Why do I even bother shopping at radioshack?

[Shape D.]

So I go to radio shack last night, and heres my shopping list

2 100 ohm linear potentiomiters
1  transformer 110v ac to 6v dc
1  female iec panel connector
1   4 AA battery compartment
1  triple throw switch on/off/on
3  rolls of 18 guage stranded wire

some buttons that I don't know what theyre called

and 1/2 metric butt ton of male and female blade connectors.



and what do the have in stock?

1 16pc pack of male and female blade connectors and the 18 guage wire.

Anything else in stock, no. The guy doesn't even frickin understand what I'm talking about when I ask him for a triple throw switch and I have to explain it to him.

Does he know what the weird buttons i'm looking for are? NO! he claims they train their employees on cell phones and pagers.

/ rant      / me shopping at radioshack, these people suck.

P.S. does anyone know what type of buttons a video switcher or other type of switcher would use.  You push one in and the other buttons push out, thus you can only have one on at a time.

[Jabba]

I know what you mean. Been there looking for female .187 connectors and they look at you like you have three heads!!! I try to avoid them as much as possible. PLUS, their prices are CRAZY. I bought a fan from HAPPS on sale for like $3.50. RadioScrap wanted $29.75!!

[missioncontrol]

when I was a kid Radio Shack was awesome unfortunately that was 20 years ago......... 

They are completely usesless now....yet I still find myself going in there everyonce and a while looking for something and the sales people have no idea what I'm talking when I ask them about something....... 


now all they are worried about is trying to sell me a phone.........

[cholin]

Yeah Ive noticed theyve tried to sell me phones a few times.

Hi, Im looking for a bag of female disconnects.
Oh yes, right this way, this blue phone will work perfectly!
Umm I was looking more for something like....
Aha I know exactly what you need!  A red one suits you better!

Dont be dissin 15 yr olds.  I could probably work there and know most of what people are asking for!  Then again, Id be a bad salesperson.  I would probably end up ranting about how sh*tty the prices are and hand them a flyer for some other store

[Shape D.]

Dont be dissin 15 yr olds.  I could probably work there and know most of what people are asking for!  Then again, Id be a bad salesperson.  I would probably end up ranting about how sh*tty the prices are and hand them a flyer for some other store

sorry, not attempting to outright slam 15 year olds, but you have to admit most kids that age don't know a whole lot about electronics.

[cholin]

Yeah I agree, everyone I know is completely stupid, ya know when you have to play stupid not to sound like a nerd   Im looking for a job, wonder how much RadioShack pays...

[Ken Layton]

And people laugh at me for saving the old Radio Shack catalog (the last one they printed in 2001).

You have to have the stock number for them to find anything. That's why I saved the old catalog is for the part numbers (plus to see how high they've jacked up prices or discontinued stuff).

That switch you are looking for is probably a "ganged" latching switch like you'd see on an intercom too.

[Hoagie_one]

ocassionally a guy their is knowledgable.

[Ken Layton]

The last time I saw a Rafio Shack with a girl working in it was around 1998 here in Lacey, Wash. She had huge knockers and didn't know anything, but it sure was fun following her around the store. Needless to say I visited that store alot for the few weeks she worked there. 

[Daniel270]

Radio Shack's not even really a hobbyists' store anymore.....

[TalkingOctopus]

Everyone hates radioshack -- especially technology enthusiasts.  And if you don't, you really ought to.  I don't think they do anything right - bad service, bad selection, bad layout, bad pricing.  However,  I still go in there from time to time for convience and I don't know where to get some of the stuff they sell elsewhere locally. 

For the most part, I do my electronics part shopping here: http://www.digikey.com/

[TOK]

I snag little stuff there all the time. If you're asking for electronics advice from a $6 per hour salesperson, its you who is the dummy. 

The ones near me have all the electronics stuff in bins. When (if) they ask, tell them you don't need any help. They'll let you route through the bins to your hearts content finding what you need while they watch TV or help an old codger with batteries. 

[tommy]

I dont even bother to ask for help in that place, if i cant find it myself i just leave.

[Ken Layton]

Actually if you are in southern California, look up MarVac Electronics. They have one of their stores in Santa Barbara over on Hollister, but there are others in southern Calif.

In general, if you are looking for local stores to buy electronic parts/products look in your Yellow Pages under "Electronic Equipment & Supplies".

[Harry Potter]

We have the equivalent in Australia. It's called 'Dick Smith's Electronics' but unfortunately, Dick Smith had sold the business ages ago yet they retain and continue to tarnish his name by keeping it on the store fronts.

This outfit used to be excellent until they started hiring morons. The only good thing they're for is stocking DB-23 connectors for my Amiga. At least we have Jaycar electronics which is entirely staffed by nerds who KNOW what they're talking about. 

[Quarters]

I agree with all of the above beefs.

The thing that really set my mind against radioshack was that radioshack was the first store to ask my name, phone # etc. at the cash. I told the kid I had cash in my hand and wished to by a product. That was all he ever needed to know about me. Many other stores have followed RS in this annoying trend. Most still get the same answer.

[Ken Layton]

Ah yes the name Dick Smith Electronics. Twenty years ago they had an office here in the USA and had an impressive catalog. Bought several things from them, but sadly they closed up shop here years ago.

Radio Shack used to be a good all-round electronics parts store staffed by knowledgeable people. They key word is USED TO BE. Now they are into 'suggestive selling' and 'up-selling' all kinds of crap I don't need or want. Remember how the vast majority of Radio Shack stores were free standing buildings and not part of either a big shopping mall or a strip mall? Back in the old days they even had a tube tester (or valves as they are also known) and a stock of tubes in the store. Most of the staff in those days were also ham radio operators so they knew what I was talking about and had what I needed.

