgenderal person (used to be a man, is now a lady) in my local Maplin who really knows her onions.  She may still have her onions for all I know.  A couple of times she's suggested alternative components, like "these are the same but cheaper" or "these are the same price, but higher temperature".  Quite a pleasure.  I should imagine.

[deadastronaut]

^ thats amazing for maplins..

my local maplins is a @#$%ing nightmare seriously.

every resistor value i asked for was not in its related drawer....even the manager came out and got lots of drawers out...nope!..all wrong!...he was totally shocked!....i wasn't.. !...

same as pots etc......'no we don't have any of those'....'look in the other drawers'......'oh yes we have,sorry about that'........is a common conversation in there...

the manager promised to get it sorted, and get his 'best' man on it....'brilliant'

a week or so later............hmmmmmm.....same @#$%ing problem!!!!...i give up!...

i don't expect any of the staff to au fait with everything they sell, but simple stock checking ,labelling, putting things in the 'right' @#$%ing drawers...should be standard!..

please maplin: read this you @#$%ers.

[bluebunny]

I'll fire up the minibus...

[markeebee]

^ Erm, you go on without me.  I reckon the lady in the Brighton branch could take us all, with one ample hand tied behind her hairy back.

[scuzzphut]

Tayda is super cheap if you can wait. I tend to stock up on res/caps/pots etc from here. They charge $10 for shipping to UK , but the savings more than make up for it.
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/

Not sure if the prices are all the same, but their eBay shop appears to have free postage for everything?

Didn't know they had an EBay shop - thanks for that