[DrewKaree]

The thing that really set my mind against radioshack was that radioshack was the first store to ask my name, phone # etc. at the cash. I told the kid I had cash in my hand and wished to by a product. That was all he ever needed to know about me. Many other stores have followed RS in this annoying trend. Most still get the same answer.

Why do you bother to argue with them?  If they wish to intrude, bother, and generally make your transaction less easy/simple, it's my earnest belief that they wish to have the occasional person who will buck their system.

Here's what you do.  If you actually happen to live in these zip codes, don't use them, find another....since the odds are that you won't, use these

clerk:  "And what is your zip code?"
you:  "90210"
clerk:  "your telephone number?"
you:  "(your area code) 555-1212"

If they wish to push the issue any more, THEN you get more...errmmm...expressive.

I know it's to target their advertising more, but if they wish to do this, they should offer you a discount for doing their work for them.  Otherwise, figure it out your darn self

[Daniel270]

The reason they ask for that info is to send you the equivalent of spam.... and don't let them fool you into thinking they don't sell your info.....

They used to send out flyers and catalogs (you have to "buy" the catalog" nowadays) through the mail...  haven't seen any flyers in a long time....

[RoboG2]

I'm 15 and they don't understand me either!?

[DrewKaree]

They started putting the flyers in the local paper.  They found mail drops were far less productive.

I've never been asked my name or address, just phone # or zip code.  If they ever ask me my name, I think I'll tell them my name is John StClair

When signing up for something online, and a name is required, I have pets.  That's how I track who's selling my name for what, and to whom.  Failing your pets having names you feel comfortable giving out, tell them your name is Hugh Jass, Phil McCracken, or if it's for your wife, Ivana Tinkle

[rampy]

my favorite line about rat shack...

"You've got questions... we've got blank stares..."

or

"You've got questions... we've got answers... to other questions."

rampy

[RayB]

Times, they are a changing.

Come on, what's the point of complaining. Obviously there are less and less do-it-yourself electronics hobbiests. RS had a choice. Adapt or go out of business.

[cholin]

I went there a while ago to buy a solderring iron, some solder, a few disconnects, terminal strips, desolderring braid, you know, the must-haves to start any project.  I went, they only had 2 terminal strips, no desolderring braid, no disconnects and I wanted a 20 pack of LEDs for like 5 bucks and they didnt know what an LED was.  I had to honestly explain that it was a little mini light bulb thing that lights up and they guy said "Oh, we havent had any of those things for weeks" yet the site said they had a good 18+ packs.  They didnt have the desolderring braid or the disconnects either, but my bill came to $40+ (CAD)  As of then, I no longer shop at RadioShack!  I think Im going to buy stuff from Jameco.  I orderred a catalog, went to the site, made a list of stuff I need (want).  Waiting for my cheque in the mail (cheque -- im Canadian) then into Paypal it goes!

[DrewKaree]

I went there a while ago to buy a solderring iron

Is that one of those irons that causes all your soldering problems?  Yeah, I bought one of those too!  Yeah, that's the ticket, a soldERRing iron!! 

BRILLIANT!

[paigeoliver]

Radio Shack isn't adapting to anything, it is trying to be Circuit City AND Toys R Us AND the Sprint store AND an actual electronics store all at the same time, a store SMALLER than ANY of those.

It ends up doing a terrible job at all of them. Best Buy (and even Commission City) are better consumer electronics store, every toy store is a better toy store, cell phone kiosks in the mall are better cell phone stores, and even those jumbled up mom and pop electronics component stores where everything is all randomly mixed up are better electronics stores*.

* Electronics Exchange, the electronics junk store I frequent USUALLY has most things I need. If I go in there with a list of caps I can usually find 90 percent of them. I shoot about 50 percent on ICs, and things like switches and edge connectors I have always found. It would cost me like $45 to put together a cap kit at radio shack, and that was IF I got lucky and they actually had enough caps in stock to make one.

[tommy]

Im not sure why you would expect anyone in anystore to know whats going on, they dont train them to be experts on all electronics.

Maybe they could give you a general idea where to find an item, answer the phone and work the register thats it.

[DaemonCollector]

I actully applied to work at one of these stores last year. They're hiring tactics are ass backwards. They do a presentation thing like once a month and all the applicants sit in a room and they do their whole speil on how they are there to answer questions and train every employee on everything in the store. After the presentation they take each person to a mini interview, during this interview they don't question electronics background or anything. I still get a kick out of going in the stores and confusing the hell outa some of the employees. But there is one store near me who has a hobbiest working for it, he always helps me out Otherwise its over to Fry's

[nipsmg]

Unfortunately, there's no other local option if you need components in a pinch.

For the most part, I hit up digikey for large orders.  I work for a contract circuit board manufacturer and I can get orders of stuff from suppliers for OUR cost, which is generally a lot cheaper than book pricing.

However, if I really quickly need some wire or a DPDT switch or a RCA jack or something, I have to go to radio shack because there are no other stores in the immediate area.  It kinda sucks, but then again, there's not a large consumer demand for components. :-/

[Stingray]

Actually I'm fairly lucky, both of the Radio Shacks near me one knowlegable employee. Sadly everyone else who works at both stores are clueless cell phone salesmen, but one at each store isn't bad.

-S

[ChadTower]

I have this place within a half hour's drive:

http://www.youdoitelectronics.com/

They have tons of stuff, but the employees act all self righteous if you ask them a question.  If you don't know exactly what you need on your own it's not much use to ask them unless you want to be treated like you're asking for one of their teeth.

[Shape D.]

Actually I'm fairly lucky, both of the Radio Shacks near me one knowlegable employee. Sadly everyone else who works at both stores are clueless cell phone salesmen, but one at each store isn't bad.

-S

thats better than ive got